Contact your Washington County Commissioner and encourage them to adopt the LWV proposed 2022 Redistricting Principles.
The Leagues of Woodbury Cottage Grove Area (WCGA) and White Bear Lake Area (WBLA) thank the Washington County Commissioners for adopting Redistricting Principles in 2012. We ask that they adopt Redistricting Principles again in 2022.
The Leagues of WCGA and WBLA have sent revised Redistricting Principles to our commissioners that ask for greater transparency and increased public participation. Read the Redistricting Principles here.
We need your help! Please take a few moments to contact your Washington County Commissioner and encourage them to adopt the LWV proposed Redistricting Principles. Here are the steps you can take:
STEP 1. Identify Your Commissioner District
If you do not know your Commissioner, you can find your district using the Commissioner District Map.
STEP 2. Contact your Commissioner by email, phone or in writing
Commissioners’ phone numbers and e-mail addresses are listed here. If you would like to send a postcard or letter, send it to your commissioner at this address:
P.O. Box 6, 14949 62nd St. North, Stillwater, MN 55082-6132
Attend county commissioner meetings and provide comments or testimony during the public comment period on Redistricting Principles. (We will update this page when the information is available. Look for a link on tips for participating during the public comment period.)
STEP 3. State The Case - Messaging
To ensure our message is clear and consistent, we ask that you begin your message with these Core Message. In addition, you may include one of the eight supplemental messages.
Core Message
Thank you for adopting redistricting principles during the 2012 redistricting process. I recognize that not every county takes this crucial step, and I appreciate that our county understands and values the importance of adopting established criteria for redistricting. Please adopt the Washington County 2022 Redistricting Principles as proposed by the League of Women Voters from Woodbury, Cottage Grove Area (WCGA) and White Bear Lake Area (WBLA).
Supplemental Messages
The public has a right to know how the county commissioner lines are being revised. Ensure the process for redistricting in our county is transparent and provides the public with an opportunity to participate in the redistricting process.
Public participation in our government is crucial to the health of our democracy. Ensure the public has an opportunity to provide input to maps before they’re drawn, to review and comment on draft maps, and to provide comments in final maps before county commission approval.
The process of redrawing county commissioner district lines must be open, provide an opportunity for public input as well as review, and use objective criteria to govern the map drawing process.
As part of county redistricting, establish principles and processes to make our redistricting objective and to provide opportunities for public participation in creating new district maps.
The process for creation of county commissioner district boundaries should use objective criteria beyond legal minimum requirements to ensure the boundaries reflect the interests and voices of residents. Consider passing a council resolution or ordinance establishing criteria to be followed for creation of district boundaries and placing a priority on assuring minority representation and consideration for communities of interest.
Include consideration of communities of interest in developing new county commissioner district lines. Include input from residents on who they are, where their communities are, and their most important policy interests to ensure that important policy concerns and interests are effectively represented.
We would like the process for redrawing county commissioner district lines to include an opportunity for public participation through public input before maps are drawn, public review and comment on draft maps, and final maps that reflect public input and comments.
We would like county commissioners to create opportunities for public input before drawing maps such as a map input portal or email box on the county web site to submit maps or comments and suggestions for new maps.
Step 4 Closing:
Thank your commissioner for their support and sign or state your name.
Thank you for your support.
The LWV WCGA and LWV WBLA