League of Women Voters tells Struthers council the city must redraw wards to meet population-equality rules

Struthers City Council heard a presentation from the League of Women Voters of Greater Youngstown and a GIS consultant who said the city’s ward boundaries do not meet population-equality standards and should be reapportioned.

"One of the things that is most important to the League of Women Voters is that we defend democracy and empower voters," said Lisa Lee Cooler, president of the League of Women Voters of Greater Youngstown, introducing the League’s project. Trevor Martin, program coordinator for the League, told the council that some Ohio municipalities have not redrawn wards in decades and urged public participation in the process.

Martin explained that total population — not registered voters or other measures — is the constitutional baseline for local ward maps because of the one-person, one-vote principle under the Fourteenth Amendment. He cited Ohio Revised Code section 73,106 and Supreme Court precedents (including Baker v. Carr) and said jurisdictions typically aim to keep deviations between the largest and smallest wards small (the League mentioned a commonly used guideline near 10 percent).

A consultant introduced as Pralich of GIS Man Development described practical steps: census shape files provide block-level population counts, mapping tools (Esri, Maptitude or the free Davis Redistricting App) let map-drawers shift census blocks among wards, and it is often possible to produce multiple draft maps that closely equalize population without moving many people out of their current ward.

Council members and residents asked how ward moves affect local relationships and voting locations; presenters said the goal is to minimize disruption while achieving legal compliance and recommended public mapping sessions to collect feedback before an ordinance is adopted. Martin and the consultant emphasized preparing both maps and the boundary descriptions required for ordinance text and Board of Elections submission.

The League and consultant cited timing constraints: maps must be approved by council and delivered to the board of elections well in advance of the May primary (presenters stated the legal timetable as 150 days before the primary, which places an internal target of Dec. 5). The consultant said he would prepare draft maps and graphs within a week or two for council review.

Next steps: the council weighed public outreach options — posting maps online, holding public hearings during legislative readings, or scheduling dedicated mapping sessions — and planned to consider draft maps and ordinance language in upcoming meetings. The presenters offered to assist with public education and with drafting the boundary descriptions needed for the ordinance.