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The proposed eastern and southern borders for District 11 have been adjusted to address some of the comments received through the public comment period. As a result, persons living in precinct D137 (south of So. Watterson Trail) as well as the portions of D140 and D120 which were previously allocated to District 11 will now be in District 20 (Councilman Stuart Benson). District 20 will also retain precinct V109. On the eastern side of the district, precincts V121, the majority of precinct V111 and the portion of precinct V104 south of Shelbyville Road will be in District 11. These changes will place neighborhoods such as Copperfield within a single district rather than being split into two as has been the case for the past decade.
Why redistricting:
Redistricting is required by State and Federal Law every decade following the publishing of new Census data. The purpose of redistricting is to update the borders for various districts to ensure that people have near equal populations. In addition to equalizing population, additional goals such as improving compactness, recognizing neighborhoods and suburban city boundaries, and maximizing the powers of minority groups within the population are also taken into consideration during the redistricting process.
What the Census told us about District 11:
District 11 grew at a pace like what was experienced throughout the community. Which alone would lead you to believe that the lines for the district would see little change. Unfortunately, the previous thought couldn’t be further from the truth, as about 35% of the district will be taken over by Council District 26 (Councilman Brent Ackerson) and a few of the district’s southernmost precincts will move to District 20 (Benson).
Like what happened following the 2010 Census, Louisville Metro saw a loss of population in the western portion of Jefferson County while seeing a continued boom in Eastern Jefferson County. These consistent losses have forced western districts to take populations from eastern districts leading to a domino effect that reaches its highest point in District 11. Twenty years ago, my home sat in the middle of District 11. Once redistricting is concluded, it will be on the westernmost border with only about 20% of my original district remaining within the border of the new District 11.
How District 11 was formed:
The western borders of District 11 were decided by the Democrats on the Metro Council. Councilman Ackerson (District 26) and the Majority Party created their districts first, taking those areas they wanted and then leaving the remnants to Republicans to work with. As a member of the Minority Party on the Metro Council, I will have little impact of the final district map. To my disappointment this meant that my remaining portion of Breckinridge Estates as well as Houston Acres were removed from District 11 without my input. The loss of approximately 8,000 residents on the western portion of the district as well as the growth in districts to the east left my district moving eastward.
Problem 1 – Changing Identity of the District: District 11 once started in Hikes Point and Buechel and ended in Jeffersontown. The original demographic nearly mirrored that of Metro Louisville. Today it contains more of Jeffersontown and is tied more directly to Taylorsville Road; drastically changing the diversity that was an original source of pride. Having a district that is constantly being changed has left the district with a less than obvious identity. We are hopeful that this redistricting process will consider future population trends to create a district that will no longer need to see the types of large-scale changes that have been made in 2010 and 2020.
Problem 2 – Preserving Neighborhoods/Suburban Cities: Jeffersontown, due to its large population, has traditionally been shared among multiple Council districts and that has seemed to work well. That isn’t the case with smaller neighborhoods and cities. We made every effort to keep cities within one district when possible and to bring communities together when possible. The original proposal achieved this task in most cases, but still left a few groups split along areas south of Shelbyville Road. We used public comments as well as additional time as an opportunity to propose fixes to some of these concerns to create a district that has much more clear boundaries and hopefully an identity that people will feel serves them well.
The Result:
District 11’s norther border is simple: I-64 from just east of Lowe Road until you reach the Gene Snyder at which the northern border is Shelbyville Road until you reach Long Run Road. The southern border for the District is mainly the areas north of S. Watterson Trail and then Taylorsville Road. The district will include major portions of The Parklands, will remain just to the north of Charlie Vettiner Park and just east of DePres Park. The district, as it is proposed, is likely to see more growth in future years and be less likely to see the kind of significant shifts that have occurred in the 2010 and 2020 redistricting proposals.
Closing:
Thank you for taking the time to read this somewhat lengthy explanation of how the redistricting process will change District 11. I hope that this has helped to explain the process as well as the final redistricting process. If you will no longer be in District 11, I want you to know that I will do everything I can to help in the transition and that the decision was not something that I wanted. If you are joining the District, please know that I look forward to meeting you and working with you to improve our community and to answer your questions and concerns. The final vote on redistricting is expected to occur on Thursday, November 11, 2021 with elections, using the newly drawn lines, being held in 2022. If you have any questions about redistricting, please know that I am happy to answer them. Please either call 574-1111 or email me at Kevin.Kramer@louisvilleky.gov.
Sincerely,
Kevin J. Kramer
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