Plan Gives Latinos a Majority in 2 Pomona Council Districts

Consultants hired by the City Council to draw boundaries for six councilmanic districts will recommend a plan Monday night that would give Latinos a majority in two districts and 43% of the population in a third.

The plan will be considered by the City Council at a hearing at 6:30 p.m. at Washington Park Community Center, 865 E. Grand Ave.

In June, voters approved replacing the current election of four council members citywide with six council members by district. The new plan is to start next March. It does not affect the office of mayor, which will remain subject to a citywide vote.

The decision to conduct elections by district came after years of complaints of under-representation by minorities. Pomona’s population is estimated at 30% Latino and 18% black. There are two Latinos on the council, but no black has ever won a seat.

The council hired the Rose Institute of State and Local Government at Claremont McKenna College to help draw boundaries. The institute used census data to develop alternative plans, held community meetings and prepared a lengthy report that will be submitted with its recommendation Monday night.

In the report, institute officials said they tried to draw boundaries to equalize population, protect voting rights of minorities, keep communities together and allow for population growth.

The consultants recommended these districts:

* North: North of the San Bernardino Freeway. Population: 21,695; 33% black, 25% Latino.

* West Central: West of Garey Avenue between the San Bernardino Freeway and a line along the Pomona Mall and the Union Pacific railroad tracks to Temple Avenue. Population: 21,696; 43% Latino, 20% black.

* Phillips Ranch/Westmont: South of the Union Pacific railroad tracks and west of the Corona Expressway (71) and Dudley Street. Population: 21,139; 15% Latino, 6% black.

* South Central: South of the Pomona Mall, bounded by Garey and Towne avenues on the east, Dudley Street on the west and the Corona Expressway on the southwest. Population: 22,746; 65% Latino, 12% black.

* Southeast: South of the Union Pacific tracks and east of Garey and Towne avenues. Population: 20,866; 57% Latino, 11% black.

* East Central: East of Garey Avenue between the San Bernardino Freeway and a line along the Pomona Mall and the Union Pacific tracks. Population: 22,869; 32% Latino, 14% black.

Under the plan, the West Central, East Central and South Central districts would share downtown Pomona.

Latinos would be a majority in the Southeast and South Central districts and represent 43% of the population in the West Central district. The highest concentration of black voters would be in the North district, where a third of the population is black.

Four council members will be elected next spring. Councilman Tomas Ursua, first elected in 1989, and the candidate who wins a special election Tuesday to replace recalled council member C. L. (Clay) Bryant will serve until the 1993 elections.

In addition to adopting district boundaries, the council will consider Monday which districts will have elections next year and which will be represented by Ursua and the new council member until 1993.