(a) Upon the adoption of this Charter and at least sixty (60) days prior to the filing date of nominating petitions for the terms beginning on January 1, 1962, the present Council shall divide the City into five (5) wards which shall be as nearly equal in population as is possible, each ward to be composed of contiguous and compact territory, bounded by natural boundaries or street lines. In the event Council shall not have fixed the division of wards herein prescribed, the Mayor shall cause such division to be made at least thirty (30) days prior to the filing date herein provided. If and when any particular territory is annexed to, or merged with, the City, the Council shall by ordinance declare it a part of the adjacent ward or wards. If as a result of such declaration the ward having the smallest population is ten or more percent smaller in population than the ward having the largest population, a re-division of the City into wards shall be made as provided in this Item, provided such re-division shall not cause the ward having the smallest population to be more than five percent (5%) smaller than the ward having the largest population. Such re-division shall be in addition to any re-division required by Item 9(b).
(Amended 11/6/90)
(b) Beginning in the year 1992, and each ten (10) years thereafter, and not later than sixty (60) days prior to the filing date of nominating petitions, the Council shall study the then existing wards to determine whether their populations have remained relatively equal to each other. If the ward having the smallest population is ten or more percent smaller in population than the ward having the largest population, a re-division of the City into wards shall be made in the manner provided for in Item 9(a) of this Section IV, provided such re-division shall not cause the ward having the smallest population to be more than five percent (5%) smaller than the ward having the largest population.
(Amended 11/2/82)