A “community of interest” is a population that shares common social or economic interests that should be included within a single supervisorial district for purposes of its effective and fair representation. Communities of interest do not include relationships with political parties, incumbents, or political candidates.
When the County creates new districts and redraws current districts, it must follow certain guidelines. One of the guidelines is to learn about communities within the County and to keep communities together in the new districts when possible.
Through our mapping tool, you can make sure the County knows about your community by telling us what is important to you, drawing your community on a map, and submitting your community directly to the County.
The following are some commonly used examples of potential shared geographic, social, and economic characteristics (compiled from various sources – listed in no particular order of significance). This list does not purport to be all‐inclusive and may inadvertently omit some very valid communities of interest:
Political & Geographic
- Urban and rural interests
- Housing patterns and living conditions (urban, suburban, rural)
- Cultural, religious, and language characteristics
- Communication and transportation networks
- Transportation hubs / centers
- Redevelopment areas
- School districts / attendance areas
- Congressional or State legislative districts
SocioEconomic
- Income levels
- Educational backgrounds
- Age demographics, household size / family size
- Group quarters, housing owners vs. renters
- Policy issues (concerns about crime, education, etc.)
- Employment and economic patterns (How are community residents employed? What is the economic base of the community?)
- Health and environmental conditions
- Work opportunities
Cultural
- Social interests
- Community centers
- Parks / dog parks
- Media markets
- Occupations and lifestyles
Visit the Community Mapping tool by clicking here.
Everyone who lives in Calaveras County is invited to participate!