Kensington and Talmadge were both drawn into the new 9th City Council District in City Heights. Kensington wants out but Talmadge leaders see opportunity to influence development on El Cajon Boulevard. | Photo Credit: Sam Hodgson
By Adrian Florido
The new 9th City Council District was drawn with two goals in mind: to empower Latinos, who will make up more than 50 percent of the district’s population, and to unite City Heights — currently divided among three districts — into a single one.
But City Heights alone does not a district make, so to reach the required population numbers, the Redistricting Commission included Kensington, Talmadge and the College Area.
Though they share their southern border with City Heights, Kensington and Talmadge have closer bonds with the neighborhoods that line Adams Avenue, like Normal Heights. They’re wealthier and whiter than City Heights, and shop along the same commercial corridors. So their inclusion in a City Heights district came as a surprise.
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