DeKALB – More than 3,000 DeKalb residents – many of them students at Northern Illinois University – could find themselves in a new ward if the DeKalb City Council approves a proposed change to the ward boundaries.
The city is required to redistrict its wards every 10 years after the U.S. Census in order to make the wards have as equal a population as possible.
DeKalb grew from 39,018 people in 2000 to 43,862 in 2010, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. But Doug Eaton, the census liaison for DeKalb, has said the federal government miscounted the city's population by 233 people, so the population should be 44,095. The city has appealed the count to the federal government.
The boundaries for Ward 6, which currently is represented by Alderman Dave Baker and contains much of NIU's main campus, would change the most under the proposal.
The ward would pick up 707 residents from Ward 1, the city's most populous ward according the 2010 Census. Those residents would come from the area bordered by Annie Glidden Road, Lucinda Avenue, Russell Road and Crane Drive, and includes University Plaza.
Additionally, the ward also could pick up 346 residents from the existing Ward 5, west of South Annie Glidden Road and near the Schnucks grocery store.
But for the 1,053 residents the ward might gain, it also could lose 1,750 residents to Wards 5 and 7.
Both the Grant and Stevenson residence halls already are represented by 7th Ward Alderwoman Monica O'Leary. Under the proposed map, Ward 7 also would pick up 825 residents from Lincoln Hall as well.
Ward 7 also would be the home of a new residence hall, currently under construction just north of Lincoln Hall and scheduled to open fall 2012.
City Manager Mark Biernacki said the city could not legally consider those potential residents while drafting the ward map this year. Those adjustments would have to be made in 2021, after the next U.S. Census.
Ward 5, currently represented by Alderman Ron Naylor, would also pick up 925 residents, made up largely from those living in NIU's three Neptune residence halls.
While other officials have said they worry splitting the campus could give the appearance of the city trying to dilute the voice of students in city government, Biernacki said he feels the opposite.
"Potentially students could serve on four wards instead of three," he said.
Or, as City Clerk Steve Kapitan said, it could help diversify the wards, and increase voter turnout. One of his concerns going into the redistricting process was trying to find a way to increase voter turnout in some of the wards with a higher concentration of rental properties.
The higher voter turnout also could lead to more candidates as well, he said.
"By diversifying it, you have a bigger pool (of people) to run," he said.
Given the number of students already living in off-campus housing in Wards 1, 5, 6 and 7, Biernacki said the big-picture changes were relatively minor to how the city already represents the student population.
Ward 3 would also pick up 309 residents from Ward 2 under the proposal. Those residents will come from the Oak Crest DeKalb Area Retirement Center and its surrounding neighborhood along Greenwood Acres Drive.
No changes are proposed for the boundaries of Ward 4.
Biernacki said the current recommendation was developed with both input from the staff and individual council members. But it is still a draft.
"The council may choose to do something different. That's certainly their prerogative," he said.
Some officials, such as Mayor Kris Povlsen, have suggested looking into establishing at-large council members, which would lower the number of wards within the city. But according to a memo written by the late City Attorney Norma Guess in March 2008, any change would require both a citizen petition and the passage of a referendum during a November General Election.
Because of this, the staff recommendation before the council is to adopt the current proposal, so they could at least be in compliance with city code, which requires redistricting to be complete by October 2012.
None of the sitting council members would be drawn out of his or her districts under the current proposal.
The council's first public discussion on redistricting is scheduled for 6 p.m. today during the council's Committee of the Whole Meeting. A public hearing would be needed before any final action takes place on the new map.
Attempts to reach Baker, Naylor, O'Leary – whose wards would change the most under the proposal – and other council members were unsuccessful.
If you go
What: DeKalb City Council and Committee of the Whole meetings
When: Committee of the Whole meeting begins at 6 p.m. today, full council at
7 p.m.
Where: DeKalb Municipal Building, 200 S. Fourth St.