03 Explanation Packet for Charter Study Com Report

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Section 100. Power of initiative. The eleetors Oualified voters of the city shall have power to propose any ordinance except an ordinance appropriating money or authorizing the levy of taxes, and to adopt or reject the same at the polls, such power being known as the initiative. Any initiative ordinance may be submitted to the council by a petition signed by qualified electors voters of the city equal in number to at least hventy five per centum of the number of yotes cast at the last regular munieipal eleetion 25 percent of the number of votes cast in the cumulative seven districts in the last contested ~eneral election for each district. EXPLANATION: The amendment for Section 100 would determine the city-wide vote by calculating the total of votes cast in the last contested election in each of the seven single-member districts. This section, as written, still presumes at-large voting despite a change to single-member districts ordered in the mid-70s by U.S. District Judge William Wayne Justice. The last contested election is specified because of some years when only one candidate may file, resulting in no election. PROPOSITION 56: Section 101. Power of referendum. The electors voters shall have power to approve or reject at the polls any ordinance passed by the council, or submitted by the council to a vote of the electors voters, such power being known as the referendum, except in cases of bond ordinances and ordinances making the annual tax levy. Ordinances submitted to the council by initiative petition and passed by the council without change shall be subject to the referendum in the same manner as other ordinances. Within 20 days after the enactment by the council of any ordinance that is subject to a referendum, a petition signed by qualified electors voters of the city equal in number to at least 25 per cent of the Dumber of votes cast at the last preceding regular municipal clection total number of votes cast in the cumulative seven districts in the last contested ~eneral election for each district may be filed with the city clerk requesting that any such ordinances be either repealed or submitted to a vote of the cleetors voters. EXPLANATION: As in Section 100, the amendment for Section 101 would determine the city-wide vote by calculating the total of votes cast in the last contested election in each of the seven single-member districts. -- -T" . .... 31 'r-'-"~" ._, ..