(1) In a city which adopts the commission plan of government pursuant to the Municipal Commission Plan of Government Act, the number of city council members shall be determined by the class and population of the city. In cities having two thousand or more but not more than forty thousand inhabitants as determined by the most recent federal decennial census or the most recent revised certified count by the United States Bureau of the Census, there shall be five members, in cities of the primary class, there shall be five members, and in cities of the metropolitan class, there shall be seven members. Council members shall be elected from the city at large. Nomination and election of all council members shall be by nonpartisan ballot. The mayor shall be elected for a four-year term.

(2) If a city elects to adopt the commission plan of government, the council member elected as the commissioner of the department of public works and the council member elected as the commissioner of the department of public accounts and finances shall each serve a term of four years and the council member elected as the commissioner of the department of streets, public improvements, and public property and the council member elected as the commissioner of the department of parks and recreation shall each serve a term of two years. Upon the expiration of such terms, all council members shall serve terms of four years and until their successors are elected and qualified.

(3) Commencing with the statewide primary election in 2000, and every two years thereafter, candidates shall be nominated at the statewide primary election and elected at the statewide general election except as otherwise provided in section 19-405.