§ 601 — Creation and alteration

(a) Council.--In addition to reapportionment initiated in accordance with 53 Pa.C.S. Ch. 9 (relating to municipal reapportionment) and section 11 of Article IX of the Constitution of Pennsylvania, a council may, by ordinance, do any of the following:

(1) Divide boroughs into wards.

(2) Erect new wards out of two or more adjoining wards or parts of wards.

(3) Consolidate two or more wards into one ward.

(4) Divide any ward already erected into two or more wards.

(5) Alter the lines of two or more adjoining wards or cause the lines or boundaries of wards to be ascertained or established.

(6) Abolish all wards.

(b) Restrictions.--The following shall apply:

(1) No borough may be divided or redivided into more than 13 wards.

(2) The following shall apply:

(i) No ward may be created containing less than 300 registered electors.

(ii) Any ward which contains less than 350 registered electors after December 31, 1965, may be abolished, and the territory of the ward shall be distributed among the remaining wards as determined by council.

(iii) All wards in existence prior to January 1, 1966, shall remain as established, until altered or divided as provided under this chapter.

(c) Members of council.--If a ward is abolished under this section and the number of wards in a borough is reduced to less than five, a member of council in an abolished ward shall continue in office for his elected term and shall become a member of council at large from the borough.

(d) Composition.--All wards in the borough shall be numbered and composed of compact and contiguous territory as nearly equal in population as practicable as officially and finally reported in the latest official census.

Legislative History

Cross References.Section 601 is referred to in sections 602, 603 of this title.