City Council Plans To Review Proposed New Ward Map This Week

AURORA, IL — Aurora officials are considering options for redistricting the city, and two proposed new ward maps will be presented at two meetings this week to continue the process.

The proposed maps will be presented at the Rules, Administration and Procedures Committee regular meeting at 2 p.m. Tuesday as well as at the RAP Committee's special meeting at 6 p.m. Thursday. Both meetings will be held in the City Council chambers on the second floor of City Hall, 44 E. Downer Place.

The public is encouraged to participate in the meetings and share any opinions. Ahead of the meetings, the two proposed maps can be viewed on the city's website. Officials noted while the plans are similar, maps can change following public feedback.

"Results of the 2020 Census showed significant enough changes in Aurora's population to make it necessary to redistrict the city's ten wards so that they are all more equal in population," Chief Communications Officer Clayton Muhammad said in an email.

He continued: "Consequently, some city wards must increase in population, and others must decrease in population. In adopting new ward maps, the city council must comply with constitutional requirements that protect minority voting rights and call for wards that are compact, contiguous, and nearly equal in population."

For those who might not be able to make the in-person meetings, they will also be livestreamed on the city's Facebook page.