Redistricting could increase the population inequalities between Saint Joseph City Council Districts.

After a census the boundaries are redrawn to comply with a city charter provision that districts be “substantially equal.” If the five districts were perfectly equal, each would hold 20 percent of the city’s population.

City Manager Bruce Woody says Councilmembers had to define “substantially equal.” Complicating the issue is a request from County Clerk Mary Garvey to reduce the number of split precincts, precincts that straddle district borders. Right now there are three.

Woody came back with a plan including one split precinct and a 2 percent range between high and low districts. The current range is 4.9 percent. The Council decided to remove all split precincts, even though that will increase the range of inequalities to 5.4 percent. A final plan will probably come before the Council in October.