Proposed amendments to this Charter may be submitted to the electors of the City by a two- thirds vote of the members of Council, and upon petition signed by ten percent of the electors of the City, setting forth any such proposed amendment, prepared and filed with the Council, through its Clerk in the manner and form prescribed in this Charter for the preparation and filing with the Clerk of an initiative petition for an ordinance, such proposed amendment shall be submitted to the electors of the City by the Council. The percentage aforesaid shall be based upon the total vote cast at the last preceding general Municipal election. The ordinance providing for the submission of any such proposed amendment shall require that such proposed amendment be submitted to the electors at the next regular Municipal election if one shall occur not less than sixty days nor more than one hundred and twenty days after its passage; otherwise it shall provide for the submission of the proposed amendment at a special election to be called and held within the time aforesaid. When ten (10) days and two regular meetings of the Council have passed after the filing of a petition fulfilling the requirements of this section, then the Council shall forthwith provide the ordinance for the submission to the electors of the proposed amendment to this Charter. The Clerk of the Council shall transmit to the election authorities prescribed by general law a duly authenticated copy of such ordinance forthwith upon its passage, and not less than thirty days prior to such election the Clerk of the Council shall either mail a copy of the proposed amendment to each elector whose name appears upon the registration books of the last regular or general election held in the City or pursuant to laws passed by general assembly notice of the proposed amendments may be given by newspaper advertising. If such proposed amendment is approved by a majority of the electors voting thereon it shall become a part of the Charter of the City at the time fixed in the amendment; and if no time is fixed therein, then it shall become a part of the Charter upon its approval by the electors. Proposed amendments to this Charter may be submitted to the electors by ballot title, which shall be clear, concise statements, without argument, descriptive of the substance of such proposed amendments. If conflicting proposed amendments to this Charter shall be approved at the same election, the one receiving the highest number of affirmative votes shall be the amendment to the Charter.
(Effective October 8, 1971)