In this blog, we’ll briefly outline the 2026 Tampa City Council redistricting process—and how you can get involved.

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🔑 Key Takeaways

1. Redistricting Review Happens Every Four Years
   Before each municipal election, the Planning Commission reviews the population balance across City Council districts.
2. Redistricting occurs when an Imbalance in Districts Exceeds 5%
   If the population difference between the largest and smallest district exceeds 5% of the average, staff will propose a redistricting alternative.
3. Planning Commission Approval by April 1, 2026
   Based on data and public input, the Commission must adopt a new district map by April 1, 2026.
4. You Can Help Shape the Map
   There are multiple ways to participate, and staff will launch a comprehensive community outreach campaign.
5. You can rank the four alternatives using 2026 Tampa Redistricting Alternatives Survey
6. For detailed information, kindly visit our Project Page

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🧭 Background

Every four years, as required by state law and the City Charter, the Planning Commission evaluates the boundaries of Tampa’s seven City Council districts.

• Districts 1, 2, and 3 are at-large: council members are elected by all Tampa voters.
• Districts 4, 5, 6, and 7 are single-member districts: council members are elected only by voters within each district.

This redistricting process is governed by Part B-Related Laws, Article VIII-Elections, Section 8.03 and Part A-Charter, Article II-Legislative, Section 2.01, and must be completed by April 1, 2026. The next municipal election is scheduled for March 2, 2027.

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📊 What’s the Population Range?

Using the latest available data—ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023)—we estimated the population for the council districts 4, 5, 6, and 7. As seen in Table 1, Council District 6 has the least number of Tampa residents (i.e., 101,007 residents). Alternatively, Council District 7 is home to the largest number of Tampa residents (i.e., 109,687 residents). The range between the most and least populous council districts is 8.36%, which exceeds the acceptable threshold of 5%.

Table 1. 2023 Population by District and Range

Council District	Population from Block Groups Table B01001 in ACS 5Y2023	Population Rank
Council District 4	101,899	3
Council District 6	101,007	4
Council District 5	102,780	2
Council District 7	109,687	1
Total	415,373
Range	109,687 – 101,007 = 8,680
Average	(101,899 + 101,007 + 102,780 + 109,687)/4 = 103,843
Range Percent of Mean Population	(8,680/103,843) = 8.36%

To correct this imbalance, staff have developed four draft alternatives that would shift voting precincts to balance population while respecting precinct boundaries. Each proposed alternative brings the population range below 5%.

We are now seeking feedback from the public and stakeholders. A full collage of the proposed alternatives is shown in Figure 2, and more details can be found on our website.

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🗺️ Maps

Figure 1.  Tampa Voting Precincts by Council District.  (The range is 8.36%.)

Figure 2.  Collage of the Four Proposed Alternatives (Range < 5%)

Interactive versions of the maps below.

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🗣️ How to Get Involved

Help shape the future of City Council representation in Tampa:

1. Explore the Process Online
   🔗https://planhillsborough.org/project/tampa-redistricting-2026/
   • Review the proposed alternatives
   • Rank the four alternatives using 2026 Tampa Redistricting Survey (Version en español)
   • Share comments, questions, or speaker requests with Yassert Gonzalez
     📞 (813) 582-7356 | 📧 [email protected]
2. Spread the Word
   • Share this effort with friends, neighbors, and organizations you’re involved with.
3. Invite a Speaker
   • Planning Commission staff are available to present to community organizations, neighborhood groups, and civic forums.
4. Attend Public Hearings
   • Two official public hearings will be hosted by the Planning Commission in February and March 2026.
5. Join a Community Open House
   • Staff-led open houses will offer more informal opportunities to learn and provide input.
6. Join our email list to receive updates

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🗂️ Learn More

For visuals, data, and draft maps, visit:
🔗 https://planhillsborough.org/project/tampa-redistricting-2026/