That part of the County of Oswego and State of New York, contained within the boundaries hereinafter described, shall be a city by the name of "Oswego," and the inhabitants within said boundaries shall continue to be a body politic and municipal corporation by the name of the "City of Oswego," and in that name may sue and be sued, complain and defend in any court, make and use a common seal and alter it at pleasure and may receive, by gift, grant, devise, bequest or purchase, any real or personal property and hold, own, utilize, enlarge, improve, extend, lease, sell and convey, all and singular, such real or personal property or estate, right, power, privileges, easements, hereditaments and franchises as it may receive as aforesaid, including the water power and all rights and privileges connected therewith which may be developed or created by the waters flowing over or adjacent to the Oswego River, and use, improve, maintain, enlarge, develop, extend and operate the same in such mode and manner and by such means and appliances and agencies as the purposes, objects, conveniences, advantages, pecuniary benefits, comforts and necessities of the corporation or its citizens and inhabitants may require and for other purposes not contrary to law. All the real estate and personal property now owned or possessed by or held in the name of the City of Oswego or in trust for the Mayor and Common Council of the City of Oswego are hereby vested in the City of Oswego, with power to hold or convey the same as the purposes of said corporation may require. Said corporation shall also have the powers and privileges conferred by the general statutes of this state upon municipal corporations, as well as those conferred by any other legislative enactment.
The territory within the following boundaries shall constitute the City of Oswego: Commencing at a point in Lake Ontario, one (1) mile north (true meridian) from the northwesterly corner of Lot No. 34 in the eighteenth township of Scriba's Patent, Town of Scriba, and running thence south to the northwesterly corner of said Lot No. 34; thence southerly along the westerly line of said Lot No. 34 and its prolongation to its intersection with the easterly line of Lot No. 87 of the same township; thence southerly along the easterly line of said Lot No. 87 (also along the center line of the highway) to the point of intersection with the northern prolongation of the easterly line of Lot No. 11; thence southerly along said prolonged line and also along the easterly line of said Lot Nos. 11 and 25 of Hamilton's Gore to its point of intersection with the easterly line of Lot No. 3, Hamilton's Gore; thence southerly along the easterly bounds of Lot Nos. 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 of Hamilton's Gore, in the Town of Scriba, to the southeasterly corner of said Lot No. 7; thence westerly along the southerly line of said Lot No. 7 to the Oswego River; thence in a northwesterly direction across said river to the southeast corner of Military Lot No. 8 in the original Township of Hannibal (now Town of Oswego); thence westerly along the southerly line of said Lot No. 8 to the west boundary line of the Oswego and Syracuse Railroad; thence northerly along the west line of said Oswego and Syracuse Railroad to the north line of said Lot No. 8; thence westerly along the north line of said Lot No. 8 and its western prolongation till it intersects the west line of Military Lot No. 5 in the original Township of Hannibal (now Town of Oswego); thence northerly along the west line of said Lot No. 5 to the shore of Lake Ontario; thence one (1) mile north (true meridian) into said lake; thence easterly to the place of beginning.
[Amended 2-28-1994 by L.L. No. 4-1994][1]
The city shall be divided into seven (7) wards, until amended according to subsequent provision of this charter. The official map of the city's seven (7) wards, together with a description of each ward, shall be filed with the City Clerk.
[1]
Editor's Note: See also Ch. 44, Reapportionment.
[Amended 6-26-1982 by L.L. No. 1-1982 (approved at referendum 8-9-1982); 2-28-1994 by L.L. No. 4-1994]
A. 
The city's wards shall be drawn after the 1980 and each succeeding decennial census by an Apportionment Commission consisting of five (5) members. The Mayor shall appoint two (2) members, the Council shall appoint two (2) members and the fifth appointment shall be made by a majority of those already selected. Should there be no consensus on the selection of the fifth member within thirty (30) days of the final Council selections, the Mayor shall select the fifth member of the Commission and that selection shall be ratified by a majority vote of the Common Council. The Commission shall be composed of no more than three (3) enrolled members of any one (1) political party. The Commission shall utilize the following guidelines in priority order as listed below in drawing ward boundaries:
(1) 
The equity of population between the wards, but no ward shall span the Oswego River.
(2) 
The minimal circumference of each ward boundary.
(3) 
The ward boundaries within the city limits being generally along an east-west axis.
(4) 
The maintenance of existing ward boundaries after each decennial census, unless population shifts within the city shall require change.
B. 
A description of the city's wards shall be filed by the apportionment commission with the City Clerk not later than May 31 of the first odd-numbered year of each decade, unless census data shall not be available. In that case, the Commission's report shall be filed not later May 31 of the third odd-numbered year of the decade. After filing its report, the Commission shall cease to exist and its report shall be the official map of the city's wards until a subsequent commission shall have reported after the next decennial census.