Council shall protect and promote the right of the citizens of the Municipality to participate in a positive and constructive manner in the government of the Municipality. Any qualified citizen of the Municipality may participate in the government of the Municipality by:
A. 
Seeking elected office as Council Member and by voting for the elected officials of his or her choice;
B. 
Serving on boards, commissions, authorities, committees or other agencies of the Municipality;
C. 
Attending and being heard at public meetings of Council and other boards, commissions, authorities, committees or agencies of the Municipality;
D. 
Addressing suggestions to the Council, and others to provide guidance for their actions; and,
E. 
Exercising the right of initiative and referendum as provided in this Charter or general law.
Council shall appoint qualified citizens to boards, commissions, authorities or other agencies of the Municipality, making the greatest possible use of the talents and interests of such citizens, thereby promoting the public interest and welfare of the Municipality.
A. 
Qualified voters of the Municipality shall have the following powers:
1. 
Initiative: to propose ordinances to Council which are consistent with this Charter and general law, and to adopt or reject the same at a primary, municipal or general election if Council fails to adopt an ordinance so proposed without any change in substance; and
2. 
Referendum: to require repeal by Council of any adopted ordinance prior to its effective date and, if Council fails to repeal said ordinance, to repeal it at a primary, municipal or general election.
B. 
Petition papers circulated for the purpose of an initiative or referendum shall:
1. 
Contain the names and addresses of five qualified voters of the Municipality designated as a Committee of the Petitioners;
2. 
Contain or have attached thereto throughout the circulation the full text of the ordinance proposed or sought to be repealed;
3. 
Bear the signatures and addresses in ink of qualified voters of the Municipality equal in number to at least 15% of all votes cast for all candidates for Governor in the last gubernatorial election;
4. 
When filed, have attached to it an affidavit executed by the circulator thereof, stating that he or she personally circulated the paper and the number of signatures thereon, that all the signatures were affixed in his or her presence, that he or she believes them to be the genuine signatures of the person whose name appears thereon, that each signer had an opportunity before signing to read the full text of the ordinance proposed or sought to be repealed;
5. 
In the case of a referendum petition; be filed within 30 days after the final adoption of the ordinance sought to be repealed; and
6. 
Be filed with the Municipal Administrator as one instrument as provided herein.
C. 
Procedure after filing.
1. 
Within 20 days after the petition is filed, the Municipal Administrator shall examine the petition for compliance with the provisions of this Charter and general law, and certify the results of his or her examination to the Committee of Petitioners and the President of Council by registered mail.
2. 
If the Municipal Administrator certifies the petition as valid:
a. 
The ordinance proposed shall be introduced at the next regular meeting or special meeting of Council and be subject to the other provisions of Article IV of this Charter pertaining to the enactment of ordinances, not inconsistent with the provisions of this article.
b. 
The ordinance sought to be repealed shall be immediately suspended from taking effect until:
(1) 
The referendum petition is withdrawn by the Committee of Petitioners;
(2) 
It is repealed by the vote of Council; or
(3) 
It is approved or disapproved by the qualified voters of the Municipality, upon the certification of election results under the election laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
3. 
If the Municipal Administrator determines that the petition is invalid:
a. 
He or she shall certify the results of his or her examination to the Committee of Petitioners and the President of Council by registered mail describing the particulars in which it is defective.
b. 
The Committee of Petitioners shall have 10 days after the date of such notification to correct the said deficiencies and file the corrected petition with the Municipal Administrator.
c. 
Within five days after the corrected petition is filed, the Municipal Administrator shall examine the corrected petition, as aforesaid, and the procedures in the case of an original petition shall be followed.
d. 
A petition may only be corrected once, but a new petition may be filed for the same purpose at any future time.
D. 
Action on petition. If, within 60 days after the submission of a petition certified as valid by the Municipal Administrator to the President of Council, Council fails to adopt or repeal the ordinance as requested by the initiative or referendum petition, the Municipal Administrator, within 10 days thereafter, or the Committee of Petitioners within 15 days thereafter (if the Municipal Administrator fails to act), shall file the petition with the Board of Elections of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, to be voted upon by the qualified voters of the Municipality at the next primary, municipal or general election to be held not less than 60 days thereafter. An initiative or referendum election shall be held by special election as provided in the election laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
E. 
Results of election.
1. 
Initiative: If a majority of the qualified voters of the Municipality voting on a proposed ordinance vote in favor thereof, such ordinance shall become a valid and binding ordinance of the Municipality upon certification of election results under the election laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
2. 
Referendum: If a majority of the qualified voters of the Municipality voting to repeal an ordinance vote in favor thereof, such ordinance shall be considered repealed upon certification of the election results under the election laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
3. 
Multiple ordinances: If the provisions of two or more ordinances adopted at the same election conflict, then the ordinance receiving the greatest affirmative vote shall control.
F. 
Limitations on initiative and referendum. Initiative and referendum powers shall not extend to the budget or capital programs in their entirety nor to any emergency ordinance. However, such exception shall not apply to specific projects of the budget or capital program. Any proposed ordinance which requires the expenditure of Municipal revenues shall provide for the funding thereof.