Posted inCity

Berkeley councilman says city mishandled legal fees in Measure S redistricting lawsuit; city disagrees

Above, the contested Berkeley Student District Campaign map, which was approved by council in December. Above, the contested Berkeley Student District Campaign map, which was approved by council in December. Less than a week before Berkeley voters will decide whether to adopt new council district boundaries, a local official has criticized the city for how it handled legal fees for a lawsuit over […]

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Judge rules for council-majority-approved map in bitter Berkeley redistricting battle

The BSDC map approved by Judge Grillo will be used in November, unless an appeal overturns the decision. Judge Evelio Grillo ruled today in favor of using the council-majority-approved district lines in the November 2014 election. Grillo heard closing arguments in City of Berkeley v. Tim Dupuis and Mark Numainville Tuesday. In a 35-page opinion, Grillo determined […]

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Judge plans to rule today on Berkeley redistricting lines

More than 20 people attended a hearing Tuesday about contested redistricting lines in Berkeley. Photo: Emilie Raguso Update, 4:30 p.m. The judge has ruled in favor of using the council-majority-approved district lines. See his ruling here. (A more in-depth Berkeleyside story on the decision is online here.) Original post: An Alameda County Superior Court judge is […]

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Official pushes for independent redistricting panel

Councilman Jesse Arreguín believes an independent redistricting panel will better serve the Berkeley voters. Photo: Emilie Raguso Berkeley Councilman Jesse Arreguín has launched a ballot initiative to change the city’s approach to redistricting, arguing that “partisan self interest” and a “broken” process have crippled recent efforts, as well as those during the last redistricting attempt more […]

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Berkeley redistricting maps to be on November ballot, judge to choose which lines to use

Council approved the “Berkeley Student District Campaign” map in December. Council approved the “Berkeley Student District Campaign” map in December. The Berkeley City Council voted 6-3 Tuesday night to let the voters decide which map of council districts will best represent the community’s interests moving forward. In recent years, the city has struggled to come […]

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Berkeley redistricting referendum effort prevails

Photo: Frances Dinkelspiel An effort underway over the past month to force the Berkeley City Council to revoke a recently adopted redistricting map, or put the council district issue before the voters later this year, has officially collected enough signatures for the referendum to proceed, city staff said Monday evening. The Berkeley Referendum Coalition turned in 7,867 […]

Posted inCity, Schools

Redistricting opponents secure signatures to force vote

City council members Kriss Worthington, Jesse Arreguin and members the Berkeley Referendum Campaign turn in signatures to the city clerk’s office on Tuesday. Photo: Anthony Sanchez City council members Kriss Worthington, Jesse Arreguin and members the Berkeley Referendum Campaign turn in signatures to the city clerk’s office on Tuesday. Photo: Anthony Sanchez Opponents of a […]

Posted inOpinion

Op-ed: We don’t need a redistricting referendum

Photo: Frances Dinkelspiel There is a campaign afoot to waste Berkeleyans’ time and tax dollars. On Dec. 17, 2013, the Berkeley City Council adopted a long-awaited redistricting map that rebalances population across Berkeley’s City Council Districts. The vote came after two rounds of redistricting over the last three years, including a total of 17 community […]

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Berkeley redistricting map splits council, community

The Berkeley Student District Campaign map was approved Tuesday night. Image: City of Berkeley What some described as a historic move by the Berkeley City Council to approve a new student-majority district centered around Telegraph Avenue was decried by others Tuesday night as political “gerrymandering” aimed at splitting the city’s progressive voice and excluding some […]