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As the Milwaukee County Board kicks off a hearing on redistricting today, citizens will have a chance to provide their input. But they can do much more if they’d like, courtesy of systems like the City of Milwaukee’s GIS or Geographic Information System. Milwaukee has been one of the nation’s innovators when it comes to developing GIS technology to map the latest census data.

The development of this system actually began in 1980, under the direction of William Huxhold. He and a staff of 53 were charged with creating a Managed Information System for the city based on the nascent field of Geographic Information Systems. The premise was simple: Everything in the city – right down to fire hydrants – was given an address.

“I remember very vividly the first project I did for the Election Commission in the 1980 redistricting,” Huxhold recalls. “When I first went into the commission, there was a room full of elderly ladies they would hire for this purpose. They were all standing on ladders entering numbers on a giant board and then using calculators to draw wards and districts. It was amazing.”

Huxhold revolutionized the system. “We actually contracted with a GIS company then moved their data to the city mainframe.” From there the system grew. “In 1990, there was a state-funded project to take GIS developments in Milwaukee and show other municipalities how it could be done.”

Over time, Huxhold notes, the two major political parties really began to develop the redistricting software. “The problem was, it was so fast, and they could produce so many maps, I had to make some decisions (to limit data overload),” Huxhold recalls. “It is so easy nowadays.”

By the time of the 2000 census redistricting, off-the-shelf programs were available to do the same task, and the city had its data loaded onto a single shared server. As a result, everybody can now be a redistricter, and for the first time, the general public will have a chance to submit the sorts of proposals that would have taken a fully stocked back room to create just decades before. Such participation, of course, could add more twists to an always complicated process.

Twists and turns

In every decade since 1951, when the legislature took up redistricting responsibilities, the final decision has been made in the courts – both state and federal. This time around, both houses of the legislature and the Governor’s office are held by the Republican Party, with the Governor holding veto power over any legislative plan. They have little reason to consult Democrats, which makes the likelihood of a court challenge all the greater.

The process, however, actually begins at the county level. The state forwarded census data to Milwaukee County on March 21, 2011. The county board must adopt a tentative supervisory district plan by May 20, 2011. This is forwarded to all municipalities in the county which then have 60 days to develop election wards.

The wards are the building blocks of aldermanic (or village trustee) districts, and the municipalities have 60 days to create them. The process should be complete by September 2011.

The first uncertainty of many to come has to do with the size of the county board. Wisconsin counties average 25 board members, while the national average is six. Milwaukee County downsized from 25 members to the current 19 in the last redistricting, and there are calls by some supervisors to reduce the number even further. Supervisor Paul Cesarz called for 7 to 11 members; Supervisor Joe Rice said nine would be his starting number. Newly elected County Executive Chris Abele, who has veto power over the board’s redistricting plan, has suggested the county board could shrink in size.

However, there are concerns a smaller county board might diminish minority representation. Board members are also, as a rule, reluctant to eliminate the district of an incumbent. The announcement that two supervisors – Lynne De Bruin and Chairman Lee Holloway – plan to retire could make it easier to at least cut the board to 17 members.

Whatever the ultimate size of the county board, the districts drawn must:

●     Be of nearly the same population, within a range of “deviation” from the “ideal” population.

●     Be “compact” or “having the minimum distance between all the parts of a constituency.”

●     Be “contiguous” or having all population of a district being within a single border, without “islands.”

●     Have a “community of interest” or “actual shared interest” which could be political, social or economic.

●     Not cross municipal boundaries without an explicitly stated reason.

These definitions apply to all districts ultimately drawn for elected offices.

The County’s Special Redistricting Committee was appointed by Chairman Lee Holloway on Feb. 24. It’s headed by Supervisor Michael Mayo, Sr., who is joined by supervisors Gerry Broderick as Vice-Chairman and members Mark A. Borkowski, Willie Johnson, Jr., John F. Weishan, Jr., Peggy West and Johnny L. Thomas.

Municipal and state levels

The county’s tentative plan is then forwarded to the 19 municipalities. In the City of Milwaukee, the responsibilities for redistricting fall to the Judiciary and Legislation Committee, supported by Legislative Reference Bureau staff trained in redistricting. The members of the Judiciary and Legislation Committee are Ald. Ashanti Hamilton, Chairman, Ald. Terry L. Witkowski, Vice-Chairman, Ald. Jim Bohl, Ald. Joe Davis, Sr., and Ald. Robert Donovan.

Armed with the county data, the committee’s first order of business will be to establish voting wards. Since these building blocks of redistricting do not represent actual districts of elected officials, they need not conform to the “one person one vote” rule mandating uniformity in district population.

The city’s Electoral Ward Plan must:

●     Be composed of undivided census blocks.

●     Contain between 1,000 and 4,000 residents.

●     Identify ward boundaries.

●     Number wards consecutively.

●     Identify polling places.

●     Be passed by a majority vote of the Common Council and approved by the mayor.

Once the city wards are determined, the council must determine the number of aldermanic districts. After the 2000 Census, the council downsized from 17 to 15 members. Any change must pass by a two-thirds vote of the common council. So far, there has been no call for a reduction in the size of the council.

On a parallel track, the legislature must create new Assembly, state senate and Congressional districts based on the plans submitted by the counties. Since these districts, unlike those at the county and municipal level, are for partisan offices, there is generally more likelihood of a court challenge before the districts are redrawn in time for the fall elections in 2012.

Wealth of data

William Huxhold has long since left city government for the UW-Milwaukee School of Architecture and Urban Planning, where he serves as a professor. Universally known as “Hux,” he is widely considered to be among the founding fathers of GIS and his 13-page C.V. is replete with honors and publications.

His legacy can be seen this year in all the data available: The legislature has a link to a number of interactive maps of the state’s districts, and access to a wealth of data. The City of Milwaukee’s Redistricting site also is updated regularly with information on the topic. It includes a useful guide to the upcoming process.

Milwaukee County will hold a public hearing on redistricting today. Residents will be limited to a three-minute oral presentation, although written statements of any length will be accepted.

Public Hearing – Redistricting Committee

4-7 p.m., Friday, April 15

Washington Park Senior Center

4420 W. Vliet St., Milwaukee

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