Council Lines Get New Look Once Again : Redistricting: Newest map returns ‘historic boundaries.’ Unlike previous efforts, 8-to-1 decision takes less than one hour.

Capping a fractious three-year battle that sparked lawsuits and plucked an elected official from office, the San Diego City Council agreed in less than one hour Friday to redraw the city’s boundaries to more accurately reflect recent population gains and guarantee greater minority representation.

By an 8-1 vote, with Councilman Bob Filner opposed, the normally cantankerous council signed off on Councilman Ron Roberts’ plan to add Latino representation to Filner’s district while giving Roberts most of downtown as a means to even out the population disparity between the two districts.

“This takes us back to the historic boundaries we had before our prior redistricting,” a smiling Roberts said after the vote. “Any time you get an 8-to-1 vote on this council, it’s a miracle.”

Although many of the other changes were minor, some were not, most notably moving Scripps Ranch and Mira Mesa back into the 5th District.

Former Councilwoman Linda Bernhardt’s willingness to jettison those communities out of that district after voters who lived there helped put her in office contributed to her recall last month.

In addition, Councilwoman Abbe Wolfsheimer reluctantly allowed the San Pasqual Valley to be moved out of her district and into that of Tom Behr--Bernhardt’s replacement--when it became clear that the other council members were unwilling to support her efforts to save her turf.

“I will be voting yes, because obviously there is no other way out, right?” a despondent Wolfsheimer said after offering a last-minute amendment that would have allowed her to keep the far northeast area in which she had helped create a regional park.

“I think that everybody realizes that it’s a compromise,” Mayor Maureen O’Connor said, “and in the spirit of cooperation and consensus, we appreciate that.”

Her voice tinged with bitterness, Wolfsheimer retorted: “Well, compromises aren’t really consensus, but we do deal with them here, don’t we?”

“Life is a compromise,” said O’Connor, before she and five council members voted down Wolfsheimer’s amendment.

Redistricting was first made necessary by settlement last year of a 1988 lawsuit between the city and the Chicano Federation of San Diego County that required Latinos be made a majority in Filner’s district. Then, new population figures showed glaring populations differences that had to be modified under federal law.

In order to make sure that the new boundaries would be enacted before the September primaries, the council had to approve the new redistricting map Friday, according to the city clerk’s interpretation of election laws.

Last July, the council approved a redistricting plan, approved by a five-member council majority, that Chicano Federation attorneys said did too little to enhance minority political clout.

Threatened by a federal judge’s order late last year that council members testify in court about their part in drafting the plan, the council agreed to refashion the districts to add Latino representation to Filner’s area.

A federal court approved the existing boundaries, but new census figures contrasted sharply with previous population estimates developed by the San Diego Assn. of Governments. The disparity between Filner’s and Roberts’ districts varied by nearly 23%, more than double the percentage allowed under federal guidelines.

The council went back to work and came up with Friday’s plan, which will be up for a second and final vote May 20. Nothing is expected to change on that date, and the ordinance allowing the redistricting to occur is expected to be enacted by June 20.

Friday’s discussion turned on just how downtown San Diego would be divided. Filner had fought initially to keep his district intact and on Friday, discussed the implications of losing much of downtown to Roberts.

Roberts’ district, Filner said “is not devoid of influential communities and (this plan) adds one other. That becomes, within the context of politics, far more powerful than (my district) will be and if that’s the will of the council, so be it. I can’t agree to that.”

But realizing he had little support for his own redistricting plan, Filner suggested a compromise--that two downtown tracts be transferred from his district to Roberts’.

Nobody sided with Filner, however, and his was the lone vote against Roberts’ proposal.

During the meeting, Filner argued that his plan gave Latinos the highest percentage in his district than any of the other proposals, which in turn would enable them to some day gain a seat on the council.

His proposal, Filner argued, would guarantee that whomever represented his district, “whether that person be Anglo, Hispanic, Asian or African-American (would have) a place in the discussions and debates on the major issues of the city. That’s what empowerment means.”

O’Connor said Filner was a little late with his proposal.

“What Mr. Filner is trying to show is that he cares about the Hispanic community and I think that’s nice,” she said. “I’m sorry it didn’t start (from) the beginning” of the redistricting process begun last year.

Other changes enacted under the redistricting plan include: Clairemont being placed entirely in Councilman Bruce Henderson’s district, rather than split between Henderson’s and Behr’s; Pacific Beach, rather than being split into four districts, was placed in Henderson’s and Roberts’ districts; Behr’s and Henderson’s districts, in essence were reversed, meaning that Rancho Bernardo, Scripps Ranch and Mira Mesa fall under Behr and Mission Valley, Serra Mesa and Kearny Mesa go to Henderson.

Most of the council agreed that not everyone was completely satisfied with the outcome but they also marveled at their new-found spirit of cooperation.

“I know that probably everybody sitting here, if they could draw their own map, would draw it differently because they all have pet projects and things they are going to lose,” Councilwoman Judy McCarty said. “I think it is worthy to point out that we are seeking a consensus and learning to work together.”