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CHAPTER 2 <br />FORM OF GOVERNMENT <br /> <br />Section 2.1 Form of Government. <br /> The form of government established by this charter is the <br />“Mayor-Council Plan” as defined by current Minnesota State Statutes. Except as otherwise <br />provided by state statutes or this charter, all powers of the city are vested in the city council. <br /> <br />Section 2.2 Boards and Commissions. <br /> There shall be no separate administrative board of <br />health, library board, or any other administrative board or commission except for the <br />administration of a function jointly with another political subdivision. The council shall itself be <br />and perform the duties and exercise the powers of such boards and commissions provided for by <br />state statutes. The council may, however, establish or abolish by ordinance boards or <br />commissions to advise the council with respect to any municipal function or activity, or to <br />perform quasi-judicial functions. Notice of initial formation and all vacancies shall be published <br />in the city newsletter and in the legal newspaper. Membership of various boards and <br />commissions shall not exceed nine members, at least two-thirds of which shall be residents of the <br />City of Ramsey. <br /> <br />Section 2.3 Council Composition and Election. <br /> <br /> <br />2.3.1 Mayor and Council. <br /> The council shall be composed of the mayor, elected at- <br />large, two councilmembers elected at-large, and four councilmembers, each of whom <br />shall be elected from a separate Ward as established or amended pursuant to this charter. <br />The mayor and councilmembers shall be qualified electors. Each councilmember elected <br />from a ward shall be a resident of the Ward, but a change in Ward boundaries does not <br />disqualify a councilmember from serving the remainder of a term. Except as hereinafter <br />provided, councilmembers shall serve for a term of four years and until a successor is <br />elected and qualifies. The mayor shall serve for a term of four years and until a successor <br />is elected and qualifies. The elections for the mayor and councilmembers shall be held as <br />provided in Subsection 2.3.3. <br /> <br />2.3.2Wards. <br /> The city shall be divided into four separate Wards. The boundaries of <br />such Wards shall be determined by ordinance based upon population as determined by <br />the most recent federal decennial census and shall be as equal in population as practicable <br />and each Ward shall be composed of compact, contiguous territory. An ordinance <br />designating the boundaries of the City’s election Wards shall be enacted within sixty days <br />after the state legislature has been redistricted or by May 10 in the year ending in two, <br />whichever comes first. The Wards shall be designated as ward numbers 1, 2, 3 and 4. <br /> <br />2.3.3Transition Schedule. <br /> <br /> <br />2.3.3.1 <br />For the 2002 Citywide election only: <br />(1) Councilmembers elected in the year 2000 shall be assigned to the Ward in <br />which he/she resides. <br />(2) Councilmembers from Ward Numbers 1 and 3 shall be elected. <br />(3) Two at-large councilmembers shall be elected, with the candidate <br />receiving the highest number of votes serving a four-year term and the <br /> 2 <br /> <br />