Tagged: Battle Creek wards

In a split vote, the Battle Creek City Commission has given its final approval to new ward lines that will be in effect for the city election later this year. The vote Tuesday was 7-2 with most commissioners supporting a map presented by city staff that made two significant changes to account for populations shifts recorded in the 2010 census.

In a decision that one member said felt like government operating in secret, the Battle Creek City Commission gave its initial approval to updated boundaries of the city's five political wards. The map voted on Tuesday didn't include two minor changes proposed by Commissioner Andy Helmboldt meant to make wards better align with neighborhood boundaries.

A new Battle Creek election map that changes ward representation for roughly 4,500 residents is set to get a City Commission vote next month. In addition to changes informally agreed to in January, commissioners on Tuesday discussed moving two small areas to different wards in an effort to keep neighborhoods together.