2.04.060 Ballot Title; Publication; Legal Effect.

City Code Section

(Amended by Ordinance 177200, effective February 21, 2003.)

  1. A. The City Attorney shall prepare a ballot title within five business days after receiving the prospective petition from the Auditor, or in the case of measures referred by Council, within five business days of the request. The ballot title shall comply with the requirements of state law. The purpose of the ballot title is to accurately describe the proposed measure, and does not constitute an opinion as to whether the proposed measure is free of legal defects.
  2. B. The ballot title shall consist of:
    1. 1. A caption of not more than 10 words which reasonably identifies the subject matter of the petition.
    2. 2. A question of not more than 20 words which plainly phrases the chief purpose of the measure so that an affirmative response to the question corresponds to an affirmative vote; and
    3. 3. A concise and impartial statement of not more than 175 words summarizing the measure and its major effects.
  3. C. In the case of a prospective petition, the City Attorney shall transmit the ballot title to the Auditor who shall inscribe the date of receipt on it and shall:
    1. 1. Transmit a copy of the petition and the ballot title to one of the chief petitioners; and,
    2. 2. Publish in the next available edition of a newspaper of general circulation in the City, a notice of receipt of the ballot title, that an elector may file a petition for review of the ballot title, and the date by which the appeal must be filed.
  4. D. Ballot titles for measures referred by Council shall be published by the Auditor as provided in Section 2.04.120 B.