Indiana Local Government Redistricting
Co-Directors: Kelsey Kauffman and Brett O'BannonIn March 2024, the Indiana General Assembly passed Senate Bill 135, which gave a one-time extension to all local governments that were required to redistrict their councils by the end of 2022, but had not done so. SB135 also imposes penalties on local governments that fail to take advantage of the extension by June 30, 2025.
|
Redistricting Decision Costing City Taxpayers Almost $300,000 Ken de la Bastide
The Herald Bulletin (Anderson, Indiana) |
According to The Herald Bulletin, "A decision made by the Anderson City Council in 2021 has ended up costing local taxpayers nearly $300,000 in attorney fees...". This is because, having voted not to redistrict its city council as required by law, council members opened themselves up to a federal lawsuit that has forced the city of Anderson to redistrict anyway. Anderson was saddled with attorney fees owed to the law firm it hired, as well as those owed to the plaintiffs’ attorneys.
All of this trouble and expense could have been easily avoided.
All of this trouble and expense could have been easily avoided.
Free District Builder tool
Alas, the free website we have used for the past 4 years, DistrictBuilder, is no longer available. There are still several free or nearly free websites you could use, though they are not as good as DistrictBuilder for local redistricting. The main problem is that they show only major streets, whereas with local redistricting we need maps that show all streets. For what it is worth, you might want to try DRAredistricting (free) or Redistricter.com ($12/month).
Need Help Drawing maps?
We can assist you: Mapping at ILGR
If you have questions or comments: Contact us
For more information about the redistricting mandate and our work on this issue, you can find the report we filed with the Indiana General Assembly below.
If you have questions or comments: Contact us
For more information about the redistricting mandate and our work on this issue, you can find the report we filed with the Indiana General Assembly below.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT REDISTRICTING: INDIANA’S NEGLECTED MANDATE
Hundreds of local governments are required by Indiana state law and the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution to redistrict every ten years. Many fail to do so.