Proposed ward map changes to distribute the population evenly across Upper Dublin Township because of 2020 census figures could put hundreds of residents into new voting wards, which would go into effect with the 2025 election year.
Township Borough Manager’s Office Assistant Katie Stein presented eight proposed changes to some of the seven wards in the township at the Board of Commissioners session last week. She developed the proposed changes alongside a resident committee of Steve Stone and Jeff Albert, Stein said.
“Every 10 years, as there is a new census,” said Commissioners President Ira Tackel, “we are encumbered to reevaluate ward boundaries and reestablish ward lines, so that all of the seven wards with Upper Dublin are within a few percentage points of each other in terms of population.”
Now that the 2020 Census has been provided to the township with all its statistics, Tackel said the Board has to look “at how to alter those maps to make them equitable from a ward-to-ward standpoint.”
Stein said she took the Census’ tract and block maps and compared them against the current ward maps to determine a ward for each census block. Next, she gathered all population totals by ward, before finally comparing population changes from 2010 to 2020.
All in all, there are a total of 26,665 residents in all seven wards, or about 3,809 per ward equally, per the 2020 Census data. In 2010, the number was 25,878. Thus, overall, the population in Upper Dublin increased by 3% in 10 years.
“It didn’t increase too much, but as you look at individual wards, that portion is kind of skewed. For example, Ward 5 was 15% more from 2010 to 2020 and Ward 6 and 3 were 4% less,” Stein said.
Stein said a 3% delta is the target.
“The proposed distribution stays within the 3% delta of the ideal population of 3,809 people. The delta between the most populated ward (6) and the least populated (7) ward is 2.28%,” she said. “We want to keep neighborhoods together and we ensure ward changes do not cross legislative district lines.
Here are the proposed changes:
Change 1
This change moves five census blocks – 397 people – from Ward 1 to Ward 7.
“We are extending Ward 7 to be to the township line,” Stein said.
This change would affect residents in the Ward 1 area bounded by Susquehanna Road, E. Butler Pike, N. Bethlehem Pike and Tennis Avenue.
Change 2
Move 14 Census blocks – 888 people – from Ward 1 to Ward 2.
This change would affect residents in Ward 1 bounded by East Butler Pike, Cedar Road, Route 309, and Andross Avenue.
“This change here, it’s not technically crossing that district line because Ward 2 spans both districts,” Stein said.
Change 3
Move 21 Census blocks – 970 people – from Ward 2 to Ward 1.
This change would affect residents in Ward 2 bounded by Pennsylvania Avenue, Commerce Drive/Pinetown Road, Highland Avenue and Fort Washington Avenue/Route 309.
Change 4
Move 13 Census blocks – 194 people – from Ward 4 to Ward 1.
This change would affect residents in Ward 4 bounded by Commerce Drive/Pinetown Road, Highland Avenue, Camp Hill Road and Pennsylvania Avenue.
“For the sake of straight lines,” Stein said, “we brought it out to Highland Avenue and cut it off at Camp Hill.”
Change 5
Move three Census blocks – 263 people – from Ward 4 to Ward 2.
This change would affect residents in Ward 4 bounded by Victor Lane, Barton Drive, Pinetown Road, Susquehanna Road, Dillon Road and Goodman Drive.
“For those who aren’t familiar with that area,” Ward 4 Commissioner Tackel said, “this means folks across the street from my home won’t be Ward 4.”
Change 6
Move one Census block – 106 people – from Ward 2 to Ward 6.
This change would affect residents in Ward 2 bounded by Fort Washington Avenue, Meetinghouse Road and N. Limekiln Pike.
“(This) was based on how the blocks were laid out. It’s tough not to spit up a neighborhood,” she said.
Change 7
Move three Census blocks – 375 people – from Ward 7 to Ward 6.
This change would affect residents in Ward 7 bounded by E. Butler Pike, E. Welsh Road, N. Limekiln Pike and Norristown Road.
Change 8
Move five Census blocks – 209 people – from Ward 6 to Ward 3.
This change would affect residents in Ward 6 bounded by Jarrettown Road, Dreshertown Road, St. George Road, Devonshire Road, and Tuckerstown Road.
"We're just straightening out that line along Jarrettown Road," Stein said.
Change 9
Move 12 Census blocks – 425 people – from Ward 5 to Ward 4.
This change would affect residents in Ward 5 bounded by Mundock Road, Limeklin Pike, Susquehanna Road, Camp Hill Road and the Pennsylvania Railroad line.
If the Board approves the ward changes in the near future, then the township would draft, advertise, and enact an ordinance describing the new boundaries, Stein said. From there, the ordinance, map and data sheet would be sent to the Montgomery County Board of Elections. The election board, Stein said, would review the ordinance by its GIS team. The Department of State would also review everything to determine if the proposed changes are acceptable.
Next, the Board of Elections prepares and submits a petition to be approved by the Court of Common Pleas, Stein said. Upon court approval, the Board of Elections will redraw election districts within each ward.
Solicitor G.P. High Jr. said it could take the county about a month-and-a-half to review and accept or deny the proposal.
Stein said no resident names or political affiliations were viewable or used during the process.
Tackel said this issue will be “dramatically redone” in 2032.
Commissioners Vice President Meredith Ferleger, who represents Ward 2, said the changes for her ward are “unbelievably logical.”
“Especially the changes of taking areas out of Ward 2 and put in Ward 1, and I’ll tell you, nobody in that area along Pennsylvania Avenue was ever sure who their Commissioner was,” Ferleger said. “These changes are so logical, it will really help people determine their commissioners.”
Tackel said between now and when the Census happens again, there will develop “some significant disproportionate” population figures within the township that are unavoidable. He mentioned the fact that the numerous luxury apartment homes were not part of the Census.
“They will come in the township and disproportionately populate the wards, and we have to live with it because that’s how the system works,” Tackel said. “But to achieve this level of evenness from ward to ward is incredible.”
Township Manager Kurt Ferguson said Covid delayed the final 2020 Census reports to municipalities for nearly two years.
“Katie was tasked in completing this digitally and to get the wards as equitable as possible,” Ferguson said.
Furthermore, apartment complexes – both brand new and existing – are not captured in the 2020 Census figures.
“All we can address and deal with is what the certified 2020 numbers would be, warts and all,” he said. “Katie did a remarkable job to go over these areas without regard too much to anything other than trying to keep neighborhoods together as best as possible.”
