(A) The Town Council may, by ordinance, divide the town into districts for the purpose of conducting elections of town officers.
(B) A district must comply with the following standards:
(1) The district must be composed of contiguous territory, except for territory that is not contiguous to any other part of the town;
(2) The district must be reasonably compact;
(3) The district must contain, as nearly as is possible, equal population;
(4) The district may not cross a census block boundary except when following a precinct boundary line or unless the ordinance specifies that the census block has no population and is not likely to have population before the effective date of the next federal decennial census; and
(5) The district may not cross precinct lines, except as provided in division (C) below.
(C) The boundary of a district established under division (A) may cross a precinct boundary line if the district would not otherwise contain, as nearly as is possible, equal population.
(D) The Town of Cedar Lake is hereby comprised of seven members. Five members are elected from each of the five wards and two members are at-large members, all are elected by all of the voters of the town. The Town of Cedar Lake is hereby redistricted into five district wards and two at large council members, as set forth on the map attached to Ordinance 1423 as Exhibit "A", incorporated herein by reference and specifically made part of this section.
(1) District Ward Number One. See Exhibit “B-1”, attached to Ordinance 1423.
(2) District Ward Number Two. See Exhibit “B-2”, attached to Ordinance 1423.
(3) District Ward Number Three. See Exhibit “B-3”, attached to Ordinance 1423.
(4) District Ward Number Four. See Exhibit “B-4”, attached to Ordinance 1423.
(5) District Ward Number Five. See Exhibit “B-5”, attached to Ordinance 1423.
(6) At Large District Ward (Run 2023 and 2027). See Ordinance 1423.
(7) The terms and provisions of IC 36-5-2-4.1, 36-5-2-5, and all other provisions of the Indiana Code, as amended related to Town Ward Boundary Districts and Election of Town Officers, are incorporated herein and made a part hereof, as permitted by I.C. 36-5-2-4.1(k).
(E) If any territory in the town is included in more than one of the districts established under this section, the territory is included in the district that is one of the districts in which the territory is described in the ordinance adopted under this section, is contiguous to that territory, and contains the least population of all districts contiguous to that territory.
(F) The ordinance may be appealed in the manner prescribed by IC 34-13-6.
(G) The division permitted by division (A) shall be made only at times permitted under IC 3-5-10.
(H) A copy of the ordinance establishing districts under this section must be filed with the County Circuit Court Clerk not later than 30 days after the ordinance is adopted.
(IC 36-5-2-4.1(a) - (g), (j)) (Am. Ord. 810, passed 11-8-01; Am. Ord. 834, passed 10-8-02; Am. Ord. 1168, passed 12-18-12; Am. Ord. 1423, passed 9-6-22)