Muskego Redistricting: the Discussion & What That Means For Voters

The Common Council this past Tuesday evening approved a map that will alter the city’s wards and aldermanic districts for the next decade, per the results of the 2010 census.

The Common Council was presented with three proposed maps, known simply as Options A, B, and C. The second option was ultimately chosen as it provided a good compromise of keeping neighborhoods in tact, while also keeping the variance of populations among districts, and it was this option that the Common Council voted to adopt and approve.

Option A was first proposed during the Common Council meeting on July 12, and provided the least variance among districts with regard to populations. However, concern over splitting neighborhoods was raised by Aldermen Neil Borgman (D3) and Dan Soltysiak (D5).

The two remaining proposals were the products of discussions that came out of a special session of the Committee of the Whole on July 20.

In the 4-3 vote, the Council approved Option B in an effort to reach a compromise that would balance the need for population numbers to be equitably distributed across the city as best as possible while simultaneously keeping neighborhoods intact.

Aldermen Keith Werner (D4), Neome Schaumberg (D6), and Noah Fiedler (D7) voted against Option B, having stated earlier their desire to go along with Option A, in part because it represented the most objective of the three plans.

Soltysiak liked Option B, saying that the main roads come to serve as good boundary lines. Snead agreed that while not a perfect solution, the option also provided a deviation among districts that she could live with.

Third District Alderman Neil Borgman originally expressed a liking to Option C, which he said makes his district more “…concise and compact…with like-minded people and like-minded interests.”

However, the third option also drew the most criticism for its high deviation numbers, and Fiedler felt the amount of input on it put the process "on ground where we really shouldn't be treading," calling it"...a perversion on how things are supposed to operate in this country.

Werner also felt the third option was unworkable, and said, "I don't believe that's fair." 

What the changes mean:

District 1 - Alderman Tracy Snead: extends the southern boundary to Mc Shane Drive (previously Woods Road) and includes Brittany Estates; cedes 'triangle' bordered by College Avenue, Tess Corners Drive and Janesville on the north side of the district.

District 2 - Alderman Kert Harenda: cedes area to the north to include areas bordered by (east side of) Moorland Road, College Avenue, Tess Corners Drive and Janesville Road

District 3 - Alderman Neil Borgman: extends to include the areas ceded by D1 and D2; cedes border along the north end of Little Muskego up to Gold Drive, while maintaining a small section bordered by Lembezeder, Hillendale and Wentland Drives.

District 4 - Keith Werner: extends district along Racine Avenue up to Lochrest Boulevard.

District 5 - Alderman Dan Soltysiak: extends to include section bordered by Gold and Lembezeder Drives; cedes section along Racine Avenue and Lochrest Boulevard.

District 6 - Alderman Neome Schaumberg: cedes a small section in the northern edge of  the district to include Ladwig Drive, Aud Mar Drive, Quietwood Drive, Kayla Lane and Elliot Court

District 7 - Alderman Noah Fiedler: extends to include the ceded section of D6; cedes the area bordered by McShane Drive and Durham Drive.

For a look at the new boundaries and see where your neighborhood fits in, visit the City's website for the redistricting maps.