Redistricting Panel Appointed After Dispute

The San Diego City Council on Tuesday appointed an advisory committee to help redraw council district boundaries, but not before choices for the politically sensitive posts sparked more arguing between the council’s chief antagonists, Mayor Maureen O’Connor and Councilman Bob Filner.

Despite Filner’s claims that O’Connor had chosen his political enemies for positions on the board, this round in the political grudge match went to the mayor. With only Filner and Councilman Bruce Henderson dissenting, the council approved O’Connor’s recommendations for the 17-member panel.

The council was required to appoint a racially, ethnically and geographically diverse advisory committee as part of its September settlement of a voting-rights lawsuit by the Chicano Federation, a legal action that sought to enhance the political power of Latinos and blacks.

But the final decision on the extremely sensitive issue of redrawing council districts to reflect population changes remains in the hands of the council, a task that must be completed by Oct. 1, 1990.

As part of the legal settlement, the council also agreed to place a measure on the June ballot asking voters whether the council should be expanded from eight seats to 10.

Filner, who opposed the settlement, has maintained that it is an attempt to add Latinos to his district to oust him from office in 1991. Filner, an Anglo representing a district with a sizable Latino population, defeated Latino attorney Mike Aguirre to win election in 1987.

On Tuesday, Filner questioned the number of panelists, O’Connor’s right to select the nine at-large members, and her choice of two members he said are political enemies of his. The other eight panel members were nominated by the eight council members.

Filner said he has “concerns about the numbers and concerns about some of the individuals. We have to have a discussion about that, and then, if there are concerns, we can go to the court.” U.S. District Judge John S. Rhoades has retained jurisdiction over the case.

Specifically, Filner opposed the selection of attorney Patricia Meyer, Aguirre’s law partner and the lawyer who continues to represent the Chicano Federation in the lawsuit, and longtime political consultant Dan Greenblatt, who ran former Councilwoman Gloria McColl’s victorious 1983 campaign over Filner. Meyer was an at-large choice, and Greenblatt was nominated by Henderson.

“If you saw on this list the person who chaired the campaign against you (and) the law partner of the person who ran against you . . . . I think you would have a different reaction to the committee,” Filner told Councilman Ron Roberts, who supported O’Connor’s selections.

O’Connor also was aided by Councilwoman Judy McCarty, who said the council had “tacitly” agreed in closed session to allow the mayor to largely shape the committee, and by senior Chief Deputy City Atty. Jack Katz, who said that a federal magistrate had approved Meyer’s participation on the committee. Chicano Federation Chairman Jess Haro also voiced approval.