The four wards, and the territory in each such ward, under the statutory form of government, as they are constituted on the effective date of this Charter, shall be the wards for the purpose of electing ward Council members under this Charter. However, ward boundaries may be re-established as hereinafter provided by this section.
After each recurring Federal census and within three months after the issuance of the Census Block Data, the Council shall, by ordinance, redivide the Municipality into wards, not exceeding four, in order to provide substantially equal population in each of the wards. In order to provide substantially equal population in each of the wards, the Council may, by ordinance, at any time, redivide the Municipality into four wards.
All wards so established shall be bounded, as far as practical, by County lines, streets, alleys, avenues, public grounds, canals, watercourses, Municipal boundary lines, centerlines of platted streets or railroads, or lot lines of platted subdivisions. Redivision of the Municipality into wards by the Council shall not terminate or otherwise affect the unexpired terms of ward Council members. However, at the next regular Municipal election at which ward Council members are to be elected following the redivision of the Municipality into wards, provided that such redivision is in full force and effect at least thirty days prior to the date for filing declarations of candidacy by ward Council members, ward Council members shall be elected from the wards as re-established under this section.
(Amended Nov. 2, 1993; Nov. 5, 2013)