Mark your calendars for the City’s next in-person District Elections workshop on Monday, August 2 at 6:00 p.m. at Goleta City Hall Council Chambers (130 Cremona Drive, Suite B). This third and final workshop will also serve as the first of four official public hearings as required by state law.
With district elections, the City of Goleta will be divided into four districts, and voters in each district will elect a City Council member who lives in their own district. The mayor will continue to be elected by voters across Goleta. Public input is a critical part of the process to draw the initial district lines. We encourage you to be a part of this special civic engagement experience and help literally shape the future of Goleta during this historic process.
The City of Goleta hosted its first in-person workshop since the onset of pandemic restrictions on June 26 at the Goleta Union School District Boardroom at 401 N. Fairview Avenue. More than 30 people turned out to learn about the City’s move to district elections and ask questions. The workshop educated the public on the process, showcased the demographics of the City, and demonstrated how to use the paper and online mapping tools to help equip community members to draw their own proposed boundaries. A recording of the June 26 meeting is available to watch here.
Another way the community can participate is by visiting the City’s district elections website, www.DrawGoleta.org, where you can learn more about the process, view a Story Map that provides interesting demographic and geographic information about Goleta, see upcoming hearing dates and deadlines, and draw and submit your own district boundary map using various paper and online tools.
Regardless of whether you choose to submit a map, we also want to hear from you on what communities of interest might exist within Goleta. A community of interest is a group of people with common interests who live close together and would benefit from being kept together in a single district. If you know of a community of interest, please email it to Goleta City Clerk Deborah Lopez at dlopez@cityofgoleta.org.
For additional questions, contact cityclerkgroup@cityofgoleta.org or call 805-961-7505.
Thank you for your interest and participation. See you on August 2nd!
Pictured: Synergy Computing, Inc CEO Scott Phillips, City of Goleta Deputy City Clerk Liana Campos, National Demographics Corporation Consultant Daniel Phillips, City of Goleta Clerk Deborah Lopez, and National Demographics Corporation Consultant Justin Levitt pose for photo outside of the GUSD boardroom following the District Elections Workshop