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1. Eleven (11) members: Seven (7) elected from districts and four (4) elected at-large.
2. Term of office for all members would be four (4) years; Incumbents in office when charter is amended would complete their then-current term of office.
3. Staggered Terms, Biennial Elections: Two (2) at-large members and odd-numbered districts would run in one election; Two (2) at-large members and even-numbered districts run in next election. Elections held every two years.
4. Appointees to Council would stand for election in next regular municipal election not for the unexpired term of an incumbent under the existing law but for the new term of office.
Districts
1. Districts configured to be compact, contiguous territory with approximately equal total populations based on last federal census.
2. Each district to be comprised of whole electoral wards unless it is necessary to split a ward to equalize district populations. Wards may be divided, using only whole precincts whenever possible, only between two (2) contiguous districts.
3. Newly annexed areas would be incorporated into the contiguous district. If newly annexed territory is contigu ous to more than one district, its population would be divided as evenly as practicable among only two (2) contiguous districts.
4. Districts numbered from “1” to “7”. After apportion ment, the newly drawn districts would have the same district number as the prior district which had the greatest number of people now in the new district.
Apportionment
1. The procedure for the initial drawing of district boundaries
(i.e. “District Apportionment”) and the redrawing of
those boundaries after each decennial federal census
(i.e. “District Reapportionment”) is still being studied
and is thus “to be determined” at this stage. Further data
from other cities and local public comment is being
collected and analyzed.
2. The apportionment and reapportionment process must
be open to the public, nonpartisan, fair, efficient
timely, and comply with federal and state law.