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When a referendum petition is filed with the Clerk of Council, the ordinance or resolution sought to be reconsidered shall be suspended from taking effect. Such suspension shall terminate when:
(1) There is a final determination of insufficiency of the petition; or
(2) The petitioners’ committee withdraws the petition; or
(3) The Council repeals the ordinance; or
(4) Five (5) days have elapsed after the Board of Elections certifies the official vote on the question.
(a) Action by Council. When an initiative or referendum petition has been finally determined sufficient, the Council shall consider the proposed initiative ordinance or resolution in the manner provided in Article VI of this Charter or may reconsider the referred ordinance or resolution by voting its repeal. If the Council fails to adopt a proposed initiative ordinance or resolution without any change in substance within sixty (60) days, or fails to repeal the referred ordinance or resolution within thirty (30) days after the date the petition was finally determined sufficient, the Council shall submit the proposed or referred ordinance to the electors of the Municipality.
(b) Submission to Electors. The vote of the electors on a proposed or referred ordinance or resolution shall be held not less than sixty (60) days and not later than one (1) year from the date of the final Council vote thereon. If no regular Municipal election is to be held within the period prescribed in this subsection, the Council shall provide for a special election; otherwise, the vote shall be held at the same time as such regular Municipal election, except that the Council may in its discretion provide for a special election at an earlier date within the prescribed period, which special election may be held on the same day and at the same time as a State, general or primary election, or a Municipal primary election.
(c) Withdrawal of Petitions. An initiative or referendum petition may be withdrawn at any time prior to the sixtieth (60th) day preceding the day scheduled for the election by filing with the Clerk of Council a request for withdrawal signed by at least four (4) members of the petitioners’ committee. Upon the filing of such request, the petition shall have no further force or effect, all proceedings thereon shall be terminated, and the Clerk of Council shall certify such withdrawal of the petition and the termination of the proceedings under such petition to the appropriate Board of Elections.
(a) Initiative. If a majority of the qualified electors voting on a proposed initiative ordinance or resolution vote in its favor, it shall be considered adopted upon certification of the election results and shall be treated in all respects in the same manner as ordinances and resolutions of the same kind adopted by the Council; however, no publication of such ordinance or resolution shall be required. If conflicting ordinances or resolutions are approved at the same election, the one receiving the greatest number of affirmative votes shall prevail to the extent of such conflict.
(b) Referendum. If a majority of the qualified electors voting on a referred ordinance or resolution vote against it, it shall not take effect. If a majority of the qualified electors voting on a referred ordinance or resolution vote for it, it shall become effective five (5) days after the Board of Elections certifies the official vote on the question, and no publication of such ordinance or resolution shall be required.
Elections on ordinances or resolutions referred to the electors under the initiative and referendum procedures set forth in this Charter shall be conducted by the appropriate Board of Elections under the provisions of this Charter as far as they are applicable. Where the Charter is silent concerning the conduct of the election, the provisions of the Ohio election laws shall be followed.
By the affirmative vote of four (4) members of the Council any pending ordinance or resolution may be referred to the electors of the Municipality at a general, primary or special election. The action of referral provided for in this section shall be taken by motion, and shall go into immediate effect without publication. Such motion shall be passed not less than sixty (60) days prior to the date of the primary or general election at which such referred ordinance or resolution is to be submitted. In the event that such ordinance or resolution is to be referred for approval or rejection at a special election, the Council shall, by motion, fix a date for such special election at a date not less than sixty (60) days after the date of the passage of the motion to refer, and the Clerk of Council shall cause notice of the special election to be published on the same day of each week for two (2) consecutive weeks in a newspaper determined by Council to be of circulation in the Municipality.
The Clerk of Council shall certify to the appropriate Board of Elections that an election is to be held referring such ordinance or resolution to a vote of the electors at the date fixed by Council as hereinbefore provided. The Clerk of Council shall also certify a copy of the ordinance or resolution to be voted upon to the appropriate Board of Elections.
At such primary, general, or special election, this question shall be placed upon the ballot: “Shall an (ordinance or resolution) providing: (the wording contained in the title of the proposed ordinance or resolution shall be inserted here) be adopted?”; with the provision of the ballot for voting affirmatively or negatively. In the event a majority of those voting on the issue shall be in the affirmative, the ordinance or resolution shall be adopted without the need of further action by the Council and it shall go into immediate effect, without the need for further publication.