Independent community briefing
For Council Members and Staff
Put districting back on the agenda. Orland commissioned maps, held public hearings, and selected a preferred proposal. The newly seated Council should decide in public how to use that work.
Requested Council action
Take a recorded vote by
At the first regular meeting after swearing-in, we ask the Council to direct staff to prepare a districting report. By January 19, we ask the Council to take a recorded vote on whether to resume the transition. January 19 is the project’s requested date, subject to the Clerk confirming the meeting schedule. Check the City’s meeting calendar.
- If the Council proceeds, direct staff to return with an ordinance, a target date for its consideration, and a timetable coordinated with Glenn County for a possible 2028 start.
- If the Council ends the effort, state the reasons on the record and explain how the City plans to use the maps, demographic analysis, and resident input it already commissioned or collected.
Ask staff to identify which materials can be reused, what hearings or notices are needed, and the county’s implementation dates. Ask the City Attorney to explain how current law, including California’s 2026 voting-rights legislation, affects the available options. Read the project’s legal overview.
Public record
Work the City can build on
- December 2, 2025. The Council adopted its resolution of intent to move to district elections by a 5–0 vote. Resolution 2025-20 (PDF).
- January 20, 2026. The Council approved the agreement with National Demographics Corporation by a 4–0 vote. January 20 minutes (PDF).
- March 3 through May 5, 2026. The City held five public hearings. On May 5, the Council selected Map 501 as its preferred proposal, 3–1, and separately directed staff to plan for a 2028 start, 4–0. May 5 minutes (PDF) · Map 501 (PDF).
- July 21, 2026. The motion to introduce the ordinance and bring it back for adoption failed 2–3. The draft proposed elections in Districts 2, 4, and 5 in 2028 and Districts 1 and 3 in 2030. July 21 minutes (PDF) · July draft ordinance (PDF).
Hearing presentations
- March 3 presentation on election systems and districting criteria (PDF)
- March 17 presentation on districting and community input (PDF)
- City hearing schedule and materials · Draft maps and demographic profiles
The presentations reflect the schedule and legal context at the time. The July minutes record the later vote on the ordinance.
Contract and payments
Account for districting costs
The January agreement set a $26,500 base fee and allowed up to $4,500 for additional meetings, for a $31,000 contract cap. Actual payments still need to be verified from invoices and City payment records. January contract materials, page 106 (PDF).
We ask the City to publish the amount paid, any additional charges or amendments, the work delivered, and what can still be used. If the Council resumes the transition, ask staff to estimate the remaining cost before authorizing new work.
Project position
Legal follow-up
If the Council leaves districting without a public timetable, we will consult voting-rights counsel about a challenge to Orland’s at-large election system.