Some residents in Aurora might be living in different City Council wards come January 2013.
Aurora City Council members at a study session meeting Oct. 22 decided to choose one of two new maps that would change ward boundaries at a council meeting in early November.
City officials have been working on changing the ward boundaries since March, since they are required to review the maps in election years ending in “3” and “9.”
The goal was to create new municipal wards with a population deviation of between 5 percent and 10 percent between the largest and the smallest wards, said Karen Goldman, deputy city clerk.
Goldman said the deviation — which is the percent difference between the largest and smallest wards — should be as close to 5 percent as possible.
The current population deviation is 16 percent, with Ward II being the smallest ward with 52,516 people and Ward VI being the largest, with 61,980 people.
“We are out of whack with deviation,” Goldman said at the study session.
Under the first proposed map, the deviation would be 4.38 percent with the smallest ward, Ward V, having 55,122 people, and the largest, Ward VI, having 57,612 people.
Under the second proposed map, the deviation would be 5.94 percent with the smallest, Ward III, having 54,280 people and the largest, Ward VI, having 57,597 people.
Council members will choose between the two proposed maps at their meeting Nov. 5.
They had mixed feelings about the maps.
“I was surprised when I saw this,” said Councilwoman Marsha Berzins, who said she didn’t think her Ward III would have many changes. Under the first proposed map, Berzins’ ward would increase by about 1,200 people and she’d represent one precinct north of 6th Avenue. “We’re splitting the neighborhoods (in that map),” Berzins said.
Under the second map, her ward would remain unchanged at 54,280 people.
Councilman Bob Roth said he was pleased to see that the second proposed map includes all of the Pheasant Run neighborhood. Currently, Roth represents all but a portion of the neighborhood in Ward V.
He said he plans to vote for the second proposal.
“It makes my ward more easy to describe and makes the Pheasant Run community whole,” Roth said.
Under the first proposed map, his ward would decrease by about 1,300 people to include a total of 55,122 people, and under the second, his ward would decrease by about 800 people.
Aurora’s 2012 population is about 335,700 people. City documents show that Ward VI has seen the greatest population growth since the 2010 census, and Ward IV has had no growth. The first proposed map moves seven precincts, affects 8,305 residents, and results in a deviation of 4.38 percent. The second proposed map moves eight precincts, affects 10,781 residents, and has a deviation of 5.94 percent.
Reach reporter Sara Castellanos at 720-449-9036 or sara@aurorasentinel.com