Santa Ana Municipal Code § 101.1 Wards of the city

The City of Santa Ana shall continue to be a municipal body politic and corporate and shall be possessed of all the property and interest of which it was possessed at the time this charter takes effect.

The boundaries of the City shall be the boundaries as established at the time this charter takes effect, with the power and authority to change the same being as provided by law.

Prior to the general election in 1988 the City Council shall divide the City into six (6) wards by ordinance according to the following formula:

Each of the wards is to be as nearly equal in population as possible. The wards shall be composed of contiguous and compact territory and bounded by natural boundaries of street lines wherever possible. Any territory hereafter annexed to or consolidated with the City shall become a part of the ward to which it is most contiguous, pending any redistricting necessary to promote equality of population among the wards.

(Prop. of 4-9-57, approved on 4-16-57; Prop. of 2-4-63, approved on 4-2-63; Res. No. 63-027; Ord. No. NS-1316, 8-24-76, approved at election 11-2-76; Ord. No. NS-1521, 3-17-80, approved at election 6-3-80; Ord. No. NS-1864, 8-19-86, approved at election 11-4-86)

Ward boundaries shall not be altered except as reasonably necessary to comply with the requirements of state and federal law and to promote greater equality of population among the wards when such necessity is shown by the most recent federal decennial census, or by more current census data certified by the City Council as sufficiently reliable and detailed to serve as a basis for ward boundary alteration, or by annexation or consolidation of territory. Such boundary alteration shall be made only by ordinance adopted by affirmative vote of at least two-thirds (⅔) of the full membership of the City Council in accordance with section 101.4. Any such ordinance adopted within one hundred twenty (120) days immediately preceding any election of council members shall not become effective until the day following such election.

(Prop. of 4-9-57, approved on 4-16-57; Prop. of 2-4-63, approved on 4-2-63; Res. No. 63-027; Ord. No. NS-1316, 8-24-76, approved at election 11-2-76; Res. No. 2018-056, § 7(Exh. A), 7-17-18, approved at the election 11-6-18)

Editor's note— Ord. No. NS-1521, adopted March 17, 1980, approved at election June 3, 1980, repealed § 101.3 relative to increasing the number of wards of the City from 7 to 9 whenever the census data described in § 101.3 disclosed a population of 240,000 people. Said section had previously been amended by Prop. of 4-9-57, approved on April 16, 1957; Prop. of 2-4-63, approved on April 2, 1963; Res. No. 63-027 and Ord. No. NS-1316, adopted August 24, 1976, approved at election November 2, 1976.

Before making any change, modification or realignment of ward boundaries or numbers of wards, the City Council shall pass a resolution declaring its intention to make such changes. Such resolution shall set forth a convenient day, hour and place when and where any persons having any interest therein, or any objection to the making thereof, may appear before the City Council and be heard thereon. The City Council shall direct the City Clerk to give notice by publishing said resolution once a week for two (2) weeks in the official newspaper prior to the date set for hearing. Said hearing in the event of increasing the number of wards shall be held not less than sixty (60) days prior to the succeeding general municipal election. In any event, not less than thirty (30) days prior to the general municipal election, publication shall be made by map diagram in the official newspaper showing the new boundary lines of each and every ward.

(Res. No. 2022-044, 8-2-22, approved at the election 11-8-22)

The first fiscal year shall begin on the first day the provisions of this charter become effective and shall end on the last day of the following June, and the succeeding fiscal years shall end respectively on the last day of June in each succeeding year.

Cross reference— See also § 603.

Nothing in this charter contained, except as specifically provided, shall affect or impair the rights or privileges of officers or employees of the City in relation to personnel, appointment, ranks, grades, tenure of office, promotion, removal, pension and retirement rights, civil rights, or any other rights or privileges of officers or employees of the City or any office, department, or agency thereof.

Editor's note— Ord. No. NS-1642, adopted Aug. 2, 1982, approved at election Nov. 2, 1982, repealed §§ 104, 105, 107-109, relative to officers and employees continuing in the performance of their duties at the time of taking effect of the charter, transfer of records and property, continuing in effect of ordinances, contracts, public improvements, etc., and the effect of the charter on pending actions and proceedings.

The City of Santa Ana, as successor in interest of the municipal corporation of the same name, shall own, possess, control, and in every way succeed to and become the owner of all rights and of all property of every kind and nature owned, possessed, or controlled at the time this charter takes effect, and shall be subject to all the debts, obligations, and liabilities then existing of this municipal corporation.

Note— See the editor's note at § 104.

For the purpose of nominating and electing members of the City Council and the board of education, the provisions of this charter shall become effective from the date of its approval by the Legislature of the State of California. For all other purposes this charter shall be in effect on the first Tuesday next following the first election of members of the City Council thereunder, at (8:00) p.m.