The Citizens of Jefferson County reserve the power to propose
by their own initiative to enact Ordinances independent of the County
Council, to approve or reject any Ordinance of the County Council
by referendum, and to recall any elected County Officer.
Initiative petitions may propose Ordinances or the repeal of
Ordinances on any subject except (1) Ordinances concerning appropriations
for the budgetary support of County Government, (2) Ordinances concerning
the payment of principal and interest on debts of Jefferson County,
(3) Ordinances concerning the borrowing of funds in anticipation of
the collection of taxes and revenues previously authorized at an election,
(4) Ordinances directing the issuance of bonds by Jefferson County
previously authorized at an election, (5) Ordinances establishing
tax rates, (6) Ordinances establishing zoning districts or designating
real property to be in one zoning district or another or Ordinances
amending other Ordinances that do so. In order for a proposition by
initiative petition to be submitted to the voters, the following requirements
must be met: (1) the initiative petitioners must file a notice of
intent to circulate an initiative petition with the County Clerk;
(2) within twelve months after filing the notice of intent, but not
less than six months before the next general election, the initiative
petitioners must file with the County Clerk initiative petitions bearing
the signatures of Registered Voters who reside in each of the Council
Districts equal in number to four percent of the total votes cast
for Governor of Missouri in that Council District in the last gubernatorial
election; and (3) each petition that is signed and filed must contain
a full text statement of the proposed Ordinance with an accompanying
title that reflects the content of the Ordinance and an enacting clause
that reads as follows: "Be it enacted by the citizens of Jefferson
County". The County Clerk is to examine the notice of intent and the
initiative petitions that are filed in his or her office to determine
if they meet the foregoing requirements. If they meet the foregoing
requirements, the County Clerk must so certify and the proposed Ordinance
must be submitted to the voters at the next general election. If the
proposition is approved by a majority of those voting on the proposition,
the proposed Ordinance is to be deemed adopted and to have the same
force and effect as an Ordinance adopted by County Council as provided
in this Charter.
Recall petitions may propose the recall of any elected County
Officer. In order for a recall proposition to be submitted to the
voters, the following requirements must be met: (1) the recall petitioners
must file a notice of intent to circulate a recall petition with the
County Clerk, or if the County Clerk is the subject of the recall
petition, with the County Executive; (2) within six months after filing
the notice of intent, the recall petitioners must file with the County
Clerk recall petitions bearing the required number of signatures of
Registered Voters; and (3) each recall petition that is signed and
filed must contain the following statement "[insert name of County
Officer] is recalled from the office of [insert name of the office
held by the County Officer]". If the elected County Officer to be
recalled is a Council Member, the recall petitions must bear the signatures
of Registered Voters who reside in his or her Council District equal
in number to twenty percent of the total votes cast for Governor of
Missouri in that Council District in the last gubernatorial election.
If the elected County Officer to be recalled is not a Council Member,
the recall petitions must bear the signatures of registered voters
who reside in Jefferson County equal in number to twenty percent of
the total votes cast for Governor of Missouri in Jefferson County
in the last gubernatorial election. The County Clerk, or County Executive
if the County Clerk is the subject of the recall petition, is to examine
the notice of intent and the recall petitions that are filed in his
or her office to determine if they meet the foregoing requirements.
If they meet the foregoing requirements, the County Clerk, or County
Executive if the County Clerk is the subject of the recall petition,
must so certify and the recall proposition must be submitted to the
voters. If the subject of the recall petition is a Council Member,
the recall proposition must be submitted to the voters of his or her
Council District. If the subject of the recall proposition is not
a Council Member, the recall proposition must be submitted to the
voters of Jefferson County. The vote on a recall proposition must
be held at a special election called for that purpose if the first
ensuing primary election or general election will be more than ninety
days after the recall petition is certified. If the first ensuing
primary election or general election will be more than ninety days
after the recall petition is certified, the vote on the recall proposition
must be held at that primary or general election. If the recall proposition
is approved by a majority of those voting on the proposition, the
County Officer who is the subject of the recall forfeits his or her
office immediately and that office is to be deemed vacant.