§ 532Wards in Cities of the First Class May be Created, Divided, Realigned, or Consolidated

(a) Wards in a city of the first class may be created,
divided, realigned or consolidated, along clearly visible
physical boundaries conforming with census block lines from the
most recently completed Federal decennial census, by the court
of common pleas of the county in which said city is located,
upon application thereto for those purposes by the petition of
at least a total of one hundred qualified electors from the

ward or wards sought to be affected, or of the council of such
city. ((a) amended Dec. 9, 2002, P.L.1246, No.150)
   (b) Upon such petition, the said court shall appoint five
impartial persons as a commission to inquire into and consider
the merits of said petition, by such procedure as said court
shall direct, to inspect the ward or wards sought to be
affected, and to prepare a plan of the ward or wards proposed
to be created, divided, realigned or consolidated.
   (c) Said commission shall submit its report and plan within
such time as shall be fixed by the said court.
   (d) Unless at least four of said commissioners report
favorably upon said petition and agree upon an implementing
plan, said petition shall be dismissed by said court and the
subject or subjects of said petition shall not be reconsidered
for at least two years from the date of such dismissal.
   (e) No final plan shall be entered until at least ten days
after notice to the electors in the wards to be affected
thereby. Such notice shall be in the manner, form and means
directed by the commission, shall state the date of
consideration by the commission and shall contain a warning
that all objections to said report and plan must be set forth
in writing and filed with the commission prior to such date.
   (f) On or after such given date, the commission shall
prepare a final plan which will best serve the public interest,
shall number the new ward or wards and shall cause a certified
copy of the whole proceedings to be placed of record among the
minutes of the city council and with the Mayor of said city.
   (g) In the event that any final plan shall affect less than
fifty (50) per centum of the wards in existence prior to the
preparation of said plan, the city council, upon receipt of
said plan from the commission, shall cause the same to be placed
upon the ballot for the purpose of approval or rejection by
vote of the qualified electors of the ward or wards divided,
created, consolidated or realigned by said plan at the primary
election next following the preparation of said plan.
   (h) In the event that any final plan shall affect fifty
(50) per centum or more of the wards in existence prior to the
preparation of said plan, the city council upon receipt of said
plan from the commission, shall cause the same to be placed
upon the ballot for the purpose of approval or rejection by
vote of the qualified electors of the city at the primary
election next following the preparation of said plan.
   (i) No plan dividing, creating, consolidating or realigning
any ward shall be valid or take effect unless approved by the
vote of the qualified electors as provided by subsections (g)
or (h) of this act, whichever is applicable.
   (j) Upon the appointment of said commission, it shall
prepare and submit to the said court, for consideration and
approval, a proposed budget of the expenses involved in
connection with its duties and functions. After the filing of
its report, the commission shall prepare and submit to said
court for consideration and approval, its request for allowance
of fees and any supplemental expenses. Upon approval of these
items, said court shall enter an order directing payment by
said city.
   (532 reenacted and amended Nov. 23, 1976, P.L.1124, No.236)
              (d)  Election District Alteration
                      and Data Reporting
        (Subdiv. added Nov. 24, 1999, P.L.543, No.51)