1. The electors of the City shall have power to propose any Ordinance or Resolution, except an Ordinance for the appropriation of money or an Ordinance making a tax levy, and to adopt or reject the same at the polls, such power being known as the initiative, subject to the conditions hereinafter set forth.
2. Prior to the circulation of a petition to initiate an Ordinance or Resolution, the circulators shall register such petition with the Clerk of Council. Such registration shall set forth in full the proposed Ordinance or Resolution and shall also designate a committee of five (5) electors who shall represent all the petitioners in all matters relating to such petition. Notice of all matters required by law to be served on the committee shall be served either personally or by certified mail, or by leaving such notices at the usual place of residence of any member of the committee.
3. Such petition shall be in the form prescribed by Ohio R.C. § 3519.05 and shall be valid only if submitted as hereinafter set forth within ninety (90) days from the date of registration.
4. An initiated Ordinance or Resolution may be submitted to the Clerk of Council by petition signed by at least ten percent (10%) of the votes cast within the City in the most recent Governor's election, as certified by the Board of Elections. When so submitted, the Clerk shall forthwith determine the sufficiency of the petition, and if found sufficient, Council shall have the proposed Ordinance or Resolution read at its next regular Council meeting and referred to an appropriate committee, which may be a Committee of the Whole. Council shall conduct at least one (1) public hearing on the proposed Ordinance or Resolution. Council shall, within sixty (60)
days after such Ordinance or Resolution is submitted, take final action thereon, either adopting or rejecting the proposed Ordinance or Resolution. If Council fails or refuses to pass such proposed Ordinance or Resolution, or passes it in some form different from that set forth in the petition therefor, the committee of the petitioners may require that it be submitted to a vote of the electors either in its original form or in the amended form by filing a letter with the Clerk of Council within ten (10) days after Council either rejects the legislation proposed by the initiative or passes it in some form different than requested.
Council shall thereupon provide for submitting such Ordinance or Resolution to the vote of the electors at the next regular election if one occurs in not less than ninety (90) days from the date of receipt of the letter, or at a special election to be held in not more than one hundred twenty (120) days from receipt of the letter. If an Ordinance or Resolution is adopted by the electors, it shall be in full force and effect from the date the election result is officially certified by the Board of Elections, and Council shall not repeal it for at least two (2) years thereafter.