The City of Lomita is considering the transition to City Council districts, with the first public hearing scheduled to take place on Tuesday, August 16, 2022 at 6:30 p.m. during the regular City Council Meeting that starts at 6 p.m. at the Lomita Council Chambers and via Zoom.
On January 18, 2022, the City received a letter challenging the City’s current election system and asserting that the City’s at-large election system violates the California Voting Rights Act (CVRA). In light of the letter, Lomita has taken steps to consider transitioning its at-large election process to district-based elections.
Currently, all Lomita residents vote for all five City Council Members. Following the district formation process, the City would be divided into five separate districts. Beginning in 2024, voters would vote for one City Council Member who lives in their district. To ensure each district is equally populated, local governments use data from the Census to guide the establishment of districts.
Residents are encouraged to get involved in the district formation process by attending public hearings and community workshops, sharing their thoughts on communities that should be kept together in a single district, submitting a map of proposed district lines and eventually providing feedback on other draft maps drawn by the community and Bear Demographics & Research, the City’s professional demographer.
As required by law, the City of Lomita will hold several public hearings:
- August 16, 2022 at 6:30 p.m. – First Public Hearing, Lomita Council Chambers and via Zoom
- September 6, 2022 at 6:30 p.m. – Second Public Hearing, Lomita Council Chambers and via Zoom
- January 17, 2023 at 6:30 p.m. – Third Public Hearing, Lomita Council Chambers and via Zoom
- Spring 2023 (Date TBD) – Fourth Public Hearing, Lomita Council Chambers and via Zoom
- Spring 2023 (Date TBD) – Fifth Public Hearing, Lomita Council Chambers and via Zoom
In addition, the City is hosting community workshops to give residents an opportunity to learn more about the tools available to draw maps and ensure their community is fairly represented.
- Workshop #1 – September 15, 2022 at 7:00 p.m. via Zoom
- Workshop #2 – February 2023 (Details TBD)
To help share information about the district formation process, gather maps drawn by the public, and collect public feedback, the City of Lomita has created a dedicated district formation webpage: LomitaCity.com/Districting. The webpage includes a schedule outlining public meetings and deadlines, frequently asked questions, resources for drawing maps and more information on how to get directly involved in the district formation process. As the process moves forward in the coming months, Lomita will continue to update the webpage to include additional information on upcoming meetings and events.
For a complete schedule of events and to learn more about the district formation process, visit LomitaCity.com/Districting.
