Division of city into wards.

(A) The legislative authority of a city shall subdivide the city into wards, equal in number to the members of the legislative authority to be elected from wards, within ninety days after: (1) The first day of October of the year following the decennial census year; (2) The approval of the adoption, change, or abandonment of an alternative plan for the composition of the legislative authority of the city under division (B) or (C) of section 731.01 of the Revised Code, if the number of wards is changed; (3) The annexation of territory containing, according to the last federal census or a census authorized by the legislative authority, such population as will entitle the city to an additional member of the legislative authority under division (A) of section 731.01 of the Revised Code. (B) If the legislative authority fails to make such subdivision within the time required, it shall be made by the director of public service. (C) In order to provide substantially equal population in each of the wards, the legislative authority may redivide the city into wards at any time. (D) All wards shall be bounded, as far as practicable, by county lines, streets, alleys, lot lines, avenues, public grounds, canals, watercourses, municipal corporation lines, center lines of platted streets, or railroads, and shall be composed of adjacent and compact territory, and substantially equal in population. (E) The legislative authority may authorize and provide for conducting a census of the population of the city at any time in order to carry out the powers granted by this section. (F) Action of the legislative authority to divide the city into wards shall be taken by ordinance and shall be effective for the first municipal primary election occurring at least one hundred fifty days after the passage of the ordinance.