§11-43A-33. Reapportionment of council districts; filing of recommended plan with council; redistricting ordinances; effect on incumbents and on elections held within six months.

Whenever there shall be a change in population in any of the districts heretofore established, evidenced by a federal census of population published following the last federal census of population preceding the adoption of this article, or by virtue of a substantial change in the corporate limits, there shall be a reapportionment of the council districts in the manner hereinafter provided:

(1) The manager shall within six months after the publication of each federal census of population for the municipality, following the last federal census of population preceding the adoption of this article, or within six months after there shall have been any substantial change in the corporate limits of the municipality, file with the council a report containing a recommended plan for reapportionment of the council district boundaries to comply with the following specifications:

a. Each district shall be formed of contiguous and, to the extent reasonably possible, compact territory, and its boundary lines shall be the center lines of streets or other well-defined boundaries;

b. Each district shall contain as nearly as is possible the same population;

(2) The council shall enact a redistricting ordinance within six months after receiving such report. If the council fails to enact the redistricting ordinance within the said six months, the redistricting plan submitted by the manager shall become effective without enactment by the council, as if it were a duly enacted ordinance;

(3) Such redistricting ordinance shall not apply to any primary or regular or special election held within six months after its becoming effective. No incumbent councilman or member of the board or commission shall be deprived of his unexpired term of office because of such redistricting.

(Acts 1982, No. 82-517, p. 851, §32; Acts 1983, No. 83-621, p. 964, §1.)