Pueblo County completes redistricting. Here's what to know about the new boundaries

Although redrawing Congressional districts drew thousands of people to public meetings around the state, other local public boundaries also need to redraw their lines of representation.

Pueblo County commissioners finalized updated boundaries for commissioner seats last week.

The three commissioners at the helm of Pueblo County government are required to live in the district they represent, but everybody within county limits votes on commissioners.

What Pueblo County districts looked like before redistricting

District 1, currently represented by BOCC Chair Epimenio “Eppie” Griego, includes the East Side and Belmont. The district extends to the eastern and southern boundaries of the county, including smaller towns such as Rye, Colorado City, Avondale and Boone.

Daneya Esgar has been representing District 2 for the past few months since being appointed by local Democrats to replace former commissioner Garrison Ortiz. District 2 encompasses the South Side and some of the county’s western boundary, including the community of Beulah.

District 3 is represented by Zach Swearingen. His district of northwestern Pueblo County includes Downtown, the West Side and most of Pueblo West.

How the district boundaries are changing

The new district boundaries feature several minor changes. District 1 has been extended in a few spots: Salt Creek was formerly part of District 2 but is now in District 1. Also, some parts of a neighborhood northeast of Eagleridge Boulevard are leaving District 3, represented by Zach Swearingen, and now will be part of District 1.

Additionally, a small area on the western edge of Pueblo West that was part of Swearingen’s current district has been folded into Esgar’s. Some houses east of City Park have also been incorporated into Esgar’s district.

There were at least two public hearings scheduled for public feedback, according to the county website, but not many people suggested changes to the map, Esgar said.

None of the current commissioners’ eligibility to serve in their district is affected by this redistricting.

Why the Pueblo BOCC redraws districts

Counties are required to redraw commissioner districts every 10 years to adjust for population changes recorded during the census.

Pueblo County grew from approximately 159,000 inhabitants in 2010 to over 168,000 people in 2020, but the pace of growth was not as high as some other counties in the state, many in the Denver metro area, that recorded higher increases.

Each district is required to be mostly even in size, but that’s the extent of the requirements of state law, Esgar said. She said she also requested information about the demographics of each of the districts.

More: Pueblo's population is growing. Here are 6 trends to know about

How the demographics of Pueblo County’s districts stack up

All of the newly adopted commissioner districts have a similar proportion of people under the age of 18 — approximately 22%, according to reports Pueblo County shared with the Chieftain.

Approximately 44% of people living in District 1 and District 2 are Hispanic, while 38% of people in District 3 identify as having Hispanic ethnicity.

The median household income is similar in the districts of Esgar and Swearingen, while the average is slightly lower in Griego’s district.

Esgar noted that the districts are relatively even and well-matched, which is mostly why she supported the version of the new boundaries that was passed unanimously by the BOCC last week.

Why redistricting is happening three years after the census

Counties normally only had until Sept. 30 the year following a federal census to redraw new maps. But the COVID-19 pandemic delayed the processing and availability of data from the 2020 census.

A bill passed by the Colorado legislature in 2021 allowed county governments until Sept. 30, 2023, to complete the process.

Anna Lynn Winfrey covers politics for the Pueblo Chieftain. She can be reached at awinfrey@gannett.com or on Twitter, @annalynnfrey. 

This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: What to know about Pueblo County redistricting