South Bellevue residents could see a shift in their representation on the King County Council next year, when district lines are redrawn.
Currently, much of Bellevue, along with Redmond, Kirkland and Mercer Island, lies within the 6th district – represented by Council Member Jane Hague. The county this week released four redistricting options that have the potential to either add or subtract south Bellevue residents from the 6th district into the 9th, which is represented by Reagan Dunn.
As it stands, 93,188 Bellevue residents reside with District 6, with another 28,852 in District 9, and a small group of 294 residents in District 3, represented by Kathy Lambert. Depending on which plan is chosen, Bellevue’s population will shift slightly, with the numbers within district shift as high as 101,000 or as low as 89,000.
As was the case previously, some neighbors in Bellevue will be represented by different council members.
Plans call for a variety of dividers between the two primary districts that represent Bellevue. Two of them use Interstate 90, while others use city streets. The variety in plans represents the balancing act the Redistricting Committee has to undergo in reorganizing the county following the population figures from the last census.
Those pieces could include such options as Issaquah joining Bellevue in District 6, or Mercer Island being group into a Seattle district to accommodate extra population.
Committee staffer Simon Farretta said this data represents the first draft in a sense. The next step is to receive comment from the public at a number of meetings. A meeting in Bellevue will be held Thursday at 6:30 p.m.. The comments will help shape the committee’s final draft, which is due out in January 2012.
For more information, statistics and maps, visit the county districting website: http://www.kingcounty.gov/operations/districting.aspx
The four options
Option 1 – Bellevue remains in three districts. Districts 6 and 9 are divided by I-90. South Bellevue residents will share District 9 with south Issaquah, Newcastle, and parts of Kent. A total of 89,663 Bellevue residents in District 6 (73 percent of Bellevue’s population); 32,119 residents in District 9 (26 percent of city population); 552 residents in District 3.
Option 2 – Western portion of Bellevue south of I-90 resides in District 9. Boundary line curves throughout the area, but 150th Avenue Southeast represents the primary dividing line. Issaquah shares District 6 with much of Bellevue. Mercer Island moves to a Seattle district. A total of 94,142 Bellevue residents in District 6 (77 percent of the population); 28,192 residents Bellevue residents in District 9 (23 percent of local population).
Option 3 – Western portion of Bellevue south of I-90 resides in District 9. Boundary line sits further west. Line begins at 140th Avenue Southeast before turning east on Allen Road, and then south on 146th Avenue Southeast. A total of 101,691 Bellevue residents in District 6 (83 percent of population); 20,643 Bellevue residents in District 9 (17 percent of population).
Option 4 – Like Option 1, this plan places all Bellevue residents south of I-90 into the 9th District. District 6 features a greater percentage of Redmond and Kirkland residents. A total of 90,215 Bellevue residents in District 6 (74 percent of Bellevue’s population); 32,119 Bellevue residents in District 9 (26 percent of the population).
Nat Levy can be reached at 425-453-4290.
