After each decennial Census, a city has to review its council boundaries and adjust them so district populations stay substantially equal. Uneven growth had left Millcreek's four council districts out of balance. The 2020 Census put the city at 63,380 residents. That gives an ideal population of 15,845 per district and an acceptable range of 15,211 to 16,479 at a ±4% standard. The Utah Independent Redistricting Commission (UIRC) does not govern Millcreek. City Code does require four districts of substantially equal population, and Utah Code §10-3-205.5 required the adjustment within six months of the Legislature finishing its own redistricting. COVID-related Census delays and the state's adoption of new maps in November 2021 left even less time.
Six alternatives, narrowed to three public proposals
Redistricting was contentious across Utah at the time. Several municipalities had drawn criticism for changing boundaries with little public involvement. The City Council and City Leadership wanted a more open process. I developed six initial alternatives. Each followed UIRC-style principles: contiguous and reasonably compact districts, recognizable natural or constructed boundaries, preserved communities of interest, and the cores of existing districts kept where possible. I then met one-on-one with the mayor and all four council members to go through the population balance and the changes each map would make to their district. That review narrowed the field to three public proposals. Each was published with the same population measures so residents could compare them on equal terms.
The StoryMap became the public front door
Each proposal fed into one workflow built on ArcGIS StoryMaps, Experience Builder, and Survey123. The StoryMap had four parts: a short overview of why redistricting was required, swipe comparisons of the historic boundary against each proposal, an embedded Experience Builder with Census blocks and proposal layers with full pop-ups and layer controls, and a Survey123 link with a QR code for feedback. It also listed the open-house and City Council meeting schedule.
Public feedback did more than pick a favorite
The survey drew 177 responses, 184 proposal-specific comment entries, and written comments from 99 respondents. It showed a preferred option, and it raised a specific community concern. The historic boundary split the Mt. Olympus community between Districts 3 and 4. Staff and elected officials had not treated that as something to change, because the districts were drawn that way on purpose in 2016. Proposal 3 had already moved that boundary to reunite the community while keeping the population balance. The feedback did not produce new proposals. It made the community-level effects of the existing alternatives clear, and it made the case for Proposal 3.
The adopted map balanced population and community
The City Council adopted the final district map on May 9, 2022. All four districts landed within the population range. The Mt. Olympus community was reunited. The adopted boundaries were aligned to Salt Lake County voting precinct geography and added to the GIS data used for elections. GIS made the alternatives visible and measurable. Public participation made the final map better.
Full stack: ArcGIS Pro, ArcGIS Online, ArcGIS StoryMaps, Experience Builder, and Survey123. View the public StoryMap, the Survey123 feedback form, or the adopted map on millcreekut.gov.