Manteca will likely no longer be split between two supervisorial districts.

Unless the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors when they meet Tuesday opt to toss both recommended maps advanced to them by the re-districting committee they appointed, Manteca will not be split for the first time in more than 30 years.

Manteca is currently split along Yosemite Avenue. Those north of the roadway are represented by District 3 Supervisor Tom Patti. Those to the south are represented by District 5 Supervisor Robert Rickman.

The big difference between the two recommended maps in the South County is whether Manteca will be in the same district with Lathrop and whether Ripon and Escalon will be in the same district with other neighboring cities are kept in the same district as Lodi and the North County.

Map A keeps Ripon and Escalon with the north county and moves Lathrop into District 5 with Tracy, Mountain House and a large swath of the Delta.

Manteca would be in District 3 with French Camp and a large swath of semi-rural areas on Stockton’s eastern flank and an area of north Stockton abutting Highway 99 west of Morada.

Map B places Manteca and Lathrop in District 3 along with French Camp and a chunk of the Delta.

Ripon and Escalon along with all of the rural area south of Manteca would join Tracy and Mountain House.

If either A or B is adopted it significantly increases the odds of someone with a Manteca address being elected to the Board of Supervisors for the first time in almost half a century.  The current District 3 incumbent, board chair, and Stockton resident Tom Patti. He was elected in a second four-year term in 2020 and will be termed out in 2024.

"For the past five months the Redistricting Advisory Committee has been conducting community outreach and drawing draft district maps to reflect the county's diverse communities of interests,” Patti said. “As the Board of Supervisors considers the RAC recommended maps, the goal will be to adopt a map that includes supervisorial districts that best represent all of San Joaquin County's residents. I encourage interested residents to attend next Tuesday's Board of Supervisor's hearing.”

Every 10 years, local governments use new census data to redraw their district lines to reflect how local populations have changed. State law requires cities and counties to engage communities in the redistricting process by holding public hearings and workshops and conducting public outreach.

The RAC has been an important piece of SJC’s broad efforts to engage residents in the redistricting process through community-based outreach, and online at We Draw the Lines | San Joaquin County (sjgov.org).

The committee was chaired by former Manteca Mayor Steve DeBrum. Former Manteca City Council member Mike Morowit was also on the committee.

The board will make a decision on re-districting during the afternoon session that starts 1t 1:30 p.m. Tuesday on the sixth floor of the county administration center, 44 North San Joaquin St. in downtown Stockton.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com