Interactive Map: https://www2.burlingtonvt.gov/Clerk/Elections/Map/
Map PDF: https://www.burlingtonvt.gov/sites/default/files/CT/ElectionMaps/burlington_vermont_city_wards_2015_24x36.pdf
More Info: https://www.burlingtonvt.gov/CT/Maps-Wards-State-Districts-and-Polling-Places

8 Wards, with 4 Districts overlaid (with each district consisting of 2 wards) = 12 representatives.

City website committee page: https://www.burlingtonvt.gov/CityCouncil/Redistricting

Redistricting History: https://www.burlingtonvt.gov/CityCouncil/Redistricting/History
      * These "historical" maps are draw onto a map with modern roads making them misleading at times.

2010 redistricting iterations of maps: https://www.burlingtonvt.gov/CityCouncil/maps

Golden Standard - One person, one vote (a.k.a. population equality for each representative)

• 17 VSA § 1903(b) (concerning state reapportionment) Requires, Insofar as
practicable,
     • To preserve existing political subdivision lines;
     • To recognize and maintain patterns of geography, social interaction, trade, political ties, and common interests
     • To use compact and contiguous territory.

• A Vermont municipality using these state principles, in conjunction with other
constitutional standards, would likely satisfy constitutional standards


Traditional Redistricting Factors

Must Haves:
• One person/one vote required by the 14th Amendment
• Population of each district as nearly equal to every other district as practicable with deviations of <10%
• Contiguity of territory—one part of a district cannot be physically separate or detached from the other parts.
• Cannot separate on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion

Preserve neighborhood boundaries - Neighborhood can be considered a community of interest or a community with a common set of concerns that could be affected by legislation. Is it a priority to preserve neighborhoods such as the New North End, Old North End, South End, Hill District?

Honor geographic boundary lines - Legal guidelines dictate that geographic features should be considered when redistricting. Should geographic features be a priority when redistricting Burlington districts?

Honor historical boundary lines - Historical ward maps can be found at the website linked below. Historically main roads such Main St., Pearl St., Shellburne St., etc. have guided boundaries. Should we prioritize this historical precedent?
https://www.burlingtonvt.gov/CityCouncil/Redistricting/History *
* These "historical" maps are all drawn on a modern street map which can make them misleading.

Keep district system (at-large councilor system where a city councilor represents multiple wards) - Until 2015 the Burlington had never used an at-large system of representation for its city representation. Should we prioritize preserving an at-large system where a representative has a constituency that extends across multiple wards?

One person, one vote (minimize population difference between wards) - The goal of redistricting is to preserve the "one person, one vote" system as populations change. Every person should be represented equally, or every representative of equal power must have an equal number of constituents. This can be measured by taking the population of the city and dividing it by the number of wards to get an ideal population per ward. Should we priorities creating ward sizes as close to the ideal population per ward as possible?

Make wards compact (Get rid of Ward 8) - Legal guidelines dictate wards should be as compact as feasible. Currently Ward 8 does not follow this legal guideline (and barely satisfies continuity, a legal requirement). Some have called this a gerrymandering UVM student ward. Should we prioritize compactness? (See below the “Rank Priorities” question for a visual explanation of compactness.)

Respect for communities of interest (no packing or cracking) - Communities, or people with common sets of concerns, can have their representation diminished by dividing the community across multiple wards (cracking) or by packing a community together into a single ward. Should we prioritize ensuring communities have representation proportional to their size?

Create at-large seats for representatives who run city-wide and are not ward identified - Such representatives would have a constituency equal to the population of Burlington. Should including this type representation be a priority?

Establish term limits - Term limits create the opportunity for new representatives to take office more frequently. Should the city make it a priority to establish term limits?

Establish campaign spending limits - Campaign spending limits have been used to try and level the playing field between candidates supported by different economic classes. Should city council and mayoral campaigns be subject to campaign spending limits?

Establish provisions for recall of representatives - Such provisions typically require a petition for recall signed by a certain percentage of the city's population which then triggers a "special election" where the citizens vote on whether the representatives term should end early and who should replace them. Should provisions for recalling city councilors, school board officials and the mayor be established?

Establish citizen initiative by right of petition, safe from representatives or mayor's veto - Such a system typically requires petition signatures from a certain percentage of the city's population to place the initiative on the ballot where it is then voted on as a ballot question. Should this right to petition a ballot initiative be established?