TAMPA, Fla. — The Hillsborough County City-County Planning Commission is expected to make a final decision Monday on what the city of Tampa’s new election maps will look like.
The redistricting process that takes place every four years, due to population changes, leads to shifts in demographics across the districts. Four possible alternatives for new boundaries were presented to the community in January, followed by a public hearing that took place in February.
On Monday night, the second and final public hearing is set to take place followed by a scheduled vote. That meeting is set for 7:30 p.m. at the Frederick B Karl County Center at 601 E. Kennedy Blvd., on the 18th floor.
City officials say more than 20,000 new residents have moved to the Tampa area since 2020. District 7, which includes the northwestern portion of Tampa, has seen the biggest population increase. District 5 which includes East Tampa, parts of downtown Tampa and a section of West Tampa is currently the smallest district.
To make the districts more balanced, the four proposed maps shift a handful of precincts between districts. While the majority of residents will not be affected, those in communities west of Busch Gardens, in the Forest Hills neighborhood and in West Tampa could be the biggest changes.
West Tampa resident Michael Randolph worries that his area could be split apart through multiple districts, which he says could weaken political representation in one of Tampa’s historically Black districts.
“It’s very important that we’re able to tell that politician that — hey you need to come to West Tampa and talk to us,” he said. “If we split the community into different precincts… that would no longer be the case. It puts us in a position where we have little voice to say on what’s going on.’
There’s just over 410,000 residents of Tampa, and the Hillsborough County City-County Planning Commission says changes will impact just about 5% of people.