(a) The people reserve unto themselves the right to recall and remove from office any member of the Council. The procedure to effect such recall or removal shall be as follows:
A petition demanding that the question of removal of such officer be submitted to the electors shall contain a consise statement setting forth the basis for the recall and shall be signed by at least twenty-five percent of the electors of the City. No petition may relate to the recall of more than one officer.
When there shall have been filed a question signed by the aforesaid required number of electors, the Clerk shall certify the same to the Council at the next regular meeting and shall furnish a copy thereof to the member of the Council whose removal is so sought, and the Council shall call an election upon the question of such removal as herein elsewhere provided, unless within five days after such certification the member of the Council shall have tendered his written resignation to the Clerk.
(b) If a majority of the votes cast at such election on the question of removal of any member of Council are affirmative, the person whose removal is sought shall thereupon be deemed removed from office upon the certification of the official canvass of that election to the Council, and a vacancy caused by such recall shall be filled by the remainder of the Council according to the provisions of Article III of this Charter.
If, however, an election is held for the recall of more than three members of the Council, candidates to succeed them for their unexpired terms shall be voted upon at the same election and shall be nominated by petitions dated and verified in the manner required for petitions presenting names of candidates for regular municipal elections and similar in form to such petitions and filed with the election authorities at least ninety (90) days prior to such recall election, but no such nominating petition shall be signed or circulated until such recall petition has been certified to the Council, and any signatures ante-dating such time shall not be counted.
If a majority of the votes cast on the question of removal of any member of the Council are in the negative, the person whose removal is sought shall be allowed by the Council his reasonable expenses incident to such election. This section shall become effective January 1, 2017.
(Amended 11-8-16.)