Section 1.1. Incorporation
The inhabitants of the City of Springfield, within the corporate limits as now
established or as hereafter established in the manner provided by law, shall
continue to be a municipal body politic and corporate in perpetuity, under the
name of the "City of Springfield."
Section 1.1.1. Extended corporate limits
In addition to all that territory in the State of Missouri, County of Greene,
included within the corporate limits of the City of Springfield, Missouri, as
of November 5, 1985, there shall hereafter be included within the corporate
limits of the City of Springfield, Missouri, additional territories in Greene
County, Missouri, which extended city limits are not set out in this volume,
but may be found set out in full in general ordinances which are on file in
the office of the City Clerk.
Approved by vote of the people November 5, 1985.
Section 1.2. Form of government
The municipal government provided by this Charter shall be known as a "council-manager
government." Pursuant to the provisions of this Charter and subject only
to the limitations imposed by the state constitution and by this Charter, all
powers of the city shall be vested in an elective council, hereinafter referred
to as "the council," which shall enact local legislation, adopt budgets,
determine policies, and appoint the city manager, who shall execute the laws
and administer the government of the city.
Section 1.3. Powers of the city
The city shall have all powers of local self-government and home rule, and all
powers possible for any city to have under the constitution and laws of Missouri,
or those powers which the legislature would be competent to grant; except as
prohibited by the constitution or laws of the state, the city may exercise all
municipal powers, functions, rights, privileges and immunities of every name
and nature whatsoever. Such powers shall be exercised in the manner prescribed
in this Charter, or,if not prescribed herein, in such manner as may be prescribed
by the council.
The enumeration of particular powers in this Charter is not exclusive of others,
nor is it restrictive of general words or phrases granting powers, nor shall
a grant or failure to grant power in this article impair a power granted in
any other part of this Charter; and whether powers, objects or purposes are
expressed conjunctively or disjunctively, they shall be construed so as to permit
the council to exercise freely any one or more such powers.
Section 1.4. Zones
The city is hereby divided into four zones, bounded and numbered as in the case
of the postal zones existing in the City of Springfield at the time of the adoption
of this Charter. Zone boundaries shall be established by ordinance following
each decennial census. Zones shall comprise compact and contiguous territory,
and contain, as nearly as possible, an equal number of inhabitants.
Section 1.5. Extended city limits
Editor's Note: Section 1.5 of this Charter, establishing the extended city limits
of Springfield, was adopted by vote of the people at an election held November
8, 1955. The extended city limits are not set out in this volume, but may be
found set out in full in general ordinances which are on file in the office
of the City Clerk.