City Attorney Warns San Francisco Redistricting Panel It Must Approve Draft Map April 21

San Francisco's City Attorney told the city's Redistricting Task Force on Tuesday that it has to settle on a draft district map at its April 21 meeting, and that the schedule leaves no margin for further slippage.

In a legal memo, deputy city attorneys Andrew Shen, Gus Gilbert and Ana Flores wrote that the panel's decision to pass over an April 15 deadline set in the city charter exposed it to the risk of litigation. The memo was addressed to the task force, the Elections Commission and Mayor London Breed. The attorneys also noted that with district elections set for this year, the body cannot keep postponing a final map.

The task force has scheduled a meeting for April 21. Two more sessions are tentatively planned for April 25 and 28, though they had not yet appeared on its website. The memo said the schedule gives the group enough time to redraw the district lines, but added that "there is no cushion in this schedule for any further delays."

The attorneys pointed to an operational deadline of May 2, the date by which the Elections Department needs the map to prepare for the next election. To meet it, they wrote, the task force must adopt a draft map on April 21. That could be the so-called "blowup map" that resurfaced at a dramatic April 14 meeting, or a different draft.

State election law requires two additional hearings after a draft is approved before it can become a final map. As a result, the task force will be limited to minor or technical changes at its next two meetings after April 21.

Task force member Lily Ho said the group has a record of working together. "We've come close before, and 90% of our decisions have been done with unanimous consent," she said. "This is about population, not politics, and if the racist rhetoric can be left at the door, we can get it done." The redistricting debates have often turned heated across long meetings that ran into the early hours. They were marked by reports of insulting and racist language, allegations of political meddling and anger from some groups who felt community feedback was not getting enough attention.

Rev. Arnold Townsend, the task force chair, told The Standard in a text message, "I am confident we'll be able to do that."

Also on Tuesday, three plaintiffs filed a lawsuit in San Francisco Superior Court naming the task force and John Arntz, the city's Director of Elections. The complaint cites the missed April 15 deadline and asks the court to hold a hearing and adopt a final map.

Plaintiff Todd David criticized what he called the "ridiculous" politicization of the process, saying, "The only reason we are in this position is because of political bullying." He added that if the task force produces a legally compliant map on the timeline laid out by the city attorneys, he does not intend to pursue further legal action.

Jen Kwart, a spokesperson for the city attorney's office, said in an email that the office continues to advise the task force so it can finish by May 2 and meet the Department of Elections deadline for the November 2022 supervisorial elections. She said the office will review the lawsuit and respond appropriately once it is served.