Geneva’s 5 wards to be redrawn as population grew, shifted

Geneva’s population has grown over the past 28 years, making it necessary to redistrict its five wards. Alderpersons acting as the Committee of the Whole on Aug. 5 recommended approval of a proposed new ward map.

The City Council will take final action at its Monday, Aug. 19, meeting. Alderpersons had discussed the boundary changes at a special Committee of the Whole on July 29, agreeing to move it to the Aug. 5 meeting for action.

City Administrator Stephanie Dawkins said the council discussed ward boundary changes at its November 2023 strategic planning workshop.

“The last redistricting occurred in December 1996 for the 1997 election,” Dawkins said. “Since that time, the population has grown by nearly 3,000 inhabitants. And the result is that the wards are not nearly equal in population with Ward 4 having nearly 27% of the population. Redistricting is recommended due to shifts in population to adhere to the one person, one vote principle.”

The city can redistrict when any official decennial census shows it is necessary to redistrict because of more or fewer wards based on population or for any other reason, Dawkins said.

State law requires that wards be as nearly equal in population as possible, follow compact and contiguous territory as practicable and that no precinct be divided between two or more wards, Dawkins said.

The proposed boundary change maintains two alderpersons in each ward with staggered terms.

It would split the downtown area into two wards and the 4th Ward boundary would move one block west at Randall Road instead of Cambridge Court, Dawkins said.

Redistricting has to be completed no less than 30 days before the first day for the filing of candidate petitions for the next election for city officers, Dawkins said. The first day for filing petitions for the April 1, 2025, consolidated election is Nov. 12, so the council would have to approve a new ward map by Oct. 13.

First Ward Alderperson Michael Bruno said residents were not territorial about their wards and he supported the downtown being in two wards.

Fifth Ward Alderperson Craig Maladra said neighborhoods should not be equated with ward boundaries.

“My ward has two streets that are not incorporated into the city of Geneva,” Maladra said. “When we walk around the block, we talk with each other, we wave, we go to the block party. There’s no name tag that says, ‘I’m not in Geneva.’ You’re just part of the neighborhood. The neighborhood is something that rides above the political district drawings that we may do.”

Second Ward Alderperson Bradley Kosirog said he thought the process was rushed and objected to redistricting without public input.

“I’ve expressed my concern for the lack of time for due diligence on this issue,” Kosirog said. “I’ve been called privileged, accused of undermining democracy itself and have been told that no one cares about the ward districting anyway.”

Kosirog said the council should take public feedback before making a decision and proposed delaying a decision until next year.

Maladra disagreed.

“We got together in November. We decided this was important and needed to be done,” Maladra said. “And then staff has been working, trying to put together a solution that met all these conflicting criteria.”

Maladra suggested publishing the proposed ward map change and allow time for community input before the council takes final action.

First Ward Alderperson Anaïs Bowring said waiting until next year is a disservice to residents.

Kosirog’s motion to delay action until next year failed in a 6-2 vote with two absent, the same split that approved a recommendation to accept redrawn boundaries. Kosirog and Hruby voted no both times. Second Ward Alderperson Richard Marks and 4th Ward Alderperson Amy Mayer were absent.