Salem, Ore. — Salem residents are invited to join in the process of adjusting City Council ward boundaries this fall to assure the population of each ward is about equal. The City analyzes the wards right after the U.S. Census every 10 years through a process called “reapportionment.”
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The goal of redrawing the boundaries is to get all eight wards as close as possible to 21,942, one-eighth of Salem’s 2020 Censure population of 175,535. Current ward populations vary from this goal by as little as 1.6% to as much as 13.1%.
Mid-Willamette Council of Governments has analyzed the Census data and prepared three alternative ward boundary maps for the process known as Ward Reapportionment. We plan to have the options on the web by early November and ask the community to comment on the boundary options. You will have the chance to comment when the alternatives are presented to the City Council November 8. City Council will also provide input at that meeting. We'll also have a couple of virtual open houses following the November 8 meeting, where you'll be able to ask questions and share comments.
We expect the City Council will hold a public hearing and select a final alternative for approval in late November.