Ward Sizes Then And Now

[jay]

 

The ward populations of the First and Second Wards are artificially high because both of these wards contain prisons.  Prisoners count in the census figures but they can not vote in elections because they are fellons.

This is just another reason why the Youngstown City Charter has to be updated.

[Towntalk]

How Council gets away with it:

  The city charter reads: "All wards shall be composed of contiguous and compact territory, as nearly equal in population as possible, and bounded by natural boundaries or street lines."
But the last line of the charter's section on "division of city into wards" reads: "Following each federal census, council may redistrict the city so as to maintain a reasonable equality of population among the seven wards."

It's all in the word "may".
 

[Towntalk]

Jay,

How many time do you have to bang your head against a brick wall before it sinks in that government does not work in the best interest of the people, but for the special interest of itself, and this applies to EVERY political party that ever was or will be. NO politician is going to vote himself out of office. Before that proposed new City Charter goes to the ballot you can bet your house, car and bank account on City Council going over it with a fine tooth comb and deciding on what stays and what goes, and only then will it go on the ballot. The Charter Commission does not have the final say.

Youngstown residents: We must redistrict city's wards

http://www.vindy.com/news/2012/feb/29/residents-we-must-redistrict-citys-wards/


  But it's not a concept warmly embraced by all city council members.
Councilman John R. Swierz, D-7th, said: "If the people want it; [but] I don't see a need for it."
    The committee will provide recommendations on proposed charter amendments to city council by June 1.
It's up to city council to accept or reject the recommendations.
Those supported by council will go on the November general election ballot for voters to consider. 

[Youngstownshrimp]

Jay,

You are in an uphill battle, all those council members want that paycheck job more than doing their job, they will fight dirty to keep it.  But if you have balls like I do, proceed.....defund Youngstown.

[jay]

These are today's two extremes.  On the high end, the fourth ward has 12,130 residents.  On the low end, the sixth ward has 7,227 residents.

[jay]

Youngstown's charter was created in 1923 when the city's population was roughly 143,000.  Each of the seven councilmen represented about 20,000 people.

Today the city's population is 66,976.  If the population were equally distributed by ward, each ward would have about 9,500 residents.