The City of Nampa invites the community to share feedback on a proposed map for the new Nampa City Council districts at an open house Tuesday, August 16, from 4-6 p.m. and Friday, August 19 from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. Both open houses will be held at Nampa City Hall, located at 411 3rd Street South, in council chambers. A virtual open house will be also available beginning August 16 through the City of Nampa’s website.
Currently, Nampa City Council’s six council seats are elected “at-large” by voters within city limits. In accordance with Idaho State Code section 50-707A, “[a]ny city having more than one hundred thousand (100,000) inhabitants…shall establish districts and shall elect councilmen by districts for districts so established.” The latest decennial census reported Nampa’s population as 100,200 and, therefore, is required to create districts for city council elections.
In order to meet statutory requirements, Nampa’s Districting Committee was established by ordinance to draft a map for public comment and recommend a final map for council approval. The committee is comprised of nine Nampa residents from various areas of the city. After preliminary review and discussion of several maps, the districting committee seeks public comment for the proposed map of six council districts.
The public is invited to share their suggestions for the six council districts at the upcoming open houses. In order to meet statutory requirements, the districts must include the following criteria:
- The population of each district must be as equal as possible (the population of Nampa according to the last decennial census was 100,200 and this number divided by six is 16,700).
- The new districts must keep current voting precincts together.
- Precincts in a certain district must be contiguous (or touching).
The map proposed for public comment can be found here. The public is encouraged to review the proposed map and share their feedback at the open houses or through an online survey. Following the open houses, Nampa’s Districting Committee will establish, by resolution, a final and single Nampa Districting Plan. The Nampa City Council will conduct a public hearing on the final map this fall.
In addition to comments received online and at the open houses, public comments can also be delivered or mailed to the Clerk’s Office (Nampa City Hall, 411 3rd Street South, Nampa ID 83651), emailed to [email protected] or call (208) 468-5415.