Joliet plans to remap City Council districts as 2023 election approaches

The city of Joliet plans to draw new City Council district maps.

City Manager James Capparelli did not return a phone call and email Wednesday seeking confirmation that the new maps would apply to the election for five district council seats in 2023.

Council members said they are trying to find out information about the redistricting, but assume any remaps would be done ahead of the election, which will include the five district council members and the mayor.

The fact that the remapping is being done at all came up at the City Council meeting Tuesday.

Council member Sherri Reardon asked Cappareli about it, saying that he had previously told her no remap would be done.

Reardon said that Capparelli had told her during a discussion April 1 that no remaps are needed because there was no increase of 10% in any of the council districts.

Capparelli said he since has received new information.

“Your district actually grew by 16%,” Capparelli told Reardon at the meeting. “So we are going to be forced to do some redistricting. So I’m going to come up with some plans for the council to discuss. The intent is to keep everybody in place in your council districts.”

Capparelli said the remap would affect every district but District 1, which is represented by Larry Hug and did not change in population.

Population numbers presumably would be based on the 2020 census, although city officials did not return calls and emails to clarify.

Reardon said she discussed the matter with Capparelli after the meeting and was told an initial computer model remapped her out of District 3, which she represents.

“He said he’s not going to let that happen,” Reardon said. “I said I’m not going to let that happen, either.”

Reardon said she’s seeking additional information about the district population after having been told by Capparelli in the April 1 discussion that no district grew by more than 5%. An increase of 10% triggers a remap.

“I want to see where these numbers are coming from,” she said.