(Beaver Dam) The Beaver Dam Common Council Monday night approved a ward plan as part of the nationwide redistricting process with the 2020 Census, and there are going to be changes.
The city will continue to have 14 alderpersons, but those lines will look different and one current elected official will be drawn out of the newly redrawn aldermanic lines and one current elected official will be drawn out of the newly redrawn aldermanic lines.
Ward Two Alderperson Therese Henriksen will have to run against Ward Four Alderman Chris Olson in the spring to stay on the council. There are currently 14 wards in Beaver Dam.
Once finalized, the 14 wards will be called districts. To be able to conform with county board supervisory districts, Beaver Dam is creating 24 wards that would evenly fit inside the supervisory districts.
Director of Administration Zak Bloom says city wards should have been more closely aligned with county supervisory districts with the 2010 census but were not.
Bloom says city officials will develop a plan to make ward and district changes more easily understood by voters.
The population in the city of Beaver Dam increased by 494 residents since the 2010 Census – which at the time was 16,214. The county has to publish a “notice of election” by the fourth Tuesday in November.
