Council Expansion and District Elections Put On the July 12 Council Agenda

On July 5, Irvine Councilmembers Larry Agran and Tammy Kim asked that the City Council discuss a transition to district elections and an expansion of the City Council to seven members.

District elections will divide the City into equally-sized zones of the City and require Councilmembers to live in the area they represent.

Suppose the City adopted these proposals, in which the Mayor would be elected by the whole City (“at-large”) and assign one Councilmember each to six districts. In that case, there will be one Councilmember representing around 51,000 residents. That would increase Irvine residents’ representation to levels other Orange County cities enjoy.

Representation of Mid-Sized Southern California Cities

Population data obtained from the 2020 U.S. Census.

After the City Council discusses these proposals, they could put them on the November 8, 2022 ballot for a public vote. If residents vote on these proposals and approve them, they could take effect in 2024.

Email LarryAgran@cityofirvine.org if you have questions, and review the July 12 City Council agenda to share your thoughts on these proposals.