07 LC 18
5896
Senate
Bill 31
By:
Senator Thomas of the 2nd
A
BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
AN ACT
To
amend an Act incorporating the City of Port Wentworth, approved February 6, 1957
(Ga. L. 1957, p. 2003), as amended, so as to reconstitute the governing
authority of the city; to provide for council districts; to provide for
definitions and inclusions; to provide for continuation in office of the mayor
and current council members; to change the provisions relating to the regular
expiration of terms of office of certain council members; to provide for
election and terms of office of subsequent members; to provide for submission of
this Act for preclearance under the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965, as
amended; to provide an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other
purposes.
BE
IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION
1.
An
Act incorporating the City of Port Wentworth, approved February 6, 1957 (Ga. L.
1957, p. 2003), as amended, is amended by revising Sections 4 and 4A as
follows:
"SECTION
4.
The
mayor and city council of the City of Port Wentworth which existed immediately
prior to the effective date of this Act, is continued in existence but on and
after January 1, 2010, shall be constituted as provided in this Act. The mayor
and city council of the City of Port Wentworth so continued and constituted
shall continue to have the same powers, duties, rights, obligations, and
liabilities as existed immediately prior to January 1, 2010.
SECTION
4A.
(a)(1)
The mayor of the City of Port Wentworth whose term regularly expires on December
31, 2009, and any person selected to fill a vacancy in any such office shall
continue to serve as such until the regular expiration of that term of office
and upon the election and qualification of the mayor´s
successor.
(2)
Those members of the city council of Port Wentworth whose terms regularly expire
on December 31, 2007, and any person selected to fill a vacancy in any such
office shall continue to serve as such members until the regular expiration of
their respective terms of office and upon the election and qualification of
their respective successors. Successors to such members shall be elected at the
general election on the Tuesday next following the first Monday in November,
2007. Those members of the city council elected thereto in 2007 shall take
office on the first day of January immediately following that election and shall
serve for a term of office which expires on December 31, 2009, and upon the
election and qualification of their respective successors.
(3)
Those members of the city council of Port Wentworth whose terms regularly expire
on December 31, 2009, and any person selected to fill a vacancy in any such
office shall continue to serve as such members until the regular expiration of
their respective terms of office and upon the election and qualification of
their respective successors.
(4)
On and after January 1, 2010, the city council of the City of Port Wentworth
shall consist of six members. Four members shall be elected from council
districts described in subsection (b) of this section. Two members shall be
elected at large as provided in subsection (f) of this section. The mayor shall
be elected at large as provided in subsection (g) of this section.
(b)
For purposes of electing members of the city council, other than the mayor and
the two at large council members, the City of Port Wentworth is divided into
four council districts. One member of the board shall be elected from each such
district. The four council districts shall be and correspond to those four
numbered districts described in and attached to and made a part of this Act and
further identified as Plan Name: pwcc4dp2 Plan Type: Local User: Shantee
Administrator: S002.
(c)
When used in such attachment, the terms 'Tract' and 'BG' (Block Group) shall
mean and describe the same geographical boundaries as provided in the report of
the Bureau of the Census for the United States decennial census of 2000 for the
State of Georgia. The separate numeric designations in a Tract description
which are underneath a 'BG' heading shall mean and describe individual Blocks
within a Block Group as provided in the report of the Bureau of the Census for
the United States decennial census of 2000 for the State of Georgia. Any part
of the City of Port Wentworth which is not included in any such district
described in that attachment shall be included within that district contiguous
to such part which contains the least population according to the United States
decennial census of 2000 for the State of Georgia. Any part of the City of Port
Wentworth which is described in that attachment as being in a particular
district shall nevertheless not be included within such district if such part is
not contiguous to such district. Such noncontiguous part shall instead be
included within that district contiguous to such part which contains the least
population according to the United States decennial census of 2000 for the State
of Georgia.
(d)
No person shall be mayor or a member of the city council if that person is
ineligible for such office pursuant to Code Section 45-2-1 of the O.C.G.A. or
any other general law applicable to that office.
(e)
In order to be elected or appointed as a member of the city council from a
council district, a person must have resided in that council district for at
least six months prior to election or appointment thereto and, if elected, must
receive a plurality of votes cast for that office in that district only and not
at large. Only electors who are residents of that council district may vote for
a member of the council for that district. At the time of qualifying for
election as a member of the city council from a council district, each candidate
for such office shall specify the council district for which that person is a
candidate. A person elected or appointed as a member of the city council from a
council district must continue to reside in that district during that
person´s term of office or that office shall become vacant.
(f)
In order to be elected or appointed as an at-large member of the city council, a
person must have resided in the city for at least six months prior to election
or appointment thereto and, if elected, must receive a plurality of votes cast
for that office at large. Only electors who are residents of the city may vote
for an at-large member of the council. At the time of qualifying for election
as an at-large member of the city council, each candidate for such office shall
specify the post for which that person is an at-large candidate. A person
elected or appointed as an at-large member of the city council must continue to
reside in the city during that person´s term of office or that office shall
become vacant.
(g)
In order to be elected or appointed as mayor, a person must have resided in the
City of Port Wentworth for at least six months prior to election or appointment
thereto and, if elected, must receive a plurality of votes cast for that office
in the entire city. The mayor must continue to reside within the city during
that person´s term of office or that office shall become
vacant.
(h)(1)
The mayor and members of the reconstituted city council of the City of Port
Wentworth shall be elected as provided in this subsection.
(2)
The first members from Council Districts 1, 2, 3, and 4 shall be elected at the
general election on the Tuesday next following the first Monday in November,
2009. Those members of the city council elected thereto from Council Districts
1, 2, 3, and 4 in 2009 shall take office the first day of January immediately
following that election and shall serve for initial terms of office which expire
December 31, 2013, and upon the election and qualification of their respective
successors.
(3)
The first at-large members from Posts 1 and 2 shall be elected at the general
election on the Tuesday next following the first Monday in November, 2009.
Those at-large members of the city council elected thereto from Posts 1 and 2 in
2009 shall take office the first day of January immediately following that
election and shall serve for initial terms of office which expire December 31,
2013, and upon the election and qualification of their respective
successors.
(4)
The mayor shall be elected at the general election on the Tuesday next following
the first Monday in November, 2009. The mayor shall take office on the first
day of January immediately following that election and shall serve for an
initial term of office which expires on December 31, 2013, and upon the election
and qualification of the mayor´s successor.
(5)
Those and all future successors to the mayor and members of the city council
whose terms of office are to expire shall be elected at the time of the
municipal general election immediately preceding the expiration of such terms,
shall take office the first day of January immediately following that election,
and shall serve for terms of office of four years each. The mayor and members
of the city council shall serve for the terms of office specified therefor in
this subsection and until their respective successors are elected and
qualified.
(i)
All members of the board who are elected thereto shall be nominated and elected
in accordance with Chapter 2 of Title 21 of the O.C.G.A., the 'Georgia Election
Code' in nonpartisan elections as provided in Code Section 21-2-139 of the
O.C.G.A. Political parties shall not conduct primaries for city offices and all
names of candidates shall be listed without party
designations."
SECTION
2.
The
governing authority of the City of Port Wentworth shall through its legal
counsel cause this Act to be submitted for preclearance under the federal Voting
Rights Act of 1965, as amended; and such submission shall be made to the United
States Department of Justice or filed with the appropriate court no later than
45 days after the date on which this Act is approved by the Governor or
otherwise becomes law without such approval.
SECTION
3.
All
laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.
Plan
Name: pwcc4dp2 Plan Type: Local User: Shantee Administrator:
S002
Redistricting
Plan Components Report
District
001
Chatham County
Tract: 107
BG: 1
1001 1002 1003 1004 1005 1006 1007 1009 1010 1011 1012 1013
1014 1015 1016 1017 1019 1020 1021 1022 1023 1024 1025 1029
1030 1031 1032 1033 1034 1035 1036 1037 1038 1039 1040 1041
1042 1051 1052 1053 1054 1055 1056 1057 1058 1059 1062 1063
1064 1067 1068 1069 1073 1997 1998
BG: 3
3018 3019 3020
BG: 4
4020 4021 4022 4000 4001 4002 4003 4004 4005 4006 4007 4008
4009 4010 4011 4012 4013 4014 4015 4016 4017 4018 4019 4026
Chatham County
Tract: 107
BG: 1
1001 1002 1003 1004 1005 1006 1007 1009 1010 1011 1012 1013
1014 1015 1016 1017 1019 1020 1021 1022 1023 1024 1025 1029
1030 1031 1032 1033 1034 1035 1036 1037 1038 1039 1040 1041
1042 1051 1052 1053 1054 1055 1056 1057 1058 1059 1062 1063
1064 1067 1068 1069 1073 1997 1998
BG: 3
3018 3019 3020
BG: 4
4020 4021 4022 4000 4001 4002 4003 4004 4005 4006 4007 4008
4009 4010 4011 4012 4013 4014 4015 4016 4017 4018 4019 4026
District
002
Chatham County
Tract: 107
BG: 5
5009 5010 5011 5012 5013 5014 5015 5022
Chatham County
Tract: 107
BG: 5
5009 5010 5011 5012 5013 5014 5015 5022
District
003
Chatham County
Tract: 107
BG: 3
3023 3024 3025 3026 3027 3028 3029 3030 3031 3032 3033
BG: 5
5005 5006 5007 5008 5016 5017 5018
Chatham County
Tract: 107
BG: 3
3023 3024 3025 3026 3027 3028 3029 3030 3031 3032 3033
BG: 5
5005 5006 5007 5008 5016 5017 5018
District
004
Chatham County
Tract: 107
BG: 1
1065 1165 1166 1168 1171 1172 1983 1984 1986 1987 1992 1993
BG: 3
3001 3003 3004 3005 3006 3008 3009 3010 3011 3012 3013 3014
3015 3016 3017 3021 3022 3034 3997 3998
Chatham County
Tract: 107
BG: 1
1065 1165 1166 1168 1171 1172 1983 1984 1986 1987 1992 1993
BG: 3
3001 3003 3004 3005 3006 3008 3009 3010 3011 3012 3013 3014
3015 3016 3017 3021 3022 3034 3997 3998