AURORA | Aurora City Council members chose a new map that redraws municipal wards for 2013 at their council meeting Nov. 5.
Council members unanimously approved a new map that will make Ward III the smallest ward, with 54,280 people, and Ward VI the largest, with 57,597 people. The changes are expected to take effect by the end of the year.
Councilwoman Marsha Berzins, who represents Ward III, said there will be two new transit-oriented development stations around the future Interstate 225 light rail line in her ward, and both include plans for high-density housing. That will make the population of her ward eventually increase, she said.
“We’re going to be adding more housing and citizens within a couple of years,” she said.
City officials have been working on changing the ward boundaries since March. 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.
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.
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.