CHC 1979-06-19 SUBCOMMITTEE - Laserfiche WebLink

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REAPPORTIONMENT AND REAPPORTIONMENT YEARS • 1. The year 1981 and every tenth year thereafter shall be reapportionment years . 2. A reapportionment commission shall be constituted on or before the first day of February of each reapportionment year and whenever reapportionment is required by court order. The commission shall consist of members . The commission members no more than a majority of whom shall belong to the same political party, shall be representative of the various geographical areas of the county and shall be selected by the Mayor and confirmed by the counci-l. The commission shall elect a chairman from among its members . 3. Any vacancy shall be filled in the. same manner as for an original appointment within fifteen (15) days after the vacancy occurs. 4. No member of the commission shall be eligible to become a 'candidate for election to the council in the first election held under any reapportionment plan adopted by the commission. 5 . The County Clerk, under the direction of the commission, shall furnish all necessary technical and secretarial services. The council shall appropriate funds to enable the commission to carry out its duties. 6 . The commission shall act by majority vote of its membership and shall establish its own procedures , except as may be provided for in this charter. 7. The commission may apportion the existing council seats among the districts and redraw the district lines where and when necessary in such manner that each councilman would, as nearly as possible, represent a similar number of persons as in every other district in the county, based upon the most recent federal census. In effecting such redistricting, the commission shall also be guided by the following criteria: a. No district shall be so drawn as to unduly favor a person, political faction, or special interest group. b. Districts, insofar as practicable, shall be contiguous and compact. c. District lines shall, where possible, follow permanent and easily recognized features, and when practicable, shall coincide with census tract boundaries. 8. Not more than days after the commission is constituted, the commission shall cause to be published in a newspaper of general circulation, a proposed reapportionment plan prepared by the commission. At least one public hearing shall be held in each district within forty-five (45) days of initial publication. 9 . No later than the last day of , the commission shall publish a final reapportionment plan in a newspaper of general circulation and shall file such plan with the County Clerk, at which time the plan shall become effective. Members of the commission shall hold office until the reappor- tionment planbecomes effective. 10. Any registered voter may petition the circuit court to compel, by mandamus or otherwise, the appropriate person or persons to perform their duty or to correct any error made in a reapportionment plan, or the court may take such other action to effectuate the purposes of this section as it may deem appropriate. Any such petition must be filed within fifteen (15) days after the filing of a final reapportionment plan.