WARREN — The city’s seven-ward map has not been touched since the early 1990s. This week, council members began talks on new ward boundaries.

The Legislative Committee opened discussion on the required redistricting as Warren City Council is required to adopt new ward boundaries by Oct. 5 under state law, which is 150 days before the March 4, 2027, municipal primary.

Greg Thumm, D-at Large and committee chair, said during the meeting, “Warren has not undertaken a comprehensive redistricting of its seven wards in approximately 32 years. Our current ward map was last updated in the early 1990s based on data from the 1990 U.S. Census. These changes have led to imbalances in ward populations, which could raise concerns about fair representation in compliance with the principle of one person, one vote.”

The committee agreed that the process must be open. Thumm outlined what that could look like with public hearings in each ward, a possible bipartisan subcommittee and professional mapping help.

“This becomes more of an educational campaign than it does a pitting-against-wards campaign,” he said.

Council members clarified the meeting was not about shrinking the number of wards, cutting representation, or handing power to anyone else. It is about redrawing lines so each council member represents roughly the same number of people.

Law Director Enzo Cantalamessa said, “It’s not an optional process at this point. It is mandated. … If the legislative authority fails to make such subdivision within the time required, it shall be made by the director of public service.”

Cantalamessa suggested modeling public meetings after the city’s earlier ARP ward meetings.

Council can draw the new map itself, or the administration will do it for them. Council members said they would rather do it themselves.

Trevor Martin, a representative with of League of Women Voters of Ohio, gave public comment during the meeting and offered the organization’s assistance.

He told council that the League has helped facilitate public town-hall meetings and interactive map drawing sessions in places like Cleveland and Nelsonville and offered to do the same in Warren.

Martin said that federal law requires wards to be drawn on the total population including children, noncitizens and nonvoters to protect minority voting strength.

Helen Rucker, D-at Large, who helped draw the current map in the early 1990s described how the city has changed since those lines were drawn up.

“We’ve lost voting locations, polling places … and it’s harder and harder for our people to go because they have to go further and further. … We’re not just throwing out numbers. We’re talking about people here and how it’s going to go for the next 10 years. … I am not in a position to dilute the minority vote.”

She spoke about seniors who no longer have transportation, low-income neighborhoods that have become more transient, and the daily reality that ward lines decide how far someone has to travel to vote.

Honeya Price, D-6th Ward, said she wanted council patience to be patient in the matter.

“If it takes six months, it takes six months. I want to make sure we’re doing the right thing for our people, for my grandkids and their kids.”

Ron White, D-7th Ward, spoke to what he said he hears from residents. “People are afraid of redistricting … they don’t feel that they’re going to get the proper representation. … They don’t want to feel that they’re not going to get represented because of where they’re at.”

Michael O’Brien, D-at Large, who has lived through two previous redistrictings said, “The key is population, not voters. The key is population. … Communication is the key here.”

Several members questioned the 2020 U.S. Census numbers themselves.

Rucker and Michael Shrodek, D-5th Ward, both pointed to how COVID impacted things, pointing out that some residents refused to open their doors.