A potential rework of Carlsbad City Council ward boundaries could lead to gains and losses for all four wards based on data from the 2020 Decennial Census.
Councilors mulled over three redistricting plans drawn up by Rod Adair of New Mexico Demographic Research LLC as the City grew to more than 30,000 people for the first time in a 50-year period.
Adair said Carlsbad’s population hovered in the 25,000 population range from 1960 to 2010.
More:Southeast New Mexico city leaders question accuracy of 2020 U.S. Census
The community’s population grew from 26,138 in 2010 to 32,238 in 2020, per U.S. Census data. Adair said Carlsbad’s growth was steady at 23.3 percent during the 10-year Census timeframe.
City of Carlsbad City Attorney Denise Madrid-Boyea said New Mexico law required local governing bodies redraw districts after every federal decennial census.
In a memo written to City Council, she advised that each district be equal in population.
In the City of Carlsbad, eight council members from four wards represent nearly 32 square miles.
As of the last Census, two wards gained population and two lost population based on demographic data gathered by Adair.
Ward 4, which encompasses eastern and southeastern Carlsbad, had the largest growth of 1,240 people with an overall population of 9,300.
Ward 1 located in south Carlsbad gained 371 people during the 2020 Census. More than 8,400 people live in Ward 1.
Ward Three lost 1,269 people. The central Carlsbad ward contained nearly 6,800 people.
More:Redistricting complete in New Mexico after Gov. Lujan Grisham approves senate map changes
Ward 2 lost 344 people based on Census data. The northern Carlsbad ward had a population around 7,700 people.
Adair said the ideal population for each ward was 8,060 people and one of the proposed plans would see all wards gain an equal population.
Another plan would reduce populations below 8,000 people in Ward 1 and Ward 2 and would increase people by 4 percent in Wards 3 and 4 with populations above 8,300.
More:Lack of funds from Census minority undercount worries New Mexico’s Attorney General
Adair crafted another plan reducing Ward 1’s population to 8,053 people and keeping Ward 2 around 7,700.
The populations of Ward 3 and 4 would grow 2 percent and total populations would be above 8,200 people.
Adair said distance between the current councilor’s residences proved a challenge in redrawing a majority of the districts, when trying to maintain their current ward representation.
“Three of the four councilors live longways from each other. We had to keep them all in the (same) districts,” he said.
Adair was slated to present the plans to the Carlsbad City Council Tuesday night.
Mike Smith can be reached at 575-628-5546 or by email at [email protected] or @ArgusMichae on Twitter
