1998 Minnesota Statutes

     205.84 Wards in certain cities. 

    Subdivision 1.    General provisions.  In a statutory 
 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 a change in ward 
 boundaries does not disqualify a council member from serving for 
 the remainder of a term.  

    Subd. 2.    Redefining ward boundaries.  The governing 
 body of the city may by ordinance redefine ward boundaries after 
 a municipal general election.  The council shall hold a public 
 hearing on the proposed ordinance before its adoption.  One 
 week's published notice of the hearing shall be given.  After 
 the official certification of the federal decennial or special 
 census, the governing body of the city shall either confirm the 
 existing ward boundaries as conforming to the standards of 
 subdivision 1 or redefine ward boundaries to conform to those 
 standards as provided in section 204B.135, subdivision 1.  If 
 the governing body of the city fails to take either action 
 within the time required, no further compensation shall be paid 
 to the mayor or council member until the wards of the city are 
 either reconfirmed or redefined as required by this section.  An 
 ordinance establishing new ward boundaries pursuant to section 
 204B.135, subdivision 1, becomes effective on the date of the 
 state primary election in the year ending in two.  Ward 
 boundaries established at other times become effective 90 days 
 after the adoption of the ordinance.  

    Subd. 3.    Transition schedule.  The governing body of 
 a city electing more than one council member in each ward may 
 adopt an orderly transition schedule to biennial November 
 elections in which only one council member in each ward is 
 elected in any municipal general election. 

    HIST: 1974 c 337 s 17; 1981 c 29 art 7 s 38; 1983 c 62 s 11; 
 1986 c 444; 1991 c 349 s 38; 1995 c 8 s 6