Greenwood, SC -  Greenwood City Council is in the early stages of its redistricting process.

Like state and county governments, city governments are required to redraw city council ward lines every 10 years following the release of U.S. Census statistics. The City of Greenwood’s redistricting process will be in response to the 2010 Census data.

City Manager Charlie Barrineau said the city received early information regarding redistricting from the state’s office of research and statistics. He said three members of City Council will travel Wednesday to Columbia to meet with research and statistics officials to discuss the redistricting process.

City officials are working to have a proposed redistricting plan ready to present to the public before the end of the year and would like to have final approval from the U.S. Justice Department on such a plan by February 2012.

City Council will have to meet several criteria as it conducts the redistricting process, including:

* Adhering to the court-ordered constitutional requirement of “one person, one vote.”

* Adhering to the 1965 Voting Rights Act as amended and by controlling court decisions.

* Ensuring that parts of wards are contiguous.

* Respecting “communities of interest.” 

* Attempting to maintain constituent consistency.

* Avoiding splitting voting precincts.

* Soliciting public input.

“The ultimate goal is to meet those criteria and you try to keep the neighborhoods together (in terms of which city council ward they are in),” Barrineau said. “It’s a struggle. ... To meet the guidelines of the Justice Department, it’s almost practically impossible anymore to keep neighborhoods together. It’s tough.”

Greenwood County already conducted its redistricting process. Lines for state legislature districts also have been redrawn. Barrineau said the city does not have a scheduled election until November 2012, so there is plenty of time for City Council to complete the process.