The Gainesville City Council is considering major changes to the city's five council wards as part of redistricting that happens every 10 years after new census numbers are released.

Attorney Drew Whalen and City Clerk Denise Jordan presented maps Wednesday that would make the populations in each ward equal within just a few hundred residents, or less than a 5 percent difference.

Councilman George Wangemann's ward would be cut the deepest in the proposed new districts, to 6,621 people from 10,474. His district, Ward 4 in the southwest portion of the city, has experienced a large population increase since the 2000 census.

The new redistricting would significantly enlarge the geographic range of Ward 3, represented by Councilwoman Myrtle Figueras.

The new district lines will not affect the election in November and will not be official until Jan. 1 or later.

The proposed lines, though, may affect Gainesville's school board more than the council.

Officials want to use the same lines for both government bodies, but council members are elected at-large, meaning the entire city votes for each council member. School board members, in contrast, are voted on only by residents within their districts. If their districts change, their voters change, too.

The redistricting maps have been in the works since May, Jordan said. The new lines are based on population as a whole, not just registered voters.

New district maps must be submitted to the Department of Justice as part of the Voting Rights Act to make sure the lines don't weaken the strength of minority votes.

But since each city council member is elected by the entire city, not just a single ward, redistricting lines shouldn't hinder minority voting, Figueras said.

Figueras represents Ward 3, which has a sizeable portion of black voters. While Figueras said she wants to make sure all minority voters are heard, she said she doesn't think redistricting could interfere with the voting process.

"I want to be sure that everyone has an equality in voting," she said. "I don't believe the lines will affect black voters."

The council will discuss redistricting again at its July 28 work session.

If the council and the school board can agree on a new district map by Aug. 11, the redistricting process can move forward with public hearings and first readings in September.