The form, content, verification of, and other requirements for initiative, referendum, and recall petitions, except as otherwise prescribed in this Charter, shall be those prescribed by the general laws of Ohio. In addition to the statutory requirements, each petition shall appoint a committee of three to represent the proponents of the petition in any further proceedings before Council. Such committee shall have the power to fill vacancies in the committee by action of the surviving members.
Whoever seeks to propose an ordinance or measure in the City by initiative petition or whoever files a referendum petition against any ordinance or measure before circulating such petition shall file a copy of the petition with the Clerk of Council. Additionally, whoever seeks to propose an ordinance or measure in the City by initiative petition must file with such proposed petition a copy of the text of the proposed ordinance or measure with the Clerk of Council.
The completed petition, whether initiative, referendum or recall, shall be filed with the Clerk of Council, who thereafter within ten days shall refer the petition to the Board of Elections to verify the signatures upon such petition. Within thirty days of the return of the petition from the Board of Elections, Council shall determine whether the petition is valid and sufficient according to law. If the petition is determined to be invalid or insufficient, no further action shall be had. A petition shall be determined to be insufficient if it does not contain a sufficient number of signatures as required herein or if it fails for sufficiency according to state law. A petition shall be determined to be invalid if it was not timely filed, if it is directed to a purpose which is not a valid purpose for such petition, or if it is invalid according to state law.