Map 41-B.
The Dallas Redistricting Commission has selected a final map to send to the mayor.
After hours of public comment, deliberations about amendments and discussion among the commissioners, map 41-B was selected to present to the mayor as the recommended plan. The vote to approve the map was 9-6, and the vote to move the map to the mayor was 10-5. The District 9 and District 14 commissioners voted to approve map 41-B and send it to the mayor.
The other map in consideration was map 17-B, which included amendments to map 17-A.
Map 41 was originally submitted by East Dallas residents Melanie Vanlandingham and Darren Dattalo.
In map 41-B, as compared to map 41-A, District 9 gained from District 14 the area bounded by Greenville Avenue, E. Mockingbird Lane, E. University Boulevard and N. Central Expressway. District 9 also took from District 2 the area bounded by Ferguson Road, Maylee Boulevard, Sandra Lynn Drive and Mandalay Drive.
District 9 does not cross Skillman Street north of E. Northwest Highway.
In map 41-B, as compared to map 41-A, District 14 lost to District 2 an area in East Dallas bounded by Eastside Avenue, Mount Auburn Avenue, Santa Fe Avenue and S. Beacon Street.
Compare map 41-B with the current boundaries of District 14 and District 9.
Commissioner Robert Stimson, who represented District 1, says map 41-B keeps communities of interest together better than any of the other maps and says it isn’t perfect but does a “remarkable job.”
Not all of the commissioners praised it, though.
Commissioner Diane Ragsdale, who represented District 7 and was the vice chair, calls it a “gross injustice” and “extremely inequitable.” Commissioner Randall Bryant, who represented District 8, says the map perpetuates the status quo. These comments were made in terms of the demographic makeup of each district, particularly in terms of the voting age population by race.
The City Council has 45 days after map 41-B is submitted to the mayor to adopt it or modify and adopt it. Any changes must be approved by three-fourths of the council members. If the council does not take final action within that timeframe, map 41-B as submitted by the redistricting commission becomes final.
