By a vote of at least five 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 ninety 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 ninety 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 consecutive weeks in a newspaper determined by Council to be of circulation in the Municipality or cause such notice to be published on the City website.
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 on 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 go into immediate effect, without the need for further publication.
(Amended February 8, 2021 (approved November 3, 2020))