HF 653

Conference Committee Report - 86th Legislature (2009 - 2010) Posted on 12/26/2012 11:18pm

A bill for an act
relating to elections; city elections in cities of the first class; providing for
election of certain council members elected by ward after reapportionment;
amending Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 205.84, subdivision 1.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 205.84, subdivision 1, is amended to read:

Subdivision 1.

General provisions.

new text begin (a) new text end In a city electing council members by wards,
wards shall be as equal in population as practicable and each ward shall be composed of
compact, contiguous territory. Each council member shall be a resident of the ward for
which elected, but new text begin , except as otherwise provided by paragraph (b), new text end a change in ward
boundaries does not disqualify a council member from serving for the remainder of a term.

new text begin (b) Notwithstanding any home rule charter provision to the contrary, in a city of the
first class where council members are elected by ward to serve for four years to terms that
are not staggered, if the population of any ward changes by five percent or more, all
council members must be elected to new terms at the first municipal general election
after ward boundaries are redefined under subdivision 2; provided, however, that if no
municipal general election would otherwise occur in the year ending in "2" or the year
ending in "3," a municipal general election must be held in one of those years.
new text end

Sec. 2. new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE.
new text end

new text begin Section 1 is effective the day following final enactment.
new text end