Article III
LEGISLATION
Sections:
3.04 Publication of Ordinances.
3.07 Codification of Ordinances.
3.10 Referendum by the Council.
3.01 Legislative Acts.
Every legislative act of the Council shall be by ordinance. All ordinances shall be numbered consecutively. No ordinance shall contain more than one subject which shall be clearly expressed in its title. The enacting clause of all ordinances shall be: “Be it ordained by the City of Richland.”
3.02 Enactment of Ordinances.
No ordinance shall be finally passed unless it is approved by a majority of all members of the Council by a vote taken by roll call and entered in the journal. No ordinance, except an emergency ordinance or an ordinance for the payment of salaries or current expenses, shall be finally passed less than six days following its introduction and first reading, which may be by title only.
Every ordinance passed by the Council shall be signed by the mayor, or the mayor pro tempore acting as mayor, and filed with the city clerk, who shall record the same and keep a copy for public inspection.
3.03 Emergency Ordinances.
The Council may adopt an emergency ordinance to meet a public emergency affecting life, health or property. Every emergency ordinance shall be plainly designated as such in both its title and body and shall contain a declaration stating that an emergency exists and a description of the claimed emergency.
3.04 Publication of Ordinances.
Every ordinance, except an emergency ordinance, shall be published at least once in the official newspaper of the city within thirty days immediately following its enactment. Every emergency ordinance shall be published within ten days immediately following its enactment. An ordinance may be published by title or in full.
3.05 Effective Date.
Every ordinance, except an emergency ordinance or an ordinance granting a franchise, shall become effective on the day following the date of its first publication or on any other day thereafter fixed by the Council. An emergency ordinance may become effective immediately upon enactment. Every ordinance granting a franchise shall become effective at the expiration of thirty days following its first publication, or on any other day thereafter fixed by the Council.
3.06 Amendments.
No ordinance, or section thereof, shall be revised, reenacted, or amended by reference to its title; but the new ordinance shall set forth at length the ordinance, or section thereof, as revised, reenacted, or amended.
3.07 Codification of Ordinances.
Within three years of the effective date of this Charter, and at least every five years thereafter, the Council shall arrange for a compilation and codification of the Charter and all ordinances of a general, public, or permanent nature, or imposing a fine, penalty, or forfeiture, and shall file the same with the city clerk.
3.08 Initiative.
A. The registered voters of the city may propose an ordinance or one or more amendments to any existing ordinance, and may by petition and subsequent election exercise any authority or power which the city Council exercises by its votes, except that no initiative process shall be allowed on any subject where such an action is contrary to the general laws of the state of Washington. [Approved-general election November, 1975].
B. An initiated ordinance shall be submitted by filing with the city clerk a petition signed by a number of registered electors equal to at least twenty percent of the total vote cast at the last preceding regular general election. All sheets constituting such petition shall be uniform in character; shall contain the proposed ordinance in full; shall contain the names and residence addresses of five registered electors, who, as a committee of the petitioners, shall be regarded as responsible for the circulation and filing of the petition; and shall set forth the residence address of each person signing.
C. Within fifteen days after receiving an initiative petition, the city clerk shall determine whether it has sufficient valid signatures. If insufficient, the petition shall fail. If sufficient, the petition shall be submitted forthwith to the Council.
D. Within thirty days after receiving an initiative petition from the city clerk, the Council may enact such petitioned ordinance, but only without amendment, and it shall take effect immediately or at such other time as may be fixed therein. If the Council shall fail to enact such ordinance, it shall be submitted to popular vote at a special election to be held within ninety days of receipt by the Council, but if any other municipal election is to be held within one hundred twenty days after receipt by the Council, the proposed initiative shall be voted upon at such election.
E. If a majority of the registered electors voting on an initiative ordinance shall vote in favor thereof, it shall take effect ten days after certification of the election results or at a later time fixed therein. If the provisions of two or more ordinances approved at the same election are inconsistent, the ordinance receiving the highest affirmative vote shall prevail and the other(s) shall be deemed rejected.
F. An initiative ordinance, whether enacted by vote of the Council or by vote of the people, shall not be amended or repealed by the Council within one year after its enactment.
3.09 Referendum.
A. The registered voters of the city may propose the repeal of any ordinance or section or sections of any ordinance, except that no referendum shall be allowed on any subject where such a referendum procedure is contrary to the general laws of the state of Washington. The fact that the ordinance is in effect shall not bar the referendum procedure. [Approved-general election November, 1975].
B. An ordinance shall be referred by filing with the city clerk no later than thirty days following the first publication of the ordinance, a petition signed by a number of registered electors equal to at least twenty-five percent of the total vote cast at the last preceding regular general election. All sheets constituting such petition shall be uniform in character; shall contain the proposed ordinance in full; shall contain the names and residence addresses of five registered electors, who as a committee of the petitioners, shall be regarded as responsible for the circulation and filing of the petition; and shall set forth the residence address of each person signing.
C. Within fifteen days after receiving a referendum petition, the city clerk shall determine whether it has sufficient valid signatures. If insufficient, the petition shall fail. If sufficient, the petition shall be submitted forthwith to the Council and the operative effect of the ordinance, or sections thereof, to which the petition pertains shall be deemed suspended.
D. Within thirty days after receiving the referendum petition from the city clerk, the Council shall repeal the ordinance, or sections thereof, or shall order it submitted to popular vote at a special election to be held within sixty days of receipt by the Council; but if any other municipal election is to be held within ninety days after receipt by the Council, the proposed referendum shall be voted upon at such election.
E. If the majority of the registered electors voting on the referred ordinance shall vote for repeal of the ordinance, or sections thereof, it, or such sections thereof, shall be repealed upon certification of the election results. Otherwise the referendum shall fail and the ordinance, or sections thereof, shall be deemed restored to effect.
F. An ordinance, or sections thereof, repealed by the Council because of a referendum petition, or repealed by a referendum vote of the people, may not be reenacted by the Council within one year of the effective date of such repeal. This subsection shall not apply to an ordinance, or sections thereof, referred to the voters by the Council.
3.10 Referendum by the Council.
The Council by its own motion may submit any proposed ordinance, or any sections thereof, to the voters for their approval or rejection in the same manner as provided for its submission upon petition.