Issue 12: Vermilion charter amendment — initiative and referendum signature requirements

The question, as printed on the ballot

Shall Article IX, Section IX-1 titled "Initiative and Referendum" be amended to restore a reasonable signature requirement for Referendums and provide a lesser signature requirement for Initiatives on Ordinances for citizens as follows: (A) Ordinances and resolutions may be proposed by initiative petition and adopted by election, and ordinances and resolutions adopted by Council shall be subject to referendum to the extent and in the manner now or hereafter provided by the constitution as provided in this charter. (B) Referendum petition requirements: (1) A referendum petition shall be valid if signed by the lesser of: (a) five percent (5%) of the total votes cast for governor at the most recent gubernatorial election; or (b) ten percent (10%) of the total votes cast for mayor at the most recent mayoral election. (2) Referendum petitions ordering that such ordinance or measure be submitted to the electors of The City for their approval or rejection shall be filed with the Director of Finance within thirty (30) days after any ordinance is approved after passage by Council, whether by Mayoral approval, being adopted without Mayor approval, or approval by Council after a veto by the Mayor, such petition shall be filed within thirty days after the Council has passed the ordinance or measure over the veto, ordering that such ordinance or measure be submitted to the electors of The City for their approval or rejection. The Finance Director shall, within ten (10) days, and not later than four p.m. of the ninetieth day before the next regularly scheduled election, transmit a certified copy of the text of the ordinance or measure to the board of elections. The Finance Director shall transmit the petition to the board together with the certified copy of the ordinance or measure. The board shall examine all signatures on the petition to determine the number of electors of the municipal corporation who signed the petition. The board shall return the petition to the Finance Director within ten (10) days after receiving it, together with a statement attesting to the number of such electors who signed the petition. The board shall submit the ordinance or measure to the electors of The City, for their approval or rejection, at the next regularly scheduled election occurring subsequent to ninety days after the Finance Director certifies the sufficiency and validity of the petition to the board of elections. (3) No such ordinance or measure shall go into effect until approved by the majority of those voting upon it. (4) The filing of a valid referendum petition with the Finance Director shall suspend the effective date of the ordinance or resolution as provided in Section 111-10 of this charter. (C) Initiative petition requirements: (1) An initiative petition shall be valid if signed by the lesser of: (a) four percent (4%) of the total votes cast for governor at the most recent gubernatorial election; or (b) eight percent (8%) of the total votes cast for mayor at the most recent mayoral election. Council shall, within thirty (30) days of filing, adopt or reject the proposed ordinance. (2) If Council rejects the proposed ordinance, upon certification of sufficient signatures, the proposed ordinance shall be submitted to the electors at the next regularly scheduled election occurring not less than ninety (90) days after certification. (3) When a petition is filed with the Finance Director, signed by the required number of electors proposing an ordinance or other measure, the Finance Director shall, no later than ten (10) days, transmit a certified copy of the text of the proposed ordinance or measure to the board of elections. The Finance Director shall transmit the petition to the board together with the certified copy of the proposed ordinance or other measure. The board shall examine all signatures on the petition to determine the number of electors of the municipal corporation who signed the petition. The board shall return the petition to the Finance Director within ten (10) days after receiving it, together with a statement attesting to the number of such electors who signed the petition. (4) The board shall submit such proposed ordinance or measure for the approval or rejection of the electors of The City at the next regularly scheduled election occurring subsequent to ninety days after the auditor or clerk certifies the sufficiency and validity of the initiative petition to the board of elections. No ordinance or other measure proposed by initiative petition and approved by a majority of the electors voting upon the measure in such municipal corporation shall be subject to the veto of the Mayor. (D) As used in this section, "certified copy" means a copy containing a written statement attesting it is a true and exact reproduction of the original proposed ordinance or other measure. Shall Article IX, Section IX-1 titled "Initiative and Referendum" be amended to restore a reasonable signature requirement for Referendums and provide a lesser signature requirement for Initiatives on Ordinances for citizens?