Santa Ana Remap Plan Draws Latino Objections : Politics: Election committee spearheads drive to shape proposed new boundaries for wards in the face of a major council turnover.

The ink was barely dry on the city’s proposed map for new ward boundaries when critics surfaced last week to oppose the plan.

In a city that experienced a similar political skirmish two years ago when the current map was drawn, the simmering debate warned of a replay as the city adjusts its council districts to reflect population changes in the 1990 census.

The reshaping of districts takes on increased significance this year, political activists said, because three of the six council members will leave their seats under term limit laws, and a fourth seat will be open in 1994. How the lines are drawn, they said, will determine who is eligible to sit on the dramatically changed council.

Latino political activists are also closely watching the process to ensure that the city follows the federal Voting Rights Act, which mandates that the voting strength of minorities not be diluted.

“What these maps have created in the past is politicians,” said Art Montez of the Orange County Hispanic Committee for Fair Elections. “We are looking for maps with the redistricting process that develop leadership in the community for Latino representation, whether it’s Hispanic or Anglo.”

When the map was first unveiled last week, Councilman John Acosta called it “gerrymandering at its best,” claiming it was drawn to ensure the election of “handpicked” candidates backed by City Hall.

He specifically cited the plan to move Ward 1 from the west side of the city to the southeast corner where Planning Commission member Glenn Mondo is expected to run. Mondo narrowly lost in the last election to Acosta ally Councilman Richards L. Norton, despite backing from a majority of the council members.

Acosta’s view of the map was echoed by members of the Orange County Hispanic Committee for Fair Elections.

But Mayor Daniel H. Young bristled at any suggestion that the map drafted by the city staff was gerrymandered and called Acosta’s comments “fantasy.”

Others downplayed the criticism of the first draft as early political gamesmanship just as the process gets under way.

“I think it’s a point of view that some advocate, no matter who redistricts, whether it’s for a city, or a county or a state,” Chamber of Commerce President Michael Metzler said.

In the map drawn by city staff, Latinos made up a majority of the population in five of the six wards. The exception was Ward 3, generally located in the more affluent section of the city north of 17th Street. In four wards, Latinos made up 84.3%, 83.5%, 69.8% and 66% of the population.

But the minority committee claimed the city violated federal guidelines when it “submerged” some minority neighborhoods in affluent, Anglo areas. In Ward 3, committee members found that three heavily Latino blue-collar blocs were included in the ward, thereby diluting the minority voting strength in that area.

“It’s a masterfully drawn plan politically, but I think it’s a forgery when it comes to guaranteeing the rights of Hispanics in Santa Ana,” Montez said.

Latinos make up 65% of the city’s population--a 111% increase from 1980 to 1990--but many are newly arrived immigrants ineligible to vote and the ethnic group historically has not turned out at the polls.

Even though the city’s plan allowed for a majority of Latino residents in five wards, Montez said it is important that the percentage of Latinos in each ward be maximized to improve their chances of electing a representative who will reflect their concerns.

Having engaged in similar battles in other parts of the country, Latino voting rights experts have concluded the ethnic group will not participate in the political process until they believe they have a chance to influence the outcome.

With that in mind, the Orange County Hispanic Committee for Fair Elections has drafted its own proposal with three wards reflecting a Latino population of at least 85% and a fourth showing 63%.

The coalition, which feels it encountered resistance when it tried to become involved in the redistricting for the Orange County Board of Supervisors, was skeptical that it would be allowed to participate in Santa Ana’s political process, the members said.

But by week’s end, after meeting with City Manager David N. Ream and other city staffers, group members said they received assurances that the city would work with them.

“Our strategy is to deal with the lines first,” said Ruben A. Smith, an attorney involved in the committee. “We may get some agreement.”

Once that issue is settled, Smith said, the committee will turn its attention to changing the election system so that council members are chosen from districts, instead of under the current method which requires representatives to reside in a specific ward but be elected citywide.

Ream was unavailable for comment, but most council members pledged before the meeting to be open-minded to the issues raised by the group.

“If (the concerns are) legitimate, I have to fight the injustices or inequities, I have to fight the potential problem,” Councilman Miguel A. Pulido Jr. said. “By the same token, I have to be more thorough and be slower to react and to not give a knee-jerk reaction.”

Political Empowerment

A Latino political group is against proposed ward boundaries drawn up by the Santa Ana city staff. The group has asked city officials to work with them on a new map that would give Latino residents greater political clout. The City Council is expected to approve a final map in mid-February.

Ethnic Makeup of Wards in City’s First Proposal

Ward 1 Ward 2 Ward 3 Ward 4 Ward 5 Ward 6 Latino 66.01% 83.58% 43.30% 84.34% 69.80% 43.00% White 22.85 10.27 47.77 7.49 16.22 34.93 Asian 8.80 4.76 6.19 4.91 11.48 18.77 Black 2.04 1.15 2.22 2.93 2.04 2.80 Other 0.30 0.23 0.52 0.32 0.46 0.50

Santa Ana Racial Makeup Latino: 65.2% White: 23.1% Asian: 9.1% Black: 2.2% Other: 0.4%