Citizens on Tuesday told members of the City Council their redistricting process excluded the public and violated the Sunshine Law.
Speakers said the council should restart the process with full citizen involvement.
Councilwoman Carol Berz, who headed a three-member redistricting committee, said citizen input was gained from individual council members holding district meetings and getting feedback.
She said the process used by the council "followed the law."
She added at a public input session at City Hall at 6 p.m.,"Everything we've done has been on the website."
Everlena Holmes said the council discussed redistricting on Sept. 21, then six months later they announced that the nine district lines had been drawn.
She said, "There was a lack of transparency and openness. That creates a lack of public trust."
Theresa Turner of the Voters Council said the city process was in contrast to the county's that was "very open with perfect transparency." At the city, she said, "There was a total absence of public engagement."
She said the council needed to "restart the redistricting process and allow public input at the end of each meeting."
Helen Burns Sharp said there was a violation of the Sunshine Law and said the process "needs to start all over."
She said the process consisted of a three-person committee working with the mayor's staff."
She added, "The public confidence has suffered. It may be a good plan, but it lacked active public input."
Eric Atkins said a decade earlier the City Council held six public engagement sessions on redistricting. He said the current process was "flawed, insufficient and inadequate."
He said, "Openness and transparency are hallmarks of the democracy that we fight for."
The City Council has not yet voted to approve the final draft of the redistricting, but is expected to do so soon.
Councilwoman Berz said current districts remain in place. She said the new lines do not take effect until the time of the city's 2025 election.