Redistricting May Be Delayed

Amid concerns about meddling in the 2nd District election, the Los Angeles City Council agreed Tuesday to consider postponing the work of a citizen redistricting commission until after voters go to the polls March 5.

Chief Legislative Analyst Ron Deaton, who was asked by the council to report today on a possible extension of the March 1 deadline for the commission to recommend new council district boundaries, said he would probably urge a delay.

The original deadline was set in 1999 before the council knew there would be a special election March 5.

Councilman Tom LaBonge raised the issue after the citizen redistricting commission released a preliminary map that would divide the 2nd District in two, with candidate Wendy Greuel living in one of the new districts and candidate Tony Cardenas in the other.

That created the possibility that after the new council district boundaries take effect Aug. 1, voters in the March 5 election may not be represented by the person elected.

On Monday, Commission Chairman John Emerson proposed a new map that would leave Greuel and Cardenas in the same council district.

The Emerson alternative temporarily disarms the issue, but, if the commission is forced to vote on his proposal by March 1 and rejects it, some worry that such action could have an impact on the election four days later.

Both Cardenas and Greuel support an extension of the redistricting deadline, with Greuel saying a delay “would be most beneficial for the public’s interests.”

But Councilman Jack Weiss said it was improper for the council to extend the deadline because the redistricting commission had not voted to request the action.

“We all know there is an election coming up in a few weeks,” Weiss told his colleagues. “I believe that to take action here, without receiving a formal request from the redistricting commission, would inappropriately interject us into the political process.”

Emerson said he and some other commissioners support the delay.

Others countered that the council became involved when it set a deadline right before the election.

“We are already involved in the politics of it,” Councilman Eric Garcetti said. “The sooner they send [the recommendation] to the council, the more political it gets. The longer we keep it away from council, the less political it is.”

Councilwoman Cindy Miscikowski said commission members and the public seemed to support a delay when Emerson announced the possibility at a hearing Monday in Woodland Hills.