(1) Upon petition, signed and dated in their own handwriting by not less than twenty percent of all of the registered voters in the City, an elective officer of the City may be recalled.
(2) Such petition shall not be circulated by any officer of the City; the office of any officer so doing shall be forthwith vacated as the penalty therefor.
(3) Such petition shall contain the residence address of each signer, and shall be filed with the Clerk within sixty days from the date the first signature was affixed thereto.
(4) Within fifteen days next following such filing, a committee, composed of the Clerk, one member appointed by the Mayor, and two members chosen by the Council shall determine by careful examination, the sufficiency or insufficiency of such petition, and shall report its findings in a certificate signed by a majority of the members thereof, dated and attached thereto. If such petition be found insufficient, the particulars of such insufficiency shall be stated in such certificate. The petition may be amended within ten days from the date of such certificate, and refiled with the Clerk; provided, however, that any petition may be refiled only once. Upon finding said petition sufficient, the committee shall so state in its certificate, signed by a majority of the members thereof, and shall submit the petition, with the attached certificate, to the Council at its next regular meeting. The finding of the committee shall not be final until approved by the Council.
(5) Within sixty days after such petition is filed with the Clerk, the Council shall provide for the nomination of candidates for the office in question, by a special primary election, and shall set the date for such nomination primary, to be within ninety days after such petition is filed with the Clerk. Any qualified person may become a candidate for such office filing therefor with the Clerk, as for any other elective office in the City. The incumbent, unless he withdraws his candidacy in writing, shall be considered a candidate for re-election to such office, and his name placed on the ballot at the general election. The candidate receiving the highest number of votes in each party at the primary election shall run against the incumbent; if the incumbent withdraws, the candidates for each party receiving the highest number of votes in the primary shall oppose each other. If the incumbent receives the highest number of votes, he shall continue in office. If another candidate receives the highest number of votes, he shall, upon qualifying within ten days thereafter, succeed the incumbent in the office and hold the office for the unexpired term.
(6) No such recall election shall be held until the officer sought to be recalled has been in office for a period of six months, and only one such election shall be held with respect to an officer during his term of office.