2020 Sacramento Independent Redistricting Commission Selection Process

HOW HAS THE REDISTRICTING PROCESS CHANGED?

In 2020, an independent Redistricting Commission made up entirely of community members was formed to set council district boundaries in a process that is free from special interests, politics and political influence. The commission, approved by the voters of the City of Sacramento in 2016, has 13 commissioners. Eight of the commissioners – one from each existing council district – were selected from a pool of qualified applicants by the Sacramento Ethics Commission. Those eight persons then selected the remaining five commissioners, plus two alternates. This commission had exclusive authority to redraw council district boundaries, ensuring that the process was powered by the people of Sacramento. 

Commission Recruitment Timeline

Recruitment is now closed.

August 1, 2020 – City Clerk reviews applications and creates qualified applicant list. The recruitment period will be opened for one month if the applicant pool does not meet the required criteria.

September 15, 2020 – City Clerk publishes and transmits list of eligible candidates to the Sacramento Ethics Commission.

November 1, 2020 – The Sacramento Ethics Commission will create a subpool of 25-30 of the most qualified candidates and will then randomly select eight people to serve as commissioners from the subpool (one from each existing district). The eight appointed commissioners will then select five more commissioners and two alternates from the remaining applicants in the subpool.

December 1, 2020 – The City of Sacramento Independent Redistricting Commission is established.

Qualifications for Service on the 2021 City of Sacramento Independent Redistricting Commission

Qualified applicants  must be able to answer YES to question 1 and YES to either or both question 2 and 3 below:

1. Are you registered to vote in the City of Sacramento?
2. Have you voted in two of the last three primary city elections immediately preceding your application to be on the commission?
3. Have you been a resident of Sacramento at least ten years immediately preceding your application to be on the commission?

Qualified applicants for SIRC must be able to answer NO to all of the questions below:

1. Have you, or your spouse, registered domestic partner, or child contributed to a candidate for city elective office, in a single city election cycle in either of the last two city election cycles (2016 - 2018) prior to your commission application date, more than 50% of the allowable amount for a council member candidate?
2. In the last four years, have you, or your spouse, registered domestic partner, or child been any of the following: a paid employee of the city; a registered city lobbyist, or someone who was required to be a registered city lobbyist; or a paid employee of any redistricting contractor or consultant?
3. In the last ten years, have you, or your spouse, registered domestic partner, parent, sibling, or child been any of the following: elected to, or a candidate for, city elective office; an employee of, or paid consultant or contractor to, a campaign for city elective office; a paid employee of, a consultant to, or someone under contract with any city elected official; or a principal officer of an active campaign committee domiciled in the County of Sacramento that has made expenditures on candidate elections for a city elective office?

Those selected to serve on the commission also have post-service restrictions

1. A commissioner is ineligible, for a period of ten years beginning from the date of their appointment, to hold city elective office.
2. A commissioner is ineligible, for a period of four years beginning from the date of their appointment, to be appointed to another city commission, to serve as a paid staff for or as a paid consultant to any city elected official, to receive a non-competitively bid contract with the city, or to register as a city lobbyist.
3. A commissioner shall not contribute to or participate in any candidate campaign for city elective office, from the date of appointment to the commission until 60 days after the adoption of a final map.