Ward 8, Ward 9 To Expand Under Redistricting

Tuesday afternoon, Minneapolis' Charter Commission approved a new set of maps that will set the boundaries of local politics for the next ten years.

Using data from the 2010 Census, the commission formulated a series of working drafts over the course of February and March, trying to balance the interests of different minority communities. 

As the Star-Tribune reports, many aspects of the new map and the redistricting process upset open government and minority rights advocates.

In Southwest Minneapolis, though, changes to Ward boundaries were fairly limited. Betsy Hodges' Ward 13, covering much of the area between the lakes and the city border, remained largely unchanged. Elizabeth Glidden's Ward 8 expanded to envelop the remainder of Kingfield—currently covered by John Quincy's Ward 11—and Lyndale, currently covered by Meg Tuthill's Ward 10. Ward 11 expanded eastwards, and Ward 10 crept northwards to compensate for the changes.

Ward 10 also expanded to include all of Lakewood Cemetery, previously split between Wards 10 and 13.