If within thirty (30) days of the effective date of any ordinance or resolution a petition signed by registered electors of the City equal in number to ten percent (10%) of the total vote at the last regular municipal election is filed with the City Clerk requesting that any such ordinance or resolution be repealed or rescinded or be submitted to a vote of the electors, the ordinance or resolution shall thereby be prevented from going into operation. All the signature papers shall be filed in the office of the City Clerk as one instrument. Within five (5) days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays, after the filing of the petition, the City Clerk shall ascertain by examination the numbers of registered electors whose signatures are appended thereto and whether this number is at least ten percent (10%) of the total number of electors who cast their votes at the last preceding regular municipal election. The Council shall thereupon reconsider the ordinance or resolution at its next regular meeting, and either repeal or rescind it or reaffirm the ordinance or resolution as passed. In the latter case, the Council shall immediately order a special election to be held thereon, or submit the ordinance or resolution at the next regular municipal election, pending which the ordinance or resolution shall remain suspended. If a majority of the electors voting thereon is opposed to the ordinance or resolution, it shall not become effective; but if a majority of the electors voting thereon favors the ordinance or resolution, it shall go into effect immediately.
(Ord. 97-16, passed 10-13-1997; Ord. 99-21, passed 11-8-1999)