The City of Watonga, meeting in a special session Thursday, agreed to redistricting the wards inside the city limits. A special session was required so that the ordinance could meet publication deadlines in time for inclusion on the election calendar, saving the city from the cost of a special election.
This action was twofold; one purpose was to fill the chronically difficult Ward 2 seat by changing that district line to include more permanent housing over rental properties, and purpose two was to more evenly spread the number of residents inside each district. The population inside Ward 2 had declined significantly since the last census.
“We just want to even it out and make it a little more equitable,” said council member Travis Bradt.
“Well, we have to even it out,” replied city attorney Jared Harrison. “It’s not an option.”
The numbers were spotlighted in the recently published U.S. Census. Previously, Ward 1 had 520 residents; it now shows 673. Ward 2 previously had 716 residents, now there are also 673. Over in Ward 3, there used to be 734 residents, whereas now there are 674, and Ward 4 had previously boasted 720 residents, and now sports 670. The new numbers reflect the redrawn ward boundaries.
The population of Watonga was 5,111 at the 2010 census, which included the population housed at Diamondback Correctional Center. In the most recent census, the population had dropped to 2,526, with the lions’ share of the decline also due to the prison being shut down.
The new ward lines were put in place with the help of Northwestern Oklahoma Development Authority. Those lines are guided by numbers generated through the census.
“We don’t get to put the lines exactly where we want them, “ said Mayor Bill Seitter.
The next step for the redistricting will be a public hearing held in January immediately before the city council meeting. That will allow residents to talk about the change, protest or object to the plan.
The city is trying to hit the April election cycle, so that the costs of the election can be shared with other entities who already have an election scheduled. That would include the board of education general elections.