(a) On the written petition of a number of voters equal to at least fifteen percent (15%) of the registered voters of the city, including at least six percent (6%) of the registered voters of each ward, the board of mayor and aldermen shall order non-binding informational questions to be placed on the ballot at any general election, whether federal, state or municipal except a primary held within the municipality in accordance with the procedures set forth below.
(b) The petitions shall be limited to questions which do not involve established operational expenses of the city or questions on appointed or elected officials of the city. Each page comprising the total petition shall be complete unto itself as a separate document setting out in full the proposed initiative questions and shall be in such format as is approved by the city clerk prior to voter signature and each such petition shall be signed by only one voter.
(c) Petitions shall be submitted to the city clerk not less than forty-five (45) days prior to the election at which the question is to be submitted to the voters and such petitions shall be collected within twelve (12) months of the election at which the question will appear.
(d) The city clerk shall certify as to the adequacy of such petitions on the examination of the same after referring the same to the board of registrars for verification and report.
(e) On certification by the city clerk of the adequacy of the petitions, the board of mayor and aldermen shall order such questions placed on the ballot, but the result of any such initiative shall be non-binding, unless otherwise required by law.