(1) A petition signed by qualified electors demanding the election of a successor to the person sought to be removed, shall contain a general statement, in not more than two hundred words, of the grounds upon which removal is sought. In seeking removal of the County Executive, a County elected office holder or an at-large member of County Council, such petition must be signed by qualified electors of the County equal in number to at least ten (10) percent of those who voted for County Executive in the last preceding County election. In seeking removal of a member of County Council representing a particular district, such petition must be signed by qualified electors of that district equal in number to at least twenty (20) percent of those who voted for County Executive at the last preceding County election in that district.
(2) Petition papers shall be procured only from the Clerk of Council, who shall keep a sufficient number on file for the use as provided by this section. Prior to the issuance of such petition papers an affidavit shall be made by one or more qualified electors of the County and filed with the Clerk, stating the name and office of the official sought to be removed. The Clerk, upon issuing any such petition paper, shall enter, in a record to be kept in his office, the name of the elector to whom issued, the date of such issuance, and the number of papers issued, and shall certify upon each paper the name of the elector to whom issued and the date of issuance. No petition paper so issued shall be accepted as part of a petition unless it bears the certificate of the Clerk and unless it is filed as provided in this section.
(3) The petition shall be addressed to the County Council. With each signature shall be stated the place of residence of the signer, giving the street and number and ward and precinct. The signatures need not all be on one paper. A person shall be designated in such petition to receive it in case of return by the Clerk for insufficiency, as provided in this section. One of the signers of every such paper shall sign an affidavit stating that each signature on the paper is the genuine signature of the person whose name it purports to be. All such papers for the removal of any one official shall be fastened together and be filed as one instrument within thirty (30) days after the filing with the Clerk of the affidavit stating the name and office of the official sought to be removed. The Clerk, within ten (10) days after the filing of such petitions, shall determine the sufficiency of such petition and attach a certificate showing the result of his examination. If the Clerk shall certify that the petition is insufficient, he shall set forth in the certificate the particulars in which the petition is defective, and shall return a copy of the certificate to the person designated in such petition to receive it.
(4) Such recall petition may be amended at any time within twenty (20) days after the making of certificate of insufficiency by the Clerk, by filing a supplementary petition upon additional petition papers, issued, signed and filed as provided in this section for the original petition. The Clerk shall, within ten (10) days after such amended petition is filed, make an examination of the amended petition, and if his certificate shall show the same to be still insufficient, he shall return it to the person designated in such petition to receive it, without prejudice, however, to the filing of a new petition.
(5) If the Clerk shall determine that the petition or amended petition is sufficient, he shall at once submit the same with his certificate to the Council and forthwith notify the official sought to be recalled of such action. If the official whose removal is sought shall not resign within five (5) days after such notice, the County Council shall thereupon by order fix a day for holding a recall election. Such election shall be held not less than forty (40) nor more than sixty (60) days after the petition has been submitted to the County Council. If possible, the recall election shall take place at the time any general or special election is held within such period, but if no such election is held, within the time previously stated.
(6) The Clerk shall transmit a duly certified copy of such order to the Director of the Summit County Board of Elections or the successor to this position. The election authorities shall publish notice and make all arrangements necessary for holding an election, and the same shall be conducted and the result returned and declared in all respects, as are the results of general county elections.
(7) Each ballot at such election shall have printed upon it the following question: “Shall (name of person) be removed from the office of (name of office) by recall?” Immediately following such question, there shall be printed on the ballot the following two propositions in the following order: