SHERMAN OAKS, CA — Two L.A. County redistricting proposals would split the San Fernando Valley into three districts, hurting the ability of Valley residents to be properly represented at the county level. The Valley Industry & Commerce Association (VICA) supports reapportionment plans that keep the Valley whole. “The Valley is clearly a distinct community of interest,” said VICA President Stuart Waldman. “VICA will continue to fight any and all redistricting plans—at any level of government—that threaten to carve-up our community.”
VICA was actively engaged in ensuring the Valley received adequate representation during the state and federal redistricting process that was done by the Citizens’ Redistricting Commission. VICA encourages its members to voice their opposition to the plans laidout by Los Angeles County Supervisors Mark Ridley-Thomas (S2) and Gloria Molina (T1). “While the state and congressional redistricting process was a win for Valley residents, we are very concerned about the implications of county proposals,” Waldman said. “Our advocacy efforts were so successful because the community joined us to demand fair representation.
This is what we need to do now on a local level.” Valley stakeholders are invited to attend and speak at the public hearing on these redistricting plans, to be held Tuesday, September 6 at 1 p.m. in Room 381 of the Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration (500 W. Temple St. Los Angeles). County supervisors can be contacted directly, or general comments on redistricting should be sent to the Executive Officer’s Commission Services division at commserv@bos. lacounty.gov.
More information on county redistricting can be found at http://redistricting. lacounty.gov. In June, VICA released a Community of Interest Analysis for the Valley that provided explicit geographic, demographic and socioeconomic information about the San Fernando Valley and its residents. The data clearly supports VICA’s position for the Valley’s treatment as a separate community of interest. A history of the Valley, boundaries, topography, information about neighborhood councils and transportation networks are also contained in the report.