On June 13, 2017, the City Council adopted the plan known as the Purple Draft.

The rest of this website has been archived as a record of the process. Please contact the City of Vista or NDC if you have questions.

The City Council is asking for your help planning our City's change to by-district Council elections.

Vista, like a number of cities, school districts and other local elected bodies in the region and across the state, is making a change. Beginning in 2018, City Council members will be elected by voting districts, instead of “at-large” citywide elections.

This change will bring an increased neighborhood focus to the Council and will make it easier for potential candidates to run for office, in addition to protecting the City from potential California Voting Rights Act litigation costs that could easily run into the millions of dollars.

But we need your help to make this change!
The primary goal when drawing Council election districts is to draw lines that keep neighborhoods together. So the Council wants to know: what do you consider the boundaries of your neighborhood?

Much more information will be posted to this page as the process moves forward.

Frequently-Asked Questions

How many people are on City Council?
The City Council consists of four Council Members and a Mayor. This will not change.

What is the districting process?
State law requires an open and public process for establishing electoral districts, including a minimum of five public hearings.

How are districts drawn?
The City’s electoral districts will be drawn in accordance with requirements of law and traditional "good government" redistricting principles. Federal requirements include essentially equal total population counts in each district, and compliance with the Federal Voting Rights Act. Traditional "good government" redistricting principles include respecting neighborhoods and other communities of interest; keeping districts compact and contiguous; respecting past choices of voters by minimizing pairings of current Councilmembers, and following major roads and other visible features.

Where can I get a copy of the voting district maps?
Copies of the proposed voting district maps will be available on the "Draft Maps" page of the project website and at City Hall.

Where can I get the presentation from the April 29th Workshops?
Download a copy of it here.

When the City implements district voting, what happens to the terms of current Council Members?
There is no change to the Mayor's position or term in office.

All four Council Members will serve as at-large Council Members until the end of their current terms:
Council Member Amanda Young Rigby: November 2020
Council Member Joe Green: November 2020
Council Member John Aguilera: November 2018
Council Member John Franklin: November 2018

At the end of their current terms, Council Members can run for re-election by district if they live in a district up for election at that time.

City of Vista 2017 Districting Project