2286                               Municipal Charters

b.    Effect of Petition. No ordinance [,] or resolution, or the part
thereof requested for referendum shall become effective following the re-
ceipt of such petition until and unless approved at the election thereon
by a majority of the registered voters voting on the question, provided,
however, that the total number of votes cast in any special election shall
equal at least twenty-five per cent (25%) of the total number of votes
cast in the last municipal general election. An emergency ordinance, or
the part thereof requested for referendum, shall continue in effect for
sixty (60) days following receipt of such petition. If the question of
approval or disapproval of any emergency ordinance, or any part thereof,
has not been submitted to [the registered voters] a vote within sixty (60)
days following receipt of the petition, then the operation of the ordinance,
or the part thereof requested for referendum shall be suspended until
approved by a majority of the registered voters voting on the question at
any election. Any ordinance or resolution, or part thereof, disapproved by
the voters shall stand repealed.

c.   Advisory Referenda. The Council, for its guidance, may provide
for advisory referendum questions at a regular or a special municipal
election.

SECTION [29.] 20. INITIATIVE.

a.    Petition. Fifteen per centum (15%) or more of the [persons who
are qualified to vote in municipal general elections in the City of New
Carrollton] registered voters of the City may initiate a proposed ordinance
[to the municipal code] or a resolution by a petition presented to the
[legislative body of the municipal corporation.] Board of Elections. The
petition shall contain the complete and exact wording of the proposed
ordinance or resolution. Each person signing [it] the petition shall indi-
cate thereon both his name and residence address. Upon receiving the
petition, the [legislative body] Board of Elections is directed to verify
that [any person who signed it is qualified to vote in municipal general
elections,] it has been signed by the required number of qualified voters,
and shall consider the petition as of no effect if it is signed by fewer than
fifteen per centum (15%) of the [persons who are qualified to vote in
municipal general elections.] registered voters of the City. A minor varia-
tion in the signature of a petitioner between his signature on a petition
and that on the City voter registration records shall not invalidate his
signature. The invalidation of one signature on a petition shall not serve
to invalidate any others. If the petition fails to contain the required num-
ber of valid signatures, as determined by the Board of Elections, the peti-
tioners may submit as an amendment to their original petition the addi-
tional number of valid signatures to meet the requirements of this section.

b.   Effect of Petition. If the petition complies with the requirements
of this section, the [legislative body] Council shall, by resolution, passed
as in its normal legislative procedure, and not later than sixty days after
the petition shall have been [presented to it,] certified as valid by the
Board of Elections, specify the day and the hours for the election at which
the question shall be submitted to the voters [for the municipal corpora-
tion.] of the City. This election, in the discretion of the [legislative body,]
Council, may be the next annual general election or a special election.
[provided, however, that if] If the question shall be submitted to the
voters in a special election, the total number of votes cast in the special
election must equal at least twenty-five per cent (25%) of the total votes
cast in the last municipal general election. In the event a special election
is designated, it shall be within a period of not less than forty days nor