(a) Except for the following, a law, or part of a law, enacted pursuant to this Charter may be referred to the voters for approval upon the filing of a petition signed by seven percent of the registered voters of the County:
(1) A law imposing a tax;
(2) A law appropriating funds for current expenses to maintain the Government;
(3) A law prescribing Council Districts; and
(4) A law adopting a Compensation Review Commission.
(b) A petition to refer a law, or portion of a law, to the voters of the County shall meet the requirements of State law and may consist of several papers, but each paper shall contain the full and accurate text of the law, or part of the law, that is subject to the petition. There shall be attached to each paper of signatures filed with a petition an affidavit of the person procuring those signatures. The affidavit shall state that the signatures were affixed in the person's presence and that, based upon the person's best knowledge and belief, every signature on the paper is genuine and bona fide and that the signers are registered voters of the County at the address set opposite or below their names.
(c) No later than fifty-nine days following the date a law is enacted, a petition to refer the law, or portion of law, to the voters under this section may be filed with the Board of Elections for the County.
(d) Whenever a petition complying with all the provisions of law and this Charter is filed, the referred law, or the referred portion of law, other than expedited legislation, may not take effect until thirty days after approval by a majority of voters. Expedited legislation shall remain in effect from the date it becomes law notwithstanding the filing of a petition for referendum, but shall be repealed thirty days after its rejection by a majority of the registered voters voting on the question.
(Res. 18-19, 7-17-2018)
(e) A law, or portion of a law, shall be submitted to the voters pursuant to this section voting either at: (1) the next general election for members of the United States Congress; or (2) a special election called by the Council, which shall be held not less than thirty days and not more than ninety days following the filing of a valid petition pursuant to this section. A special election is prohibited whenever members of the United States Congress are to be elected at a general election within one hundred eighty days of the filing of a valid petition under this section.