The Initiative.
Section 67. Any proposed ordinance for legislative enactment or any proposed ordinance or ordinances for repealing any existing ordinance or ordinances in whole or in part may be submitted to the council by petition signed by not less than ten (10) per centrum of the qualified electors of the city based upon the number of votes cast for mayor at the last preceding municipal election.
Section 68. The form of such proposed ordinance shall be in proper legal language approved by the director of law, or upon request of the persons desiring to propose such ordinance shall be drawn by him in due form and the director of law shall render such other service as may be requested by petitioners.
Section 69. The petition presenting the proposed ordinance shall contain such ordinance in full together with a statement containing not more than two hundred words giving the petitioner’s reason why such ordinance should be adopted. Such petition shall be filed with the director of law who shall at once note the date of filing the same with him thereon and who shall determine the form, sufficiency and legality of the same. If not found in proper form he shall return the same to petitioners for correction. If of proper form he shall certify the same to the city council. The director of law shall pass upon the petition and return the same to petitioner for correction or certify same to the council within five days of the filing of the same with him.
Section 70. The council shall either pass such proposed ordinance without alteration within thirty days after the sufficiency of the petition has been determined and certified to it; or, within thirty days after such certification the council shall call a special election, unless a general or regular primary election shall be held within six months hereafter, and at such special, primary, or general election such proposed ordinance shall be submitted without alteration to a vote of the electors of the city.
If a majority of the qualified electors voting on the proposed ordinance shall vote in favor thereof, it shall thereupon become a valid and binding ordinance of the city. If the provisions of two or more ordinances adopted at the same election conflict the ordinance receiving the largest affirmative vote shall prevail. Any number of proposed ordinances may be voted upon at the same election and all such elections shall be held and the result determined in accordance with general law, provided that there shall not be more than one special election for such purpose in any period of one year.
Section 71. The form of the initiative petition, the circulating thereof and securing of signatures to the same, and the form of the ballot to be used in submitting a proposed ordinance to the electors of the city shall be in accordance with and determined by the general laws governing the initiative in State measures.