Clovis residents have an exciting opportunity to draw the future of our city. After more than a century of at-large elections, the Clovis City Council is transitioning to districts, and the City is now accepting community submissions for its first official district map.
The City of Clovis is inviting all residents to submit their own district map for consideration and has just unveiled several new map-drawing tools for all skill levels, from simple and printable map-drawing forms in multiple languages to an innovative online application that makes drawing districts as easy as a click. The City of Clovis is also taking a close look at communities of interest and will be the first city to use a new map-drawing form for residents to outline what they see as the boundaries of their neighborhood or areas of interest that they believe should be kept together as the City’s district lines are drawn.
Another first, the Clovis City Council is considering the possibility of having a citizen-elected mayor and is looking for public input. Historically, the mayor of Clovis has been a sitting Councilmember appointed to the position by a vote of the five-member Council. The transition to districts, however, has presented a new question, and the Clovis City Council would like the community to weigh in – should there be five districts with a Council-appointed mayor or four districts with an at-large elected mayor? Map-drawing tools are available for both scenarios on the City’s website, and residents have a number of upcoming opportunities to get involved and share their thoughts.
The Clovis City Council recently held the first two of five public hearings to gather input on the composition of potential election districts and will soon hold a Community Map-Drawing Workshop on Thursday, January 9, 2025, at 6:00 PM at the Clovis Transit Center, located at 785 Third Street next to the new Clovis Senior Activity Center. This workshop invites all members of the community to learn how to use the available map-drawing tools and submit their maps for consideration by the Council. The three remaining public hearings are set to be held during regularly scheduled Council Meetings between late January and early March, and the community is invited to give public comment. Additionally, the City has created a new online feedback form and email address for citizens to provide their input. These resources, along with all map-drawing tools, instructions, the public hearing schedule, and more, can be found on the City’s website at cityofclovis.com/districts.
The Clovis City Council will be considering submitted maps during the upcoming public hearings, and residents are encouraged to submit their maps 10 days prior to each hearing for online publication and official consideration during the subsequent hearing. The final deadline for map submissions is February 21, 2025, and the Council is expected to select the final map during the March 4, 2025 Council Meeting. Once official, the Clovis district map will be used for future municipal elections. The district map may also be adjusted after the Census cycle.
