City council redistricting continues in Northwest Indiana, but shifting populations mean districts may not remain balanced for long. Councils are required to review their district maps this year, based on the 2020 census, but some communities are already expecting growth that could change those populations.
Crown Point's proposed district map was presented to the full council Monday. The proposed ordinance notes that District 5 on the city's southwest side saw the bulk of the city's growth since 2010. Most of the changes would be minor, with most districts gaining and losing a few precincts. District 3 on the city's north side — where the Lake County Jail is located — would expand slightly and remain the largest district by population.
Council President Zack Bryan was part of the council's redistricting committee. He said some newly-annexed areas didn't have a significant population when the 2020 census was taken.
"Obviously, you and I know that there are future developments. Obviously, there's annex area that has the potential for having a higher headcount and could realistically throw off numbers in the future," Bryan told the rest of the council Monday.
The situation is similar in Portage. Council member Brian Gulley says the city decided to keep its current districts, based on the 2020 census results. But officials already know that changes will be required in 10 years.
"We had growth on the east side and some shrinkage on the west side but not being able to consider future growth because there will be a lot of future growth on the east side. And so, we definitely feel like in 10 years, we're going to need to redistrict," Gulley told the rest of the council Tuesday.
The Portage City Council officially re-certified its current districts. The Crown Point City Council will further consider its new district map December 19.
The Valparaiso City Council had one of the Region's most complex redistricting efforts, which involved an outside consultant and six proposals submitted by the public.
