Any proposed ordinance may be submitted to the commission for adoption, and any ordinance or resolution passed by the commission may be submitted to the people for repeal. In either event, the ordinance or resolution proposed to be adopted or repealed shall be set out in a written or printed instrument which shall be filed with the person exercising the duties of city clerk, and at the time of the filing of such written or printed instrument, there shall be filed a statement signed by not less than five qualified voters of the city, stating that they have proposed such ordinance or resolution for adoption or repeal, and such electors shall be regarded as the initiating or referring committee, as the case may be, for the purpose hereinafter provided. Before any such ordinance or resolution may be submitted to the commission for adoption or repeal, it shall be necessary that a petition signed by not less than thirty percent of the qualified voters within the city, as determined by the number voting at the last regular municipal election shall be presented to the commission referring to such ordinance or resolution and requesting its adoption or repeal, as the case may be. All such petitions circulated for signatures shall be uniform in character and shall have attached to the same, exact written or printed copy of the proposed ordinance or resolution, sought to be adopted or repealed. Each signer of a petition shall sign his name in ink or indelible pencil, in his own hand writing and shall place on the same following his name his place of residence by street and number. The signatures to any such petition need not all be attached to the same paper, but to each such paper there shall be attached an affidavit by the circulator thereof, stating the number of signatures to such part of the petition, and that each signature is genuine and that the person whose name it purports to be, and that it was made in the presence of the affiant. When signatures have been obtained in the number above provided for and the petition and statement have been filed with the person exercising the duties of city clerk, such officer shall submit all papers pertaining to such ordinance or resolution, and its proposed initiation or reference to the commission at its next regular meeting and such officers shall mail to each of the members of such initiating or referring committee a notice of the time of the next regular meeting of the commission when such ordinance or resolution and its adoption or repeal shall be considered, or a time then set by such commission for its consideration, which hearing and consideration shall be open to the public, and the public shall be permitted to present argument for or against such proposed ordinance or resolution.
(Char. 1916, art. IV, sec. 1, ¶ 1)
After such presentation of the petition and public hearing, the commission shall within thirty days from the date of the submission of such petition, take final action upon the same, by either adopting or rejecting the ordinance thus initiated by petition, or by either repealing or refusing to repeal the ordinance or resolution thus sought to be referred, and in either event, the action of the commission shall be noted in its minutes.
(Char. 1916, art. IV, sec. 1, ¶ 2)
If the commission refuses to pass or to repeal the proposed ordinance or resolution or passes the same in an amended form from that presented in the petition, or repeals only a part of such ordinance or resolution, instead of repealing the same in the manner set out in such petition of reference, then in either event, such initiating committee, or such referring committee, may require that such ordinance or resolution, either in its original or amended form, be submitted to a vote of the electors for adoption or repeal, as the case may be.
(Char. 1916, art. IV, sec. 1, ¶ 3)
When an ordinance or resolution proposed by petition is to be submitted to a vote of the electors for adoption or repeal, after the commission has acted upon the same, as provided for in the preceding paragraph, section 4.3, then such initiating or referring committee, as the case may be, upon a majority vote of such committee, shall certify their desire to have the same submitted for adoption or repeal, within twenty days after the commission shall have taken action on the same, and shall file such certificate and statement with the person exercising the duties of the city clerk.
(Char. 1916, art. IV, sec. 1, ¶ 4)
After receipt of such certificate and the certified copy of the proposed ordinance or resolution, the person exercising the duties of the city clerk shall present such certificates and certified copy of the proposed ordinance or resolution to the commission at its next regular meeting. If any special election is to be held, then such ordinance or resolution proposed for adoption or repeal shall be submitted by the city commission to a vote of the electors on the next uniform election date at which all Election Code requirements could be met. The form of ballot for use in an election held for the adoption of any initiated ordinance shall state the title of the ordinance and contain a succinct statement of its nature and purpose and below such statements, on separate lines, there shall be printed the words: FOR THE ORDINANCE; AGAINST THE ORDINANCE. If a majority of the electors voting in such election shall vote in favor thereof, it shall thereupon become an ordinance of the city. The form of ballot for use in an election held for the repeal of any referred ordinance or resolution shall state the title of the ordinance or resolution and contain a succinct statement of the nature and purpose of the ordinance or resolution sought to be repealed, and below such statement, in separate lines, there shall be printed the words: FOR THE REPEAL OF THE ORDINANCE (OR RESOLUTION); AGAINST THE REPEAL OF THE ORDINANCE (OR RESOLUTION). If a majority of the electors voting at such election shall vote in favor of such ordinance or resolution, then the same shall be considered repealed. Providing, however, that nothing contained in this section [article] shall affect the manner of calling elections to determine whether or not franchises shall be granted.
(Char. 1916, art. IV, sec. 1, ¶ 5; Ordinance 1538, sec. 1 (exh. A, chtr, amd. 5), adopted 2/8/10)