The electors shall have the power to propose to the council any ordinance or other measure, in accordance with this chapter, except an ordinance or resolution appointing or removing officials, specifying the compensation or hours of work of officials or employees, or relating to the council's action and authority when the council is acting in its capacity as the zoning authority of the town.
If the council fails to adopt such ordinance or measure within sixty days after a petition making such a proposal has been filed with the town clerk, the electors may adopt or reject the same at an election called and warned by the council within ninety days after such proposed ordinance or measure was originally certified by the town clerk, provided such petition shall be substantially in the form prescribed in Section 7 of this chapter, and shall be in ink or indelible pencil, signed by not less than seven percent of the electors as determined by the last-completed registry list. The town clerk shall determine the sufficiency of the petition and, if said petition is found to be sufficient, shall certify it to the council within seven days after receipt of the petition.
Unless at least fifteen percent of the electors entitled to vote on the question shall vote, such proposed ordinance or measure shall not become effective and the result shall be construed as against adoption. No ordinance or other measure which shall have been adopted in accordance with the provisions of this section shall be repealed or amended by the council within two years after adoption except by vote of the electors.
The electors shall have the power to approve or reject at a referendum as herein provided any ordinance or other measure passed by the council except the following:
(a) 
An ordinance or resolution appointing or removing officials, specifying the compensation or hours of work of officials or employees, or relating to the council's action and authority when the council is acting in its capacity as the zoning authority of the town;
(b) 
An ordinance authorizing the issuance of bonds or notes which ordinance shall be subject to referendum only in accordance with Chapter VII, Section 8, of this charter;
(c) 
The budget ordinance, or substitute budget ordinance, which ordinances shall be subject to referendum only in accordance with Chapter VII, Section 11, of this charter;
(d) 
The resolution establishing the tax rate, which resolution shall not be subject to referendum;
(e) 
Any other matter arising out of proceedings undertaken pursuant to Chapter VII, Section 11, of this charter, which matters shall not be subject to referendum. Ordinances or other measures submitted to the council by initiative petition as provided in Section 1 of this chapter and passed by the council with or without change shall be subject to a referendum in the same manner as other ordinances or measures.
Within thirty days after the enactment by the council of any ordinance or other measure which is subject to referendum, a petition substantially in the form prescribed in Section 7 of this chapter, and signed in ink or indelible pencil by not less than seven percent of the electors as determined by the last-compiled registry list may be filed with the town clerk requesting that any such ordinance or other measure be either repealed or submitted to a vote of the electors. The town clerk shall determine the sufficiency of the petition and, if said petition is found to be sufficient, shall so certify to the council within seven days after receipt of the petition by him or her. If the council fails to repeal such ordinance or other measure, the question shall be submitted to a referendum of the electors of the town conducted in accordance with the relevant general statutes, such referendum to be held within sixty days after certification by the town clerk. Upon the filing of a sufficient petition, the ordinance or measure shall remain without effect until the electors vote on the question as above provided.
A majority vote of the electors to repeal the ordinance or measure shall not become effective unless a total of at least fifteen percent of the electors entitled to vote on the question shall have voted. If the vote to repeal fails, the ordinance or measure as passed by the council shall become effective immediately.
The form of petition for initiative or referendum shall be as follows:
WARNING: ALL SIGNATURES SHALL BE IN INK OR INDELIBLE PENCIL. We, the undersigned electors of the town of West Hartford, hereby present this petition (here insert the word "initiating" or the words "requesting the repeal of') the following ordinance (measure) (here insert the text of the ordinance or measure) and we certify that we are electors of the town of West Hartford residing at the addresses set opposite our names and that we have not signed this petition more than once.
Name                                 Address
1.
2.
etc.
The form of question for any ordinance or measure placed on the voting machines in accordance with the initiative and referendum provisions of this chapter shall be as follows: Are you in favor of the ordinance (measure) or proposed ordinance (proposed measure) relating to (here insert brief description of the ordinance or measure and its intent)?
Upon the filing of any petition pursuant to any provisions of this charter the town clerk shall proceed to determine forthwith its sufficiency. If the town clerk shall find any petition filed under the provisions of Section 1 or 4 of this chapter to be insufficient, he or she shall serve public notice of such insufficiency by placing a legal notice to such effect in a newspaper having general circulation in the town. After the town clerk has found any petition to be insufficient, no further proceedings shall be had thereon except by order of a judge of a court of competent jurisdiction to whom an appeal may be taken from the decision of the town clerk.