The Parkville Board of Aldermen approved revisions to the City’s ward map which determines the areas of the community represented by the City’s elected officials. The U.S. Census Bureau recently released their 2020 decennial data and the City is required to draw new ward boundaries to take into account new growth in the community and to create balanced wards in terms of population. The Board of Aldermen approved the revised ward map on November 16, 2021, prior to candidate filing in December so the new boundaries would be effective for the April 5, 2022, General Municipal Election in which interested candidates for the open seats may file in the new ward in which they reside.
The City of Parkville is a fourth class city and is divided into four wards, with two aldermen representing each ward. The Parkville Municipal Code states that each ward shall be roughly proportionate, but may vary as growth, development and other changes affecting the population occur.
The ward map was last updated in November 2004 when the most recent census population was 5,054. The U.S. Census Bureau’s 2020 decennial data and Parkville’s total population is 7,117 (40.8% increase). Since 2004, there has been substantial growth within the community with the addition of new residential subdivisions and multi-family developments, especially in the western half of the city.
An ad hoc committee was tasked with deciding how to best revise the ward map to keep neighborhoods together in the same ward and to make the wards more proportionate to one another by population. Members reviewed the ward boundaries and developed a scenario using 2020 Census data and Community Development Department building and occupancy permit records that account for recent growth since April 1, 2020, when the census was taken. Recommendations were presented to the Board of Aldermen during a work session on October 19. The City also held an informational open house on October 26 to give the public an opportunity to review the proposed map and to answer questions about the revisions. The revised ward map keeps neighborhoods together in the same ward and makes the wards more proportionate and balanced in terms of population. The large amount of population growth in western Parkville resulted in the placing of the entire area in a single ward.
Mayor Nan Johnston said, “Many thanks to our ad hoc committee who reviewed and made recommendations to revise the City’s ward map. The new ward map puts subdivisions and neighborhoods with similar characteristics into the same ward, which will be represented by two aldermen who will represent their interests both on matters related to the ward and the community as a whole.
A copy of the ward map may be found on the City’s website at http://parkvillemo.gov. For more information, please contact Community Development Director Stephen Lachky at (816) 741-7676.
