The process for preparing a new Linn County Board of Supervisor district map based on the 2010 Census is complete. The new districts and map took effect January 15, 2012. The information below describes the redistricting process Linn County followed and includes links to the meeting minutes from Linn County's Temporary Redistricting Commission.

Redistricting and reprecincting take place after every federal census to ensure boundaries comply with current laws and population distribution requirements. Due to population shifts reported in Linn County’s 2010 Census data, the district boundaries for the Board of Supervisors must be redrawn in order to balance the population of each district. The 2011 redistricting effort provides for public participation, including public meetings, public hearings and the opportunity for the public to submit district boundary plans for consideration.

The Board of Supervisors appointed a five-person Temporary Redistricting Commission to review the current five districts and to create new district boundaries that meet requirements outlined by the Secretary of State’s office. Several map options will be prepared by the Linn County Auditor’s Office and reviewed by the Commission. The Commission will then vote to recommend one map to the Board of Supervisors. The Commission must submit final boundary plans, based upon the recently released 2010 Census data, for approval to the Secretary of State by October 15, 2011. A public hearing will be held prior to adoption of the new boundaries.

Members of the public may submit district maps for consideration by the Commission. Maps should be submitted to Darrin Gage prior to August 4, 2011, when the Commission is tentatively scheduled to select one map to take to a public hearing and forward to the Board of Supervisors.

The Temporary Redistricting Commission held its first meeting May 26, 2011. Commission meetings are open to the public. All meetings are at 3:00 p.m. at Linn County West, 2500 Edgewood Rd. SW, Cedar Rapids.

Meeting Schedule
May 26
June 9
June 23
July 12
July 21
August 4
August 18
August 29 - Public Hearing
September 1
September 15
September 29
October 13
November 8
December 13

Agendas
5-26-11
6-9-11
6-23-11
7-12-11
7-21-11
8-4-11
8-18-11
9-1-11
10-13-11
11-8-11
11-28-11
12-13-11

Minutes
5-26-11
6-9-11
6-23-11
7-12-11
7-21-11
8-4-11
8-18-11
8-29-11 - Public Hearing
9-1-11
10-13-11
11-8-11
11-28-11
12-13-11

Supervisor District Populations
The ideal population for each Supervisor district is obtained by dividing the population of the county by the number of Supervisor districts. Linn County’s population reported in the 2010 Census is 211,226. The ideal population in each of Linn County’s five Supervisor districts is 42,245. Guidelines stipulate that the maximum allowable variation from the ideal district population is 422 (multiply the ideal district population by 0.01). However, a district may exceed that number as long as the average variation for all five districts does not exceed the maximum allowable variation.

Helpful Links
2011 Reprecincting and Redistricting Instructions for Counties

Worksheet

Iowa Secretary of State website

For more information, contact:
Darrin Gage
Director of Policy and Administration
(319) 892-5000
darrin.gage@linncounty.org