Psst…there’s a dirty little secret about Montclarions.  Even some of the most tuned-in denizens don’t know exactly who represents them in the Oakland City Council.  Admittedly the geographic borders are a bit arbitrary, though here’s your answer:  click here and enter your address.

Current representation: In the Oakland City Council, Jean Quan serves District 4, while Jane Brunner reps District 1.  Typically, the rule of thumb is north and south of the Moraga-Thornhill thoroughfare, yet that’s not technically correct as the border wanders circuitously around Thornhill.

We wanted to shed geographic light due to the 2010 election cycle.  Montclarions living in District 4 can pay attention to the candidates starting to gear up now.  Everyone else in District 1 can view these proceedings from afar, with an understanding that these districts interact pretty closely.  They are both major voting blocks for the city overall.

Maps and borders: We have no idea why some of these border lines were drawn right across neighborhoods.  As an added twist, our assigned police beats aren’t aligned to these council districts.  Beat 13Z falls cleanly within District 4, while Beat 13Y gets torn asunder by Districts 4 and 1.  Should those residents call two reps about their safety matters?

Of course, your home address does belong to one council district and one beat.  Again please click here, enter your address and check your council district.  And click here to see the police beat map, along with current 13Z and 13Y stats.  It’s good to know who’s got your back.