Government

Mayor Menino Vetos City Council Redistricting Plan, Including Changes to North End / Waterfront

Remember that new City Council map that narrowly passed after a redistricting process? Well, forget about it because Mayor Tom Menino just vetoed it.

According to a letter to the City Council, Boston’s Mayor said that,

My central objection is my concern that the plan concentrates our many citizens of color into too few districts, and in doing so may limit their equal opportunity to elect candidates of their choice.

The Mayor agreed with 6 of the 13 City Councilors, in objecting to changes primarily impacting District 4 (Dorchester and Mattapan) that would have been 95% people of color.

The new map would have also removed Precinct 6 and the “Wharf District” from the North End’s District 1, currently represented by City Councilor Sal LaMattina. Instead, the proposal would have placed it with South Boston’s District 2, currently represented by Bill Linehan. Because the changes in District 1 and 2 were intended to meet population targets, these changes are still likely in upcoming proposals for a new map.

The proposed city district map takes Precinct 6 (Downtown/Wharf District) out of District 1 (North End, Charlestown, East Boston) and puts it with District 2, dominated by South Boston. (View full map in pdf).

 

Current Boston District Map (2002) View full pdf.