Rohnert Park wants fair representation in new Sonoma County supervisor district maps

What does Rohnert Park have in common with Monte Rio? With Gualala? Bodega Bay? Where’s the coast in central Sonoma County? Did we lose the forest?

According to the county’s redistricting committee, District 5 — with its redwoods, surf, Russian River and pastoral rolling hills with cows and farms — should also include Rohnert Park and its Highway 101, urban-suburban core, commuting workforce, business-centered reputation and university influence.

The idea has a lot of people scratching their heads.

State and federal law requires counties to redraw supervisorial districts every 10 years, after the new U.S. Census, to achieve population balance amid demographic shifts.

Rohnert Park City Council members and residents had some strong words for the commission’s recommended new Board of Supervisors district map revealed Tuesday:

Asinine

Stupid

Ridiculous

And that was just one council member.

Others feedback included:

Bananas

Bullying

Gerrymandering

Inequitable

Not OK

All five council members of Sonoma County’s third largest city were unanimous in their opposition to the county redistricting committee’s recommendation to add a peninsula to District 5 that reaches south and east to capture Rohnert Park, which is now split in two county supervisorial districts.

NDC-D-51162-October-25-2021.pdf

On Thursday, the city sent a letter to the county objecting to the map and asking to be placed, as one entity, in District 3 instead.

“While recognizing the hard work and well-intentioned efforts of the commission, our city council was unanimous in its rejection of the maps put forward because they either split Rohnert Park or move Rohnert Park to District 5,” states the letter, sent to the Board of Supervisors.

“Rohnert Park has no relationship with the coastal, river or forest communities of District 5,” it continues. “Rohnert Park does, however, have a close relationship with the urban areas along the Highway 101 corridor, such as those portions of Santa Rosa and unincorporated Santa Rosa Avenue in District 3.”

Letter to Sonoma County Board of Supervisors.pdf

The council asked that their city be redrawn into District 3, which includes Santa Rosa and the county’s center core along Highway 101.

It’s not just a geographical issue for Rohnert Park. It’s about being recognized as a constituency, having political sway and not being forgotten among other voting blocs. The drawing of these maps will shape elections and government decisions for the next 10 years.

City Manager Darrin Jenkins said in the existing supervisorial configuration, Rohnert Park residents make up 30% of District 3, behind the Santa Rosa area’s supermajority influence. Rohnert Park makes up only 12% of District 2.

“In that sense, (for) Rohnert Park residents, their voting power is diluted between the two districts,” he said. “Petaluma dominates District 2 and of course Santa Rosa dominates District 3.”

The city has long wanted to be included in county representation as one group, which Jenkins said is possible during this mapmaking exercise.

“You can, and I have, drawn a map that puts all of Rohnert Park into District 3, and it has District 2 wrapping up and coming around a little more than it does now,” he said.

The 19-member redistricting commission, which has been working on the issue for months, has multiple responsibilities — among them, balancing population numbers between the five county districts, socioeconomic “equity” concerns and drawing maps that keep “communities of interest” together.

A “community of interest” is a population group that shares common social or economic interests that should be included as one for fair and effective representation. Rohnert Park argues its city is one.

The commission’s chair, Ed Sheffield, who was appointed from District 3, said giving Rohnert Park all it wants isn’t possible given other goals.

"Is there a way to put Rohnert Park back into a southern district? You can, but the problem is you have Petaluma with population of 60,000," Sheffield said.

“It might seem that moving an entire city into one district, and a district it was not in, is impactful — and it is impactful to that city,” he said. “But we came to that conclusion in a way that was considering their interests to keep that city united under one supervisor. We just could not find a way to keep it in a southern district and not be divided.”

At their meeting Tuesday, Rohnert Park Council member Pam Stafford spoke strongly about what she and her fellow city representatives think about the new map.

“I think it’s ridiculous to put us in District 5. We are an urban area, there’s nothing that connects us to District 5. I think it’s wrong that the county is choosing to say, ‘We want everyone to get some urban areas and rural areas in their districts.’ We are the recipient of that stupid idea.”

“I think this is just asinine,” she continued. “We’re one of the least rural cities in all of Sonoma County. Petaluma has a rural area. Cotati has a rural area. We don’t have rural area. So it’s really stupid for us to be considered for that.”

Mayor Gerard Giudice noted that Rohnert Park’s urban demographics are much closer to Santa Rosa, and District 3, than West County’s rural District 5.

“We are not the evil stepchild of Sonoma County,” he said. “We are 44,000 people and we have a voice. I believe it is the function and the obligation of this council to advocate for Rohnert Park. And the best possible scenario is for us to be whole and in District 3.”

The city council has encouraged its residents who agree to voice their opinions at the Nov. 2 and Nov. 16 Board of Supervisors meetings.

The board must adopt an ordinance that defines the county’s districts by Dec. 15.

You can reach Staff Writer Lori A. Carter at 707-521-5470 or lori.carter@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @loriacarter.