Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson wants to return U-C Davis Medical Center to the city's fifth city council district.
The council districts were redrawn in 2011 by some council members who ignored the options presented by a citizen's redistricting committee.
Hundreds of people from Oak Park rallied in September of that year against the redistricting plan -to no avail.
Michael Boyd with the Oak Park Neighborhood Association says the hospital has always been the "crown jewel" of a poor area.
"I think you have to put it into a historical context and it -in large part- was symbolic," says Boyd. "It felt like other forces were saying, 'We can and we will take what we want from Oak Park.' Oak Park has been a relatively disadvantaged neighborhood for decades."
Mayor Johnson was born and raised in Oak Park.
City Principal Planner Scott Mende says the Mayor's plan would return the hospital and surrounding areas to District 5 -where they had been for decades.
"It would also include Louie's and Jack-in-the-Box. It would essentially would extend from Stockton Boulevard where it is now along V Street to 49th Street to Broadway. So that polygon would be extended to District 5."
None of the six council members who voted for the new district boundaries in 2011 will still be in office December 16th when the idea is put up for a vote.
This includes District 6 Councilman Kevin McCarty, who was instrumental in the change, and who is moving on to the State Assembly.
His seat will be vacant until voters pick a new council member in a special election next April.
City Of Sacramento Districts by Capital Public Radio
Follow us for more stories like this
CapRadio provides a trusted source of news because of you. As a nonprofit organization, donations from people like you sustain the journalism that allows us to discover stories that are important to our audience. If you believe in what we do and support our mission, please donate today.
Donate Today
