King City council is currently comprised of five at-large seats that represent the entire city.
California State Assembly Luis Alejo pointed out that King City is a dominate Latino community (87.5% per 2010 Census) but “only have one Latina serving on the city council."
The issue of redistricting has been bubbling up all year as the council continued discussion at their most recent meeting.
The redistricting effort is, at least in part, a response to the 2014 King City Police Department scandal that rocked the community to its core with about one-third of the department being arrested.
Groups like Tri-County Association of Latino Elected Officials and the League of United Latin American Citizens see it as a representation issue. As the City Council and Mayoral posts are responsible for appointing positions like City Manager and Police Chief, a city council that better reflects the demographics of King City might be good for the city and its agencies.
And with the October firing of the city’s first post-scandal Police Chief and the departure of City Manager Michael Powers next Wednesday, maybe the change is for the better?
More on King City’s potential redistricting can be found here.
More on King City’s police scandal can be found here.