Springfield's voting district boundaries must be reviewed and adjusted every 10 years in conjunction with population shifts.
SPRINGFIELD – The City Council has approved a new redistricting plan that once approved by the state Legislature will slightly adjust the boundaries of various wards and precincts.
The new boundaries were approved by the council without objections on Monday, which followed several months of review, amendments and two council meetings.
“There are no real surprises here,” Council President Jose F. Tosado said. “Each ward councilor maintains pretty much the same geographic area. In some cases, there was a shift of one or two streets.”
Election Commissioner Gladys Oyola said the voting districts must be reviewed and adjusted as needed every 10 years in conjunction with the federal census. The districts are redrawn where there are population increases or decreases in each district.
Overall, the city’s population increased by 989 residents from 2000 to 2010, according to U.S. Census figures, but the impact differed in each ward.
In Ward 1, Precinct B, for example, in the North End, two streets were added to the precinct to offset a slight loss in population. Whiting Street and Division Street were added to Precinct B.
In Ward 7, Precinct A, however, in the Forest Park area, there were no changes in the boundaries.
“Springfield was very lucky in a sense,” Oyola said. “It had shifts in population but it did not affect the districts as much as it could have.”
The process, however, involved lengthy review and input from all city councilors, Oyola said.
“You had 13 city councilors working together and came to a consensus on the changes that could be made,” Oyola said.
For example, a proposal to shift a section of South Branch Parkway near Mill Pond from Ward 5 to Ward 7 drew recent objections from Ward 5 Councilor Clodovaldo Concepcion, and was adjusted to allow him to retain that area.
Concepcion said that area was, and remains, a key part of Ward 5 and Sixteen Acres.
Ward 4 Councilor E. Henry Twiggs said his own household switched from Precinct C to A, which he described as “no problem.” His polling place changes from the Mason Square Library to the Mason Square fire station.
Ward 3 Councilor Melvin A. Edwards said the change in his district included the addition of the Classical Condominiums on State Street.
Oyola said the goal of the councilors, working with her office and the Planning Department, was to have as little impact on voters as possible.
State agencies including the Secretary of State’s office will review the redistricting plan and then forward it for consideration by the state Legislature.
View the proposed map below or download a higher resolution version.
Springfield Precinct Draft Map
Jose Tosado