I wrote yesterday about the city council districting proposal, Charter Amendment 19, which passed with a wide margin and will fundamentally change the way we elect the city council, starting in 2015.

One question that's come up for lots of people is how, exactly, the boundaries are to be changed, which the amendment dictates should happen after every US census. That means the first real opportunity to change the district boundaries comes after the 2020 census. So let's take a quick look at the language governing the eventual Districting Commission, huh?

The important points:

• The deadline to form that first commission is October 31, 2022.

• The commission will have five members. Two are appointed by the mayor, two are appointed by a two-thirds vote of the city council, and a fifth member is appointed by majority vote of the first four members. The amendment's language bars anyone from serving on the commission "who is an elected official (except precinct committee officer), a registered lobbyist, a candidate for elective office, or a City employee."

• The commission then appoints a "districting master" who, the amendment language states, "shall be qualified by education, training and experience to draw a districting plan." If they can't agree on someone, the mayor appoints the districting master.

• Public forums on the new district plan have to be held in each existing council district.

• District boundaries should be drawn to create "compact and contiguous districts" and the populations of the largest and smallest districts must be within 1 percent of each other. Boundaries should follow, "to the extent practical," existing district boundaries, the city's geography, and the city's neighborhoods.

• After the commission drafts, makes public, approves by majority vote, and files a plan with the city clerk, "the plan shall become effective upon filing and cannot be amended by the City Council except to correct data errors upon request by the districting Commission."

Them's the basics. Wonk harder with the full text of the redistricting commission language after the jump!

Section 4. A new Subdivision D is added to the City Charter, Article IV, Section 2, as follows:

ARTICLE IV. Legislative Department.
Sec. 2. Subdivision D. COUNCIL REDISTRICTING:

(1) By October 31, 2022, and of each tenth year thereafter, a five-member Districting Commission shall be appointed. The Mayor shall appoint two members, and by a two-thirds vote the City Council shall appoint two members. The fifth member shall be appointed by majority vote of the first four members. The Commission shall elect a chair from among its members. No person may serve on the Commission who is an elected official (except precinct committee officer), a registered lobbyist, a candidate for elective office, or a City employee.

(2) The Districting Commission shall no later than two months after appointment, or November 30, whichever occurs first, appoint a districting master who shall be qualified by education, training and experience to draw a districting plan. If the Commission is unable to agree upon the appointment of a districting master by November 30, the Mayor shall appoint a districting master. All meetings of the Commission shall be open to the public, and the Commission shall conduct public forums around the City before adopting any plan. At least one public forum shall be held in each existing District.

(3) District boundaries shall be drawn to produce compact and contiguous districts that are not gerrymandered. The population of the largest district shall exceed the population of the smallest by no more than one percent. To the extent practical, district boundaries shall follow existing District boundaries, recognized waterways and geographic boundaries, and Seattle communities and neighborhoods. In drawing the plan, neither the Commission nor the districting master shall consider the residence of any person.

(4) The districting master shall draw a districting plan for the City, and submit it to the districting Commission by March 15 of the year following their appointment. The Commission shall develop, approve by majority vote, and make public a draft districts proposal and then after public comment, approve by majority vote a final districts plan; and shall have all powers reasonably necessary to carry out its purpose, may employ experts, consultants and attorneys not employed by the city, and shall prepare financial statements and compose and turn over to the City Clerk an official record of all relevant information used. Upon adoption, the districting plan shall be filed with the City Clerk. The plan shall become effective upon filing and cannot be amended by the City Council except to correct data errors upon request by the districting Commission.

(5) The City Council shall take all steps necessary to enable the Commission to function, including appropriations sufficient to provide a reasonable per diem for Commission members, compensation for staff and contractors, and reasonable expenses.