Engage Champaign Website Created to Enhance Public Engagement Opportunities
As a result of population growth captured in the 2020 U.S. Census, the Champaign City Council is considering adjusting the boundaries of the City Council Districts in order to balance the city’s population across the five districts. Members of the public are invited to participate in the redistricting process by submitting redistricting map proposals through the City’s new public engagement website – engagechampaign.org. Redistricting proposals will be accepted through July 19, 2023.
Through the Engage Champaign website, members of the public can review detailed information about the redistricting process then create and submit redistricting map proposals. Engage Champaign provides access to a mapping tool which allows residents to adjust district boundaries and instantly see the resulting changes to population and demographics.
U.S. Census data shows Champaign’s population grew nearly 9% from 2010 to 2020; increasing from 81,055 to 88,302 residents. Illinois law requires that adjustments to the district boundaries be completed prior to the filing deadline of the next district election cycle, which is November 2024 for the April 2025 election. The City of Champaign is working well in advance of that deadline, and it is anticipated the City Council will approve changes to the Council district boundaries later this year.
The new Engage Champaign website was developed to provide an enhanced, centralized platform to gather public input and increase engagement with Champaign’s residents concerning City projects, services, and initiatives. New opportunities for public input and engagement will be posted on the website on a regular basis. Engage Champaign will provide a number of useful digital engagement tools, including customizable surveys, polls, rankings, questions and answers, interactive maps, and other tools. Residents are encouraged to visit the website frequently and to share their valued feedback on City business. Please visit engagechampaign.org to explore the variety of public engagement opportunities currently available.