City Of Wauwatosa: Proposed New Ward And Aldermanic District Maps

Press release from the City of Wauwatosa:

11/15/2021 9:28 AM

Learn about Wauwatosa's redistricting process

What is redistricting?

Every ten years, Wauwatosa, along with all other governments in the United States, is required to update its legislative districts based on the results of the decennial Census. As population changes and people move throughout the country, they do not do so evenly. In order to ensure equal representation for all residents, the legislative districts are redrawn so that there is a roughly equal population in each district. Although redistricting is required by the Constitution, each state sets its own guidelines for the process that must be followed.

How were Wauwatosa's New Maps Drawn?

In August 2021, the Common Council adopted a resolution that authorizes the use of the Milwaukee County Independent Redistricting Commission (IRC) to create the wards and districts. Using data provided by the City and in partnership with the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission (SEWRPC), IRC created new ward and district maps for consideration by the City.

Wards must be created based on Census blocks, which are the individual areas that are counted by the Census Bureau. Blocks vary in shape, size, and population, so each ward contains multiple tracts. While Census blocks do not align perfectly with neighborhood or school boundaries, IRC/SEWRPC take care to keep neighborhoods and schools together within Aldermanic districts as much as possible.

View Wauwatosa's proposed new aldermanic district map, or see a side-by-side view of our current and proposed maps.

How will the new maps affect residents and the council?

Once the new ward and district maps are adopted by the Council, some residents will be in different wards and/or districts than they are currently. This will affect where they need to go for voting and may potentially change who represents them on the Common Council. The IRC did not consider incumbency in the creation of the new maps. Any alders who no longer live in the district they represent will remain in office through the end of their current term.

What are the next steps?

After the public hearing on November 16, the Common Council will vote on whether or not to adopt the new maps. Because Wauwatosa is holding Aldermanic elections in 2022, the deadline for the new districts to be in effect is December 1. Candidates are able to begin circulating nomination papers on that date, and must know where their district’s boundaries are in order to do so. In addition, public notice for the spring election will be published on November 17 and potential candidates can begin receiving candidacy packets at that time. 

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This press release was produced by the City of Wauwatosa. The views expressed here are the author’s own.