§ 7. Council districts.

(a) Criteria for redistricting.

The City shall be divided by ordinance into districts for the election of members of the City Council. The criteria in redistricting shall be equality of population, contiguous territory, compactness, natural boundaries, existing council district lines, and the standards established by the Supreme Court of the United States.

(b) Redistricting plan.

Following each census of the United States the Mayor shall prepare a plan for council redistricting. The Mayor shall present the plan to the City Council not later than the first day of February of the first municipal election year following the census.

After the Mayor's plan is presented to the City Council, the Council may adopt it or amend it or the City Council may adopt another plan. If no plan has been adopted by the City Council within sixty days after the Mayor's plan is presented, the Mayor's plan shall take effect as the redistricting ordinance.

(d) Incumbent's residency.

No member of the City Council shall be required to vacate that office by reason of a change of boundary lines of that member's council district made during that member's term, as long as that member remains a resident of Baltimore City.

(e) Residency duration for next election.

For elections following the adoption of redistricting plans, members of the City Council shall have been residents of the districts they have been chosen to represent since the preceding July 1.