Sedona City Council members opted not to choose a preferred redistricting alternative when it comes to Yavapai County’s shift to five supervisory districts, at least not yet.

During their Tuesday, July 12, regular meeting, Sedona City Council members tabled a decision on the redistricting alternatives for their next meeting Tuesday, July 26. Council members hope to coordinate their decision with members of the Big Park Regional Coordinating Council, in the Village of Oak Creek, before settling on a preferred alternative. There are currently four alternatives, called Maps A through D, available for public comment.

Yavapai County supervisors will choose their preferred new district map during a special board meeting planned for Monday, Aug. 22. Public comment on the maps will be accepted through July, said Sedona City Manager Tim Ernster.

“The county is going through a process now of making presentations on the four alternatives that are under consideration. They will be receiving input from the public until the end of July,” Ernster said.

A number of council members said they currently favor Map C. Councilman Mike Ward said he is in favor of two districts for the Verde Valley.

“Which means the Verde Valley has to be split as opposed to segregating one community out as a minority member of another [district],” Ward said. “Maps C and D are certainly the two I would consider. I would probably lean toward Map C.”

Map C keeps the Cottonwood and Clarkdale areas in District 3 and places Sedona and Camp Verde in a new District 5. The redrawn district maps are the result of increased population numbers resulting from the 2010 Census. Those recent census numbers showed a 26 percent increase in Yavapai County between the 2000 Census and the 2010 Census, leading to the need for redistricting and a shift to five county supervisors.

Jack Fields, deputy county attorney for Yavapai County, was present for the July 12 council meeting. He provided comment cards for those in attendance for the meeting. While District 3 Supervisor Chip Davis said he supports redistricting Map C, the remaining supervisors have not endorsed a specific map, Fields said.

“After each census the counties are redrawn,” Fields said. “We’re required by federal law to redraw the supervisory districts in order to equalize population.”

The population for the Verde Valley, he said, came in at approximately 65,000 individuals.

“Each of the five districts, based on population, need to be about 45,000 people in size,” Fields said. “If you do the numbers, you’re looking at the Verde Valley having more people than one district, but less people than two districts. It’s about one and a half, so one of the issues that we’ve been gathering a lot of information on includes how we carve up the Verde Valley.”

A public open house will be held at 690 Bell Rock Blvd., from 4 to 6 p.m., Tuesday, July 19.