By Jim Holt

Senior Investigative Reporter
Local water officials finalized a plan Tuesday to keep the existing map of their Santa Clarita Valley election boundaries the way they are.
Over the last several months, the SCV Water Agency board of directors has undertaken a review of electoral division boundaries, as required by the state after each census.
Census data from 2020 shows the current division boundaries still result in an almost perfectly balanced population distribution, with less than 1% difference between any of the three.
Even with expected growth by the mid-decade point in 2025, the existing divisions are projected to be close to population balance, according to the board.
The service area is made up of three divisions — Canyon Country and Saugus to the north and east, Newhall on the south side of SCV and a western area that includes Valencia, Stevenson Ranch and Castaic.
The board decided in January to keep its existing map, which now includes updates based on two very small recent annexations into the service area.
In making their assessment, board members had to make sure they didn’t draw divisions to favor or disfavor political incumbents, candidates, or political parties.
Redistricting is the process of adjusting the boundaries of election districts for cities, counties, school boards and water agencies.
Under state law, the agency, along with other local governments, must redistrict following population shifts based on federal census data once every 10 years to ensure communities have equal access to political representation.
This process is intended to ensure each elected board member represents about the same number of constituents and to determine which neighborhoods and communities are grouped into divisions to elect representatives.
