The City is taking steps to ensure more equitable populations in the city’s five wards, each of which is represented by a member of the Bartlesville City Council.
In February, the City Council heard a report on proposed ward boundary changes and directed City staff to notify the public of plans to update the ward maps. The council is expected to consider final adoption of an ordinance outlining the new boundaries during its meeting on April 3.
State law requires that governing bodies review their ward boundaries following every federal census and change the boundaries or number of wards to ensure that:
- All wards are formed of compact and contiguous territory
- All wards are substantially equal in population
- To the extent practicable, precincts established by a county election board shall not be subdivided
Changes are needed due to recent and continued predicted growth in the city’s Ward 2, located in southeast Bartlesville, and declining populations in Ward 4, located in the northern and northwestern areas of the city.
Ward 2 currently has the highest population and is 10.6 percent above the optimal population, according to the City’s Community Development Department. Additionally, the ward is expected to be a high growth area in the future with recent infill residential development and no natural features restricting growth on the vacant land to the south and east.
On the flip side, Ward 4 currently has the smallest population and is 4 percent below the optimal population. This ward is the least likely to grow, City staff say, due to being already developed and floodplain areas that further restrict room for expansion.
In addition to righting population imbalances, Community Development Department staff say they attempted to ensure that wards are compact and contiguous, as required by state law, and that they reflect communities of interest, giving consideration to groups of people in a geographical area who have common social, physical, or economic interests. An effort was also made to achieve alignment with the Washington County voting precincts.
View the existing and proposed ward boundary maps here:
Existing Bartlesville Council Boundary Map
Proposed Bartlesville Council Boundary Map
For more information or to speak with someone about the proposed wards, contact Community Development Director Larry Curtis at lrcurtis@cityofbartlesville.org or 918.338.4237.
Note: The proposed boundaries as presented are subject to change between now and final approval.