West Virginia Code § 8-5-7

Certain officers; wards or election districts; residency and other
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requirements.
(a) Unless otherwise provided in the charter of a municipality, there shall be elected a
mayor, a recorder and council members, who together shall form the governing body of the
municipality.
(b) When a municipality has not been divided into wards or election districts, there shall be
at least five council members, but when the municipality has been divided into wards or
election districts, the governing body may, by ordinance, determine the number of council
members to be elected from each ward or election district. Whenu it is considered necessary,
the governing body may, by ordinance, increase or decrease the number of wards or election
districts and change the boundaries thereof, the wards or eltection districts to be made as
nearly equal as may be, in population, and when the municipality is divided into wards or
election districts, or there is an increase or decrease in the number of wards or election
districts as aforesaid, the governing body may increase or decrease the number of council
members and, in the case of an increase in the number of council members, direct an
election to be held at the next regular municipsal election in the additional ward or wards or
election district or districts so that each ward or election district may have its full number of
council members residing therein and may have equal representation on the governing body.
When a municipality has been dividegd into wards or election districts, the governing body
may, by ordinance, also provide for the election of council members at large in addition to
the council members to be eleected from each ward or election district. The provisions of this
subsection are applicable to any municipality except to the extent otherwise provided in the
charter of the municipalLity.
(c) Unless otherwise provided by charter provision or ordinance, the mayor, recorder and
council members must be residents of the municipality and must be qualified voters entitled
to vote for members of its governing body. A city manager in a manager form of government
need only be a resident of the city at the time of his or her appointment.
PART V. OATH OF OFFICE; TERMS OF OFFICE; FILLING VACANCIES.

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