ARTICLE XVI.
AMENDMENTS

Sec. 16.1. Amendments Proposed by the Council.

The Council may at any general or special municipal election submit in the form of an ordinance any proposed amendment or amendments to this charter, to be voted upon at such election by the electors, and if a majority of the electors voting on any such amendment shall ratify it, the Mayor shall proclaim such amendment or amendments a part of this charter.

Sec. 16.2. Amendments Proposed by Petition.

Whenever a petition, signed by qualified electors, in number equal to twenty percent of the votes cast at the last general or special municipal election, be presented to the Council accompanied by a proposed amendment to the charter, requesting that such proposed amendment be submitted to a vote of the people at the next general or special municipal election occurring forty-five (45) days or more after such petition is filed, and if approved by a majority of the electors voting upon it, such amendment shall become a part of this charter; provided, that when any amendment shall have been adopted by a vote of the people as in this section provided, the Mayor shall, within the next five (5) days, proclaim such amendment a part of this charter, and shall then cause such proclamation to be published in the City official newspaper; provided, further, that if more than one amendment be submitted at any election, they shall be submitted in such manner that each proposed amendment may be voted upon separately without prejudice to others.

Sec. 16.3. Amendments — Publications of.

All proposed amendments of this charter shall be published once a week for two (2) successive weeks in the City official newspaper before the election at which they are submitted to be voted upon.

Sec. 16.4. Provision by Council.

The Council may make such other further provisions with reference to amendments, not inconsistent with this article, as it may deem proper.

Sec. 16.5. Periodic Review of Charter.

The City shall convene, not later than February 15, 2006, and at least once within each ten-year period after 2006, a Charter Review Committee, which shall review the charter and recommend to the City Council such additions, deletions, changes and amendments as the Committee shall deem appropriate. The Committee shall be composed of not less than seven nor more than ten members appointed by the Mayor, and a like number appointed by City Council, plus one member to be selected, as its first item of business, by the members of the Committee thus appointed. This provision is in addition to such procedures as may be otherwise established by law for the election of freeholders for the purpose of framing a charter. (Added 11-5-96)