Council Resolution for Cities & Town Councils

For cities with a city council or a board of alderman, or for towns with a town council, getting a resolution passed is a different process, and does vary between municipalities. 

Your job will be to first contact a city councilor or alderman, to see what the process is for your particular municipality.   The councilor can advise you what to do first, customize the language of the resolution, and the best advice to get it passed. 

  • A councilor or alderman must first "introduce" the bill  (you may or may not be able to speak to the resolution at that time)
  • The bill will likely be assigned to a committee (you will likely be able to speak to the resolution at that time)
  • The committee may amend it, kill it, or vote to move it forward to the full city council.
  • When and if it reaches the full council, you will likely be able to speak in support of the resolution at that time. 
  • The council votes it up or down, or could amend it further.

The process in cities may take a few months to move forward, so you will need to be patient.  Cities are grappling with important COVID, homelessness, hunger and other human services issues in the coming year, and may not have the bandwidth to bring it up expediently.

Sample text is below, but also in this Google Document

Sample Redistricting Resolution 

for Cities with a City Council or Board of Aldermen

Or for Towns using a Town Council form of Government


Resolution No. XXXX

 

City of _____________________________________

In the year of our Lord two thousand and twenty one

RESOLUTION:   

To adopt a RESOLUTION FOR NONPARTISAN FAIR REDISTRICTING

 

The City of ________________________________ resolves as follows:

 

WHEREAS,  the U.S. Census will be completed in 2021; and

WHEREAS, the New Hampshire General Court is obligated to redraw the maps of political districts within the state for state and federal elected positions; and

WHEREAS, the City of __________________________ is obligated redistrict the voting wards for elected positions within the City of ________________________; and

WHEREAS, the NH General Court conducted the 2010 census redistricting in secret; and 

WHEREAS, the public was not able to view the proposed redistricting maps at public hearings in 2010, and additional maps created by the public were ignored; and 

WHEREAS, 2010 proposed redistricting maps were created to benefit one political party over another

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of ________________ that :

  1.   Redistricting shall be fair, nonpartisan,  and ensure effective representation;  and
  2.   Voting maps shall not by gerrymandered to favor a political party or candidate;  and
  3.   Communities of interest shall be considered when redistricting;  and
  4.   The process of redistricting shall be transparent and open to public input at all stages; and
  5.   The City of ______________________ shall call upon its elected state legislators, in writing, to uphold these fair redistricting principles for state election districts, and; 
  6.   The City of ______________________ shall also adhere to these fair redistricting principles when creating city redistricting maps. 
  7.   This resolution shall take effect upon its passage.

Adopted in City Council on this date:


 

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