The U.S. Census Bureau says it counts the nation's population every ten years in order to help communities determine where to build everything from schools and supermarkets, to homes and hospitals.
It also helps governments on the local level determine how to redraw districts to best serve local populations.
23ABC NEWS IS GOING IN-DEPTH ONSTORIES THAT MATTER TO YOU.TONIGHT, WE'RE LOOKING ATPOTENTIAL CHANGES TOKERN COUNTY'S FIVE DISTRICTS.23ABC'S AUSTIN WESTFALL WILLHAVE MORE ON REDISTRICTING --BUT FIRST LET'S TAKE A LOOK ATWHERE THINGS STAND RIGHTNOW.THE MAP YOU'RE LOOKING AT ISBROKEN INTO FIVE DISTRICTS INKERN COUNTY.
WE'RE GOING TOSTART OFF WITH SOME OF THESMALLER ZONES.DISTRICT 3 WHICH ISGREEN--REPRESENTS MUCH OBAKERSFIELD AND PART OF OILDALE.MIKE MAGGARD IS THE SUPERVISORFOR THAT AREA.
AND THE SMALLPINK AREA IS DISTRICT 5 WHICHENCOMPASSETHE FINAL CHUNK OF BAKERSFIELD.LETICIA PEREZ IS THE SUPERVISORFOR THAT AREA.THE ORANGE IS DISTRICT 1--WHICHENCOMPASSES A CHUNK OFBAKERSFIELD AS WELL AS MUCH OFNORTHEAST KERN COUNTY-INCLUDING LAKE ISABELLA.AND IS REPRESENTED BY PHILLIPPETERS.
YELLOW IS DISTRICT 2--WHICH COVERS PARTBAKERSFIELD, ALL OF TEHACHAPI,MARICOPA AND OTHERZACK SCRIVNER IS THE SUPERVISORFOR THAT AREA.PURPLE IS DISTRICT 4-- AND THATAREA INCLUDES WASCSHAFTER, MCFALAND AND DELANO.DAVID COUCH SUPERVISES DISTRICTFOUR.BUT THE OUTLINES OF THEDISTRICTS COULD CHANGE IN THEFUTURE.
THEU-S CENSUS BUREAU SAYS IT COUNTSTHE NATION'SPOPULATION EVERY TEN YEARS TOHELP COMMUNITIESDETERMINE WHERE TO BUILDEVERYTHING FROM SCHOOLSAND SUPERMARKETS TO HOMES ANDHOSPITALS.
THOSECHANGES CAN ALSO INCLUDEREDRAWING DISTRICTS.23ABC'S AUSTIN WESTFALL JOINS USLIVE IN DOWNTOWNBAKERSFIELD WITH A LOOK AT WHATREDISTRICTING IS,AND WHAT'S IMPORTANT FOR KERNCOUNTY RESIDENTS TOKNOW ABOUT IT.
AUSTIN?ALEX AT FACE VALUE --REDISTRICTING SOUNDS SIMPLE --IT'S THE ACT OF THE COUNTYDECIDING THE BOUNDARIESKERN'S FIVE DISTRICTS.
BUT AS ACOUNTY OFFICIAL TOLD METODAY, THERE'S A DEEPER SCIENCETO IT."IT'S IMPORTANT SO THAT EACHDISTRICT HAS THE SAME AMOUNT OFREPRESENTATION SO THAT ALLVOICES ARE HEARD EQUALLY."WITHIN KERN COUNTY ARE FIVEDISTRICTS.
AND EACH ONE HAS ACORRESPONDING SUPERVISOR, WHICHEACH DISTRICT'SRESIDENTS PICK THROUGH VOTING.THE COUNTY DETERMINES THBOUNDARIES OF THESE DISTRICTS BYEXAMINING A RANGE OFFACTOR"AS 2021 IS THE YEAR FOLLOWINGTHE MOST RECENT CENSUS, IT ISNOW TIME TO EMBARK ON THEPROCESS OF REDISTRICTING."FIRST, EACH DISTRICT NEEDS TOHAVE ABOUT THE SAMEPOPULATION.
THIS IS IMPORTANT SOTHAT EACH SUPERVISOR REPRESENTSTHE VOICE OF AN EQUAL AMOUNT OFPEOPLE.
BUTTHAT'S NOT ALL THAT'S TAKEN INTOCONSIDERATION."WE ALSO ARE INTERESTED INMAKING SURE THATGEOGRAPHICAL COMMUNITIES AREIDENTIFIED."ACCORDING TO THE COUNTY, THESEGEOGRAPHICALCOMMUNITIES CAN BE AREAS WITH ACONCENTRATION OF A CERTAINRACE OR CULTURE.
IN 2018, AFEDERAL COURT RULED THAT APREVIOUS KERN COUNTYREDISTRICTING PLAN VIOLATEDTHE VOTING RIGHTS OF LATINOS.
AJUDGE DETERMINING THE PLANUNLAWFULLY DENIED LATINOS THERIGHT TO ELECT THESUPERVISOR OF THEIR CHOICE.ISSUES LIKE THIS OFTEN ARISEWHEN ONE SUCH COMMUNITY ISSPLIT INTO DIFFERENT DISTRICTS."WE WANT TO HEAR ABOUT THAT ANDMAKE SURE THAT WE DO KEEPCOMMUNITIES OF INTERESTTOGETHER."THE COUNTY IS HOLDING A WORKSHOPON WEDNESDAY APRIL21ST TO ADDRESS ANY CONCERNS.IT'S AIMED AT INFORMING THEPUBLIC AS TO HOW CENSUS DATA ISUSED TO DRAW DISTRICT LINES.FOUR OTHER PUBLIC HEARINGSESSIONS WILL BE SCHEDULED TOGIVE THE PUBLIC A CHANCE TOPROVIDE INPUT."WE WANT TO RECEIVE AS MUCHFEEDBACK AS POSSIBLE TOLEARN THE INTEREST, THE NEEDS,AND WHAT THE CITIZENSKERN COUNTY THINK IS IMPORTANT."THE COUNTY HAS LAUNCHED AWEBSITE DEDICATED TOTHE REDISTRICTING PROCESS.THAT QR CODE ON YOUR SCREEN WILLTAKE YOU TO THE SITE.
JUSTPOINT YOUR SMARTPHONE CAMERA ATTHE CODE.
THEWEBSITE HAS MORE INFORMATIONABOUT WHREDISTRICTING IS IMPORTANT INKERN COUNTY AND HOW TO JOIN THEWORKSHOP THAT IS HAPPENING ONWEDNESDAY.
THERE IS ALSO ANEMAIL ADDRESS WHERE YOU CAN SENDCOMMENTS OR CONCERNSRIGHT NOW.
THE SITE IS AVAILABLEIN BOTH ENGLISH AND SPANISH.
WEALSO HAVE THE LINK TO THE SITEAND THIS INFORMATION ON OURWEBSITE, TURNTO23.COM, ALEX.AUSTIN WHY ARE DISTRICTSIMPORTANT?
FOR EXAMPLE, DOESTHE PUBLIC VOTE ON CERTAINPROPOSITIONS DEPENDING ONWHICH DISTRICT THEY'RE IN?YOU WON'T SEE ANY PROPOSITIONVOTES ACCORDING TOYOUR DISTRICT.
THE MAIN VALUE ISBEING ABLE TO ELECTSUPERVISOR THAT WORKS ON BEHALFOF THE DISTRICT.
IT'S THEIR JOBTO LISTEN TO THE ISSUES THATMATTER MOSTTHOSE COMMUNITIES ALEX.
INBAKERSFIELD AUSTIN WESTFALL23ABC CONNECTING YOU