Monrovia Split Into Two Congressional Districts?

City officials are hoping a last-ditch effort will convince the Citizen's Redistricting Commission that the city's congressional representation should not be split into two districts.

City Council members have repeatedly stressed that their only desire in the redistricting process was to keep Monrovia united, but the latest plans would divide the city into two congressional districts along a boundary at Hillcrest Avenue.

Mayor Mary Ann Lutz said at Tuesday's City Council meeting that such a split was exactly what local officials had lobbied against.

"Our primary concern was that Monrovia be whole," Lutz said. "They have split our community for our Congress representation. We are not pleased with that as some communities wanted specific things and all we asked was, 'Make us one community.'"

The city is currently represented by Rep. David Dreier (R-San Dimas) in the 26th congressional district, but new boundaries released last week would chop off the northern part of the city and group it with cities such as Altadena, Pasadena, Arcadia, South Pasadena, Alhambra, San Gabriel, Monterey Park, San Marino, Bradbury and Temple City in the "SGVP" district.

The larger southern portion of the city below Hillcrest would be grouped with Duarte, Baldwin Park, El Monte, West Covina, Covina, Azusa, San Dimas, La Verne, Irwindale, City of Industry and La Puente in the "COVINA" district under the new plan.

The Citizens Redistricting Commission, , released the "final" maps last Friday that will establish Congressional, Assembly, State Senate and County Board of Equalization districts for the state.

According to those maps, Monrovia would be united in the State Senate, Assembly and Board of Equalization districts but would be split in the congressional one. This would mark a departure from the current lines, which split Monrovia's Assembly representation but unite it everywhere else.

City Manager Scott Ochoa said at Tuesday's council meeting that the commission will only consider objections to the maps that are made on a "technical level." He said that the city will argue that Monrovia stay intact and Bradbury be moved out of the west San Gabriel Valley district and into the east San Gabriel Valley district to make the numbers add up.

Check back later today to find out who the city's likely congressional candidates might be if the current maps are approved.