No ordinance passed by the council shall go into effect until the expiration of thirty days from its final publication or posting, except when otherwise required by the general laws of the state or by the provisions of this Charter, respecting street improve-ments and except an ordinance making the annual tax levy or calling an election and except an ordinance for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health or safety, which contains a statement of its urgency and is passed by a four-fifths vote of the council: provided, that no grant of any franchise shall be construed to be an urgency measure but all fran-chises shall be subject to the referendum vote herein provided. At the expiration of said thirty-day period, such ordinance shall be in force and effect, unless within such period there shall be filed with the city clerk a petition signed by qualified electors equal in number to fifteen percent of the total vote cast at the last preceding general municipal election, praying that such ordinance be submitted to a vote of the electors and thereupon such ordinance shall be suspended from operation and it shall be the duty of the council to reconsider such ordinance; and if the same be not repealed, the council shall submit the ordinance as is provided in Articles XXII and XXIII of this Charter to the vote of the qualified electors, either at the next general municipal election occurring subsequent to the sixty days after the filing of said petition, or, if such petition be signed by qualified electors equal in number to twenty percent of said vote, then at a special election to be called for that purpose within sixty days from the presentation of such petition and such ordinance shall not go into effect or become operative unless a majority of qualified electors voting on the same shall vote in favor thereof.
Editor's note: The second sentence of this section was amended by Charter Amendment No. 2. ratified by the qualified electors of the city on June 8, 1954.