In the process of redrawing Atlanta’s City Council election maps based on recent U.S. Census data, Buckhead’s council members are trying to find compromises creating districts they can live with.
In order to account for 2010 census data, each of the city’s 12 districts must have a population of 35,000. But the districts represented by City Council members Yolanda Adrean, District 8, and Howard Shook, District 7, now each take in more than 35,000 people.
Adrean and Shook said they are working on arrangements with their fellow council members that will satisfy federal requirements while keeping the identity of Buckhead’s districts. The maps show most of the discussion has focused on the center of the city.
“District 1, in the center of the city, has the most people it has to shed,” Shook said. “The center of the city and surrounding area is also where a whole bunch of council districts come together. It’s really complicated to spread people out evenly while also adhering to the federal edict about not diluting black populations.”
Shook said he expects to lose a few areas to District 6, which is represented by City Councilman Alex Wan. Shook said the latest proposal he saw showed the Brookwood Hills neighborhood shifting into Wan’s district.
“I know the Brookwood Hills neighborhood would like to stay because that is a fairly conservative neighborhood that leans strongly GOP in elections and they’ve let me know they’re not real happy about moving into the Sixth District, which is more dominantly Democrat, so that’s creating some heartburn,” Shook said.
Adrean said she thinks she’s found a solution that would allow her to keep the Loring Heights neighborhood in her district while giving District 9, served by City Councilwoman Felicia Moore, the Berkeley Park neighborhood.
