A. Nine Voting Districts and Standards Pertaining to Reapportionment. The Town shall be divided into nine (9) voting districts, each of which shall be represented by a district representative on the Legislative Council and shall be substantially equal in population consistent with federal constitutional standards. Moreover, said voting districts shall be in as compact and contiguous a form as practicable and shall follow geographical divisions wherever practical in determining voting district boundaries.
B. Final Action on Adoption of a Reapportionment Plan. On or before the date set forth in the General Statutes, the Legislative Council shall adopt a reapportionment plan for such legislative body. At the time of the adoption of this Charter, the reapportionment plan shall be adopted not later than the first (1st) Day of June in the year after the first regular General Assembly election following a reapportionment of the General Assembly.
C. Assembly of Census and State Reapportionment Information and Data. Following the 2010 census and every ten (10) years thereafter, the Town shall commence the process of reapportioning the voting districts. Upon issuance of the reports of the applicable Federal Decennial Census, the Registrars of Voters shall assemble information and data relating to the census and the State redistricting process. Said information and data shall be transmitted at the appropriate time to the participants in the reapportionment process.
D. First Reapportionment Commission. No later than the 1st Day of March of the year following reapportionment of the General Assembly and every ten years thereafter, a Reapportionment Commission shall be appointed by the Legislative Council.
(1) The seven (7) member Commission shall be comprised of (a) the two (2) Registrars of Voters; and, (b) five (5) Electors recommended by the President of the Legislative Council and approved by the Council, no more than two (2) of whom shall be from the same political party.
(2) The Commission shall conduct a public hearing on a proposed Ordinance, Report and Reapportionment Plan (the "ORRP"), at least, one week prior to approval and submission to the Council. Hearing Notice shall be provided, at least, five (5) Days prior to the public hearing or as otherwise required by Law (See, § 1-4.R); said Notice shall include the contents of the ORRP as well as a copy of a map illustrating the boundary lines of each of the proposed voting districts. On the basis of information elicited at the public hearing, the Commission may thereafter alter the Report and Plan79.
(3) Approval of the ORRP shall require the affirmative votes of, at least, five (5) members of the Commission80.
(4) The Commission shall file the ORRP with the Clerk of the Council within six (6) months after appointment and may utilize demographic data (based upon census data) assembled by the Town utilizing the technological resources of the Town and such other resources, facilities and funding the Council may deem desirable to carry out the purposes of this section. Receipt of the ORRP shall be deemed to be the date upon which it is filed with the Clerk of the Council81.
(5) The ORRP shall recommend and set forth the boundaries of each of the proposed voting districts and, upon recommendation of the Registrars of Voters, include an enumeration of suitable polling places within each district82.
E. Action by the Legislative Council on the Proposal of the First Reapportionment Commission, if any. Within sixty (60) Days following receipt of the ORRP and after a public hearing thereon, the Legislative Council shall accept, reject, or modify the ORRP. Within thirty (30) Days following said legislative action:
(1) If the ORRP is accepted or modified, the Ordinance in conjunction with the ORRP approved by the Legislative Council shall be deemed adopted in compliance with the requirements of the General Statutes and have the full force of law and become effective for the next municipal general election.
(2) If the ORRP is rejected, then a Second Reapportionment Commission shall be established as set forth in § 3-7.F of this Charter. Approval of the ORRP and the Ordinance contained therein shall require an affirmative vote of, at least, two-thirds (2/3rds) of the Council, present and voting.
F. Second Reapportionment Commission. Within fourteen (14) Days following the failure of the Reapportionment Commission to submit the ORRP, as set forth in § 3-7.D(6) of this Charter; or, the rejection of the ORRP by the Legislative Council, as set forth in § 3-7.E(2) of this Charter, the Mayor shall appoint a Second Reapportionment Commission.
(1) The Commission shall be comprised of nine (9) Electors, as follows: (a) two (2) recommended by the President of the Legislative Council; (b) two (2) recommended by the Council Majority Leader; (c) two (2) recommended by the Council Minority Leader; (d) one (1) upon the Mayor’s designation; and (e) the two (2) Registrars of Voters, no more than four (4) of whom shall be from the same political party.
(2) The Commission shall consider the reapportionment of districts in accordance with the standards set forth herein and shall submit a Reapportionment Plan and Ordinance ("RPO") to the Clerk of the Council within ninety (90) Days of the appointment by the Mayor.
(3) The RPO shall not be submitted to the Clerk of the Council unless it is approved by, at least, a majority vote of the entire membership of the Commission84. In such an event, the Legislative Council shall act in accordance with § 3-7.G(2) of this Charter.
G. Action by the Legislative Council on the Proposal of the Second Reapportionment Commission. Within sixty (60) Days following receipt of the RPO and after a public hearing thereon, the Legislative Council may:
(1) Approve the RPO by an affirmative vote of at least two-thirds (2/3rds) of the Council present and voting, and, following said approval, the districts set forth in the accompanying Ordinance shall be deemed adopted in compliance with the requirements of the General Statutes, and have the full force of law and become effective for the next municipal general election; or,
(2) Reject the RPO; in which event the Council shall formulate and approve by an affirmative vote of at least two-thirds (2/3rds) of the Council present and voting a Redistricting Plan and Ordinance, in accordance with the standards set forth herein and within the statutory time-frame established by the General Statutes and as set forth in § 3-7.B. of this Charter. If approved, the Ordinance shall be deemed adopted in compliance with the requirements of the General Statutes and shall have the full force of law and become effective for the next municipal general election.
H. Failure of the Legislative Council to Adopt an Ordinance Pursuant to § 3-7.G(2) of this Charter. In the event the Legislative Council fails to approve an Ordinance in accordance with the provisions of § 3-7.G(2) of this Charter, the Ordinance included in the RPO submitted by the Second Reapportionment Commission (see, § 3-7.F(2) of this Charter) shall be deemed to be approved by the Legislative Council and shall be deemed adopted in compliance with the requirements of the General Statutes and shall have the full force of law and become effective for the next municipal general election. The effective date shall be deemed to be the final date permitted for enactment of municipal reapportionment by the General Statutes.
I. Notwithstanding the adoption of a plan of redistricting, members of the Legislative Council shall continue to represent the districts from which they were elected for the balance of the term for which they were elected.
78 In lieu of 1983 Charter § 2-5. C.G.S. § 9-169f. Reapportionment required for certain municipal legislative bodies. Not later than June first in the year after the first regular General Assembly election following a reapportionment of the General Assembly, each municipal legislative body whose members are elected wholly or partially on the basis of a geographical division of the municipality shall adopt a reapportionment plan for such legislative body. Any such municipal reapportionment plan (1) shall be based on population data for the municipality from the most recent decennial census of the United States and (2) may provide for geographical divisions which use the same borders as General Assembly districts in the municipality.
79 2022 recodification of Charter § 3-6.D(2).
80 2022 recodification of Charter § 3-6.D(3).
81 2022 recodification of Charter § 3-6.D(4).
82 2022 recodification of Charter § 3-6.D(5).
83 2022 recodification of Charter § 3-6.D(6).
84 NEW (2022).