Within thirty (30) days after the final passage by Council of any ordinance or resolution which is subject to a referendum under the laws of the State of Ohio, a petition signed by electors of the Municipality not less in number than twenty percent (20%) of the total electors voting at the last regular municipal election may be submitted with the Council requesting that the ordinance or resolution be repealed or submitted to a vote of the electors. Upon initial submission to the Council, the Clerk of Council shall within ten (10) days ascertain the sufficiency of such petition as to the count of signatures and the appropriate date is posted. Within the same ten (10) days the petition shall be delivered to the Lucas County Board of Elections to determine the final sufficiency of such petition. At the next meeting of Council, if found sufficient, the Council shall within forty (40) days after the initial submission of such petition, reconsider such ordinance or resolution.
At such time as a referendum petition is initially submitted with the Clerk of Council, the ordinance sought to be reconsidered shall be suspended from taking effect. Such suspension shall terminate when any of the following occurs:
A. There is a final determination of insufficiency of the petition
B. The petitioner's committee withdraws the petition
C. Council repeals the ordinance
D. Thirty days have elapsed after a vote by the electors on the ordinance
If, upon such reconsideration such ordinance or resolution is not repealed, the Council shall provide for submitting the same to a vote of the electors at the next general election or regular municipal election occurring more than sixty (60) days after the initial submission of such petition; provided that if a referendum petition is submitted at such time that the submission of the legislation referred to therein to a vote of the electors at a general election or regular election would not occur within a period of six (6) months after the initial submission of such petition the Council shall provide for submitting such legislation to a vote of the electors at an election to be held at a date fixed by the Council but not later than eight (8) months after the initial submission of such petition.