Not less than thirty (30) days prior to the election at which any Charter amendment, initiated or referred legislative measure, or recall of any elective official is to be submitted to the electors, the Clerk of Council shall either:
(a) Print and mail to each registered elector an official publicity pamphlet, or
(b) Publicize official publicity in a newspaper published and generally circulated in the City, or if no such newspaper is published in the City, then in a newspaper of general circulation within the City. Such publication shall be made once a week for not less than two consecutive weeks with the first publication being at least thirty (30) days prior to such election.
Such publicity pamphlet or publication shall contain a full text of the Charter amendment, initiated or referred ordinance, or recall petition, with their respective ballot titles, together with any explanation or argument for or against such measure or recall which may have been filed with the Clerk of Council, as hereinafter provided. The validity of any Charter amendment, initiated or referred legislative measure, approved by the electors, and the result of any recall election, shall not be questioned because of technical or non-consequential errors or irregularities in such mailing, distribution or publication.
Not less than fifty (50) days before any such election, the committee designated in the petition, as a result of which said election is called, may submit to the Clerk of Council an explanation or argument supporting the position taken by the signers of such petition. If a Charter amendment is proposed by the Council a committee of three of the Council to be appointed by the Mayor shall prepare such explanation or argument. In the event of an initiated ordinance, which Council has failed to pass, or of a referred ordinance, the Mayor shall appoint a committee of three of the Council to prepare an answer to the explanation or argument submitted by the committee of the petitioners. In the case of recall elections, the official whose recall is sought may prepare an answer to the argument of the committee of the petitioners. Where a Charter amendment is proposed, any civic body or committee of citizens may prepare and submit an answer to the explanation or argument in favor of such amendment. Any such answer shall be prepared and filed with the Clerk not less than forty (40) days prior to any such election. All explanations or arguments for or against any measure or recall shall be signed by the persons authorized to submit the same. No such explanation or argument shall exceed three hundred (300) words in length unless the person or persons submitting the same shall at the same time deposit with the Clerk of Council a sum of money sufficient to cover the proportionate cost of printing such excess. Arguments in favor of or against any measure or election, filed with the Clerk, shall at all times be open to the inspection of anyone interested therein.
(Amended 11-7-72.)