The Chattanooga City Council has voted 7-2 to move forward with its redistricting plan, setting up a final vote for the new maps on May 3.
Those against the new nine-district map, on the council and among members of the community, raised concerns about the lack of transparency in the process and what they said were last-minute changes to the voting map.
"The redistricting process started out, 'Oh, we want to keep communities together,'" said Councilwoman Demetrus Coonrod, of Eastdale. "But there are several communities that are just butchered and have been destroyed, totally."
Coonrod and Isiah Hester, of Washington Hills, were the two votes against the new maps Tuesday.
Coonrod said there was not adequate community engagement on the new map, especially around recent changes that would affect Districts 7, 8 and 9.
Councilwoman Carol Berz, of Brainerd Hills and chairwoman of the redistricting committee, defended the council's process, which involved a three-member committee to draw the new map.
"There was proper following of the process and in my opinion, I'm only one of nine, there was adequate notice and adequate process," Berz said.
Redistricting occurs every 10 years and is based on new data from the U.S. Census Bureau. The council held its first listening session on the new maps at the end of March.
The proposed map can be viewed online at bit.ly/ChattaRedistrict.
The Rev. Ann Jones Pierre, president of the local chapter of the NAACP, said during the meeting that elected officials were not responsive to community voices.
"Redistricting is one of the most serious actions that affects the people, and you have refused to inform the people," Pierre said.
Contact Wyatt Massey at wmassey@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6249. Follow him on Twitter @news4mass.