Merced councilman could have district to himself

Depending on which of the two northern districts maps are picked by Merced City Council next month, one councilman has the potential of not sharing a district – and he designed the map.

Councilman Michael Belluomini drew the map that bears his name, which puts him alone in a district while the other members would share districts with at least one other person, according to a report from the National Demographics Corp., the consultant aiding the city with the move to districts.

When asked Thursday, Belluomini brushed off any idea that he did it on purpose or that it was a play to get re-elected. He said he drew the maps using “natural borders” such as Black Rascal Creek and Highway 99. He said he also used major roads such as M Street as borders, because they don’t break up neighborhoods.

“When I drew my map, I didn’t give any consideration to where councilmen lived, including myself,” he said. “I mean, I’ve always pretty much thought of myself as a one-term councilman.”

Though he wouldn’t rule it out entirely, Belluomini said he doesn’t intend to run for re-election. He pointed to his age as one factor, noting he’d be 68 if he ran again.

Belluomini lives near Rambler Road close to the district borders where the two northern options differ. On the other map option, drawn by the consulting firm, he’d share a district with three other sitting councilmen. Two of them will reach term limits next year, and the other could run for re-election.

Belluomini said the move to districts is important.

“There were a number of people that submitted maps, and I was one of them,” he said. “And, it was because I think that it was very important to try and get it right.”

Exactly who might have to face off in a future election is yet to be determined depending on how the maps shake out and who runs for re-election.

The Independent Districting Advisory Committee has endorsed four options for city maps, two dividing north Merced in different ways and two dividing south Merced. The City Council will have the option to choose either of the maps for each half of the city.

The committee recommended the map drawn by Belluomini as one option because it attempted to use those natural borders, said committee member See Lee. The map accounts for neighborhoods that share interests.

When the districts go into effect, the districts will come up for election on different cycles. The committee recommended to the council that two south Merced districts and one north district go up for election in November 2016.

That year will be a presidential election cycle, when voter turnout peaks.

The City Council will get its first public look at the maps Oct. 5. Lee said the city needed more time to advertise for public comment, which is part of the agreement with the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit.

The nonprofit spurred the move to districts with a threatened lawsuit. Voters made the move official during the November 2014 election.

Mike Conway, Merced city spokesman, confirmed the presentation was rescheduled from this month to October. He said the city is working on translating its call for public input into Spanish and Hmong for advertisements.

This story was originally published September 17, 2015 at 7:20 PM with the headline "Merced councilman could have district to himself."