RENO—The Reno City Council approved changing ward boundaries to equalize as much as possible the population in each of the City’s wards.

The Reno City Charter, Section 1.050(2)(a), requires that the boundaries of the wards be changed by ordinance, passed by a five-seventh vote of the City Council whenever the population, as determined by the last preceding national census of the Bureau of the Census of the United States Department of Commerce, in any ward exceeds the population in any other ward by more than five percent.

The 2010 Census reported a population of 41,301 for Ward 1; 49,914 for Ward 2; 43,876 for Ward 3; 47,103 for Ward 4; and 42,121 for Ward 5. After today’s approval to change the boundaries, the population by ward will be revised to 44,854 for Ward 1; 45,868 for Ward 2; 44,491 for Ward 3; 45,553 for Ward 4; and 45,046 for Ward 5.

The proposed changes were presented at the October 26, 2011 Reno City Council Meeting. Council directed staff to post the maps depicting the three proposed scenarios on the City’s website and to solicit input from interested parties.

Attached is a map reflecting the approved ward boundary changes.