The city council or the school committee shall hold a public hearing and act with respect to every petition which is addressed to it, which is signed by 100 or more registered voters, and which seeks the passage of a measure. The hearing shall be held by the city council or the school committee and the action by the city council or the school committee shall be taken not later than 6 weeks after the petition is filed with the city clerk or the vice chair of the school committee. Hearings on 2 or more petitions filed under this section may be held at the same time and place. The city clerk or the vice-chair of the school committee shall mail notice of the hearing to the 10 persons whose names appear first on the petition at least 7 days before the hearing. Notice, by publication, of all such hearings shall be at public expense.
None of the following shall be subject to the initiative or the referendum procedures:
(1) proceedings relating to the internal organization or operation of the city council or of the school committee;
(2) an emergency measure adopted under the charter;
(3) the city budget or the school committee budget as a whole;
(4) any appropriation for the payment of the city's debt or debt service;
(5) an appropriation of funds to implement a collective bargaining agreement;
(6) proceedings relating to the appointment, removal, discharge, employment, promotion, transfer, demotion or other personnel action;
(7) any proceedings repealing or rescinding a measure or part of it which is protested by referendum procedures;
(8) any proceedings providing for the submission or referral to the voters at an election; and
(9) resolutions and other votes constituting ordinary, routine matters not suitable as the subject of a referendum petition.
For any measure to be effective under the initiative procedure, and for any measure to be declared null and void under a referendum procedure, at least 20 per cent of the voters as of the most recent regular city election must vote at any election that includes on the ballot submission to the voters of 1 or more initiative or referendum questions.
The city council may on its own motion and shall, at the request of the school committee if a measure originates with that body and pertains to affairs under its jurisdiction, submit to the voters at a regular city election for adoption or rejection any measure in the same manner and with the same force and effect as are hereby provided for submission by petitions of voters.
If 2 or more measures passed at the same election contain conflicting provisions, only the one receiving the greatest number of affirmative votes shall take effect.