The city of Glendale is pursuing its first City Council district formation process. The first public hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, June 13, at 6 p.m. during its regularly planned City Council meetings located at 613 E. Broadway.
Currently, all registered voters in the city have the ability to vote for all City Councilmembers in citywide elections. The proposed change to district-based elections will be put before voters on the March 2024 ballot. The city is considering a plan for six separate council districts and a directly elected mayor.
If this plan is approved by the voters, this would take effect beginning with council elections starting in 2026. Voters would have the opportunity to elect one City Councilmember who lives in and is elected by voters in their district and all Glendale voters would also vote to select their next mayor.
To ensure each district has approximately the same number of residents, local governments use data from the most recent census to guide the establishment of districts. Members of the Glendale community are highly encouraged to participate in the districting process to ensure district lines respect neighborhoods, history and geographic elements.
Residents can get involved by attending public hearings and community workshops, sharing their thoughts on communities that should be kept together in a single district, submitting draft maps of proposed district lines, attending the public hearings, and subsequently providing feedback on other draft maps drawn by the community and National Demographics Corporation, the city’s professional demographer.
As required by law, the city of Glendale will hold five public hearings. The first three have been scheduled for June 13 at 6 p.m., July 11 at 6 p.m. and Aug. 15 at 6 p.m.
In addition, the city is hosting community workshops, virtually and in person, across Glendale to give residents an opportunity to learn more about the tools available to draw maps, ensure their community is fairly represented, and connect with others engaged in the district formation process.
- June 20 at 6:30 p.m. — Council in Your Neighborhood Pop-Up at Pacific Park
- June 21 at 6:30 p.m., virtual via Zoom
- Aug. 17 at 6:30 p.m., virtual via Zoom
Additional public hearings and workshops will be scheduled soon. For meeting information, visit the city’s Calendar webpage.
To help share information about the district formation process, gather maps drawn by the public, and collect public feedback, the city of Glendale has launched a dedicated district formation website: MapGlendale.org. The website includes background information about district formation, a schedule outlining public meetings and draft map submission deadlines, frequently asked questions, resources for drawing maps, and details on how to get directly involved in the district formation process.
To view specific workshop dates and locations and to learn more about districting, visit MapGlendale.org. Community members can send questions, comments and map suggestions to mapglendale@glendaleca.gov, or call the city at (818) 548-4844 and press option 1.
First published in the June 10 print issue of the Glendale News-Press.
