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Philadelphia City Council Begins Listening To Public About Redistricting

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Philadelphia City Council begins listening to the public on the thorny issue of re-drawing council's district boundaries.

Tuesday, city council's chamber is the site of this first hearing on redistricting. The map must be redrawn based on the results of the 2010 census, which found growing numbers of residents in the eastern portion of the city.

Political reforms view the effort though as more than that, they see it as an opportunity to make the district boundaries less gerrymandered. The redistricting done in 2001 results in hugely carved up boundaries, with one district, the seventh, considered the most gerrymandered legislative district in the country.

At least two other public hearings on this will be held in neighborhoods, and the theoretical deadline for Council to finish is September 9th. The city charter mandates that missing that deadline will result in council members having their paychecks held back.

Reported by Mike Dunn, KYW Newsradio 1060

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