The Riverside County Board of Supervisors cast final votes on redistricting the five supervisorial districts last week. The vote, approving a resolution defining the new boundaries, was 4-1 with Supervisor V. Manuel Perez opposed the choice. This was the same vote as at the Dec. 7 meeting when the majority adopted Map F.
The first election based on the new boundaries will be next spring’s primary election and then the November general election. Of course, if threats of litigation objecting to these boundaries becomes reality, the timing and finality may change. In 2022, supervisors for Districts 2, 4 and 5 will be up for election.
In future primary and November elections, Pine Cove, Idyllwild, Mountain Center and Garner Valley, to just south of Lake Hemet, will be voting for the District 4 supervisor.
The new District 4’s western edge is these Hill communities and it extends east to the Colorado River and is bounded top to bottom by the county’s northern and southern borders. It is the largest in size of the five districts.
Yet District 4’s population is 465,027 residents, the fewest of the five districts. Average population is 483,488. District 4 is about 18,500 fewer than the average. The other four districts are all within 5,000 people of that target.
Other Hill communities — a portion of Garner Valley, Anza, Sage, Aguanga and Lake Riverside — remain in District 3.
Formally, the supervisors voted to approve a new resolution setting the new boundaries. The only discussion was from a member of the public, Roy Bleckert.
“I make this plea public. We went through a process where everybody had their voice,” Bleckert said. “The board made their decision. Why can’t we just accept that?”
The redistricting process began nearly a year ago. At its Nov. 17, 2020 meeting, the board established the 2021 Advisory Redistricting Commission (ARC), a Brown Act body.
ARC and the board held six public meetings to hear comments and review proposed maps, many of which the public submitted. Hundreds of comments were submitted online and more than 60 people spoke at the Dec. 7 board public hearing.
