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.
[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.
