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Jeff Karlson July 16, 2014 Page 3 We have identified three provisions of the proposed amendment, however, that conflict with State law. The City Council must Confirm or Redefine Ward Boundaries. Under the Minnesota Election Law, the city council is responsible for drawing ward boundaries. The proposed amendments, however, requires that the Commission "determine the council election wards (districting)." While there are some instances in which a charter provision will control over a conflicting state law, that is not the case with respect to election districts. Minnesota 'Statute section 205.84 applies to "a city electing council members by wards." Minn. Stat. § 205.84, subd. 1. In ward - election cities, "[ajfter the official certification of the federal decennial or special census, the governing body of the city shall either confine the existing ward boundaries as conforming to the standards of subdivision 1 or redefine ward boundaries to conform to those standards as provided in section 204B.135, subdivision 1." Id., subd. 2. Further, "[i]f the governing body of the city fails to take either action within the time required, no further compensation shall be paid to the mayor or council member until the wards of the city are either reconfirmed or redefined as required by this section." Id. "` Governing body' means... the elected council of a city." Minn. Stat. § 200.02, subd. 10. In short, both the requirement to set the ward boundaries and the penalty for failing to do so lie entirely on the city council. This statute applies to Lino Lakes and controls over any contradictory Charter provisions. Under Minnesota Election Law, the general term "city" "means a home rule charter or statutory city." Minn. Stat. § 200.02, subd. 8. Lino Lakes is a home -rule charter city. "The Minnesota Election Law applies to all elections held in this state unless otherwise specifically provided. by law." Minn. Stat. § 200.015. The Commission may have relied on section 410.21, which states that charter provisions "shall be valid and shall control as to.. , elections for municipal offices, notwithstanding that such charter provisions may be inconsistent with any general law...." That statute, however, was adopted in 1909, whereas section 205.84 was made applicable to charter cities in 1999. Minn. Laws 1999, Ch. 237, § 3. These specific election law provisions, having been enacted later in time than section 410.21, take precedence. See Minn. Stat. § 645.26 (stating that specific and more recent statutory provisions control over general and older provisions). This conclusion is shared by the attorney general. See Minn. Atty. Gen. Op. 64F, 1995 WL 647731 (Oct. 27, 1995). In that Letter Opinion, the Attorney General noted that, while section 410.21 states that charter provisions regarding certain specified electoral issues control