The electors of the Municipality shall have the power to propose any ordinance or resolution, and to adopt or reject the same at the polls, such power being known as the initiative.
An initiated ordinance or resolution shall be submitted to the Council by a petition signed by electors of the Municipality not less in number than ten percent (10%) of the electors voting for the office of Mayor at the last regular municipal election at which a Mayor was elected.
Such petition shall designate not less than three (3) of the signers thereof as a Committee authorized to take action as in this section provided.
When so submitted, the Clerk shall ascertain the sufficiency of such petition and if found sufficient, the Council shall take final action, either enacting, amending, or rejecting the proposed legislation, within forty (40) days after submission.
If the Council fails to pass such proposed ordinance or resolution, or passes it in some form different from that set forth in the petition therefore, the petitioners, through a majority of the Committee named in such petition, may, not later than the next regular meeting of the Council, after the expiration of said forty days, request in writing that the legislation as set forth in said petition be submitted to a vote of the electors.
Not later than the next regular meeting thereof following receipt of such request, the Council shall provide for submitting the petitioned ordinance or resolution to the electors at the next general election or regular municipal election occurring more than sixty (60) days after the filing of such request.
If the original petition is signed by at least twenty percent (20%) of such electors, or if additional petitions are submitted prior to the next regular meeting of the Council after the expiration of the forty days during which Council is to take final action, which petitions contain additional signatures totaling at least twenty percent (20%) of such electors when added to the valid signatures of the original petitions, and if such additional petitions request that the proposed ordinance or resolution be sooner submitted, the Council shall provide for submitting such ordinance or resolution at a special election to be held not later than eight (8) months after such written request by the Committee named in the original petition.
(Amended November 8, 2022.)