Council Redistricting Outrages Council Members

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A commission appointed by the LA City Counil prepared the redrawn maps to account for population changes since the last census. But the changes have some councilpeople outraged.

BIill Rosendahl represents District 11, which currently encompasses the west side, including LAX. His colleague, Bernard Parks, represents District 8, which includes Crenshaw and Leimert Park over to USC.

At a news conference, both councilmen criticized the proposal that would let Rosendahl keep LAX but would give Westchester to Parks.

“How dare they take people away from the issues that matter so
much to them? It’s an insult to democracy at its best,” Rosendahl said.

Councilman Parks was quick to criticize what he calls closed-door meetings where the maps were drawn.

“We were asked well before the commission was created whether we
want Westchester and the airport. And we said, ‘no, it doesn’t fit our community.’
How are people in City Hall talking about maps before the commission was
created, and who’s creating maps outside of the commission?” he said.

Rosendahl drafted a petition against the redistricting proposal that has garnered more than 2,000 signatures.

One Westchester resident, William Roberts, says the plan would break up a community with similar interests. He says LAX and nearby Loyola Marymount University affect Westchester residents like him.

“We share the burdens and benefits of LAX, we share the burdens and benefits
of having students in our community who rent from homeowners here," he said. "When
there are problems, we want to go to one councilperson and have them worked
out that way instead of having an opposing situation where you have two city
council people representing the same area."

Calls placed to the Office of Redistricting were not immediately returned.