San Mateo County is one of the most lively and dynamic places in the United States. This isn’t opinion. It’s due in no small part to the spectacular setting, a finger of land framed by the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay. And that land boasts a vibrant mix of urban corridors and quaint small towns. Just 40 miles separate Top of the Hill Daly City and Pescadero.
Yet it’s more than geography. Did you know one in every three people you meet at a café or park was born in another country? Two out of five speak a language other than English at home.
Our more than 750,000 residents include front-line health care workers, Fortune 500 executives, commercial fisherman, retirees, veterans, farm workers, and pharmaceutical researchers, just to name a few. The county is also home to a diverse array of businesses — more than 20,000 in all. While many are industry leaders in technology, health care and finance, roughly three quarters employ fewer than 10 people, a dynamic mix of big-dream entrepreneurs and family-run businesses.
The Peninsula owes its vibrancy to this rich diversity of geography and the people and businesses who call it home.
This leads us to vitally important topic: redistricting.
Yes, redistricting.
Every 10 years, our local governments use new data from the Census to redraw their district lines — the lines that determine each of the five supervisorial districts — to ensure each district is roughly equal in population. This helps ensure that each voter has equal representation.
But it’s more than a numbers game.
The shape of the districts must also reflect “communities of interest,” a legal term that refers to communities with shared needs and policy interests.
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These can be economic interests, historical ties, cultural linkages or other factors that make it important for these groups of individuals to collectively choose their representatives.
Keeping communities of interest intact begins with defining its boundaries. Sharing your community of interest is a powerful way to help influence the decisions as to where lines are drawn.
You can share your community of interest in a number of ways.
Attend and participate in a public meeting of the 2021 Supervisorial District Lines Advisory Commission. This 15-member, all-volunteer commission is gathering input from residents like you and will ultimately make a recommendation for an equitable map or maps to the Board of Supervisors, which, by state law, must adopt a final map by this Dec. 15.
Post your ideas and comments on social media (Facebook or Twitter) using the hashtag #SmcDistrictLines. The smcdistrictlines.org website also contains printable forms that you can mail to the commission.
How the lines are drawn bears directly on ballots: voters in San Mateo County can vote solely for a member of the Board of Supervisors who lives in their geographic district.
And that Board of Supervisors routinely makes decisions that directly affect the lives of everyone who calls the county home. The board oversees a $3.8 billion annual budget that funds public safety, public health, social services, elections and much, much more.
We hope you get involved in this important process. We value your contributions and look forward to learning, from you, what are some of the traits that makes your community of interest unique.
Jim Lawrence is chair and Priscilla Romero is vice chair of the San Mateo County 2021 Supervisorial District Lines Advisory Commission.
Thank you! This is one of the ways where each person truly does have an opportunity to make their voice heard in something that directly impacts how our government is structured.
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Thank you! This is one of the ways where each person truly does have an opportunity to make their voice heard in something that directly impacts how our government is structured.
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Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
Don't threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Anyone violating these rules will be issued a warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be revoked.