12-2720.   Same; adoption of ordinance; contents; publication; protestpetition; election; effective, when.Before any such contract or contracts shall be made by the governingbody of such contracting city, or bonds issued, taxes levied orimprovements made, as provided in this act, the governing body of suchcontracting city shall enact an ordinance authorizing the acquisition ofthe necessary site and the necessary easements, authorizing the making ofsuch improvements and authorizing the making of such contract or contracts.The ordinance shall specify the nature and extent of the improvement to bemade and describe such contract or contracts, including the estimatedexpenditures of the city under such agreement. Such ordinance shall bepublished once each week for two consecutive weeks in the official citypaper. If within thirty (30) days of its last publication a petition signedby not less than five percent (5%) of the legally qualified electors isfiled with the city clerk, such ordinance shall not take effect untilsubmitted to the electors of such city and approved at an election to beheld within ninety (90) days of the filing of such petition. The governingbody of the municipality shall have power to call such an election, andsuch an election shall be called, noticed, conducted, and canvassed in themanner provided by law for bond elections under the provisions of thegeneral bond law, except, the ballots used when voting upon said ordinanceor resolution, as the case may be, shall contain these words: "For theordinance" and "against the ordinance," as the case may be (stating thenature of the proposed ordinance). If no sufficient protest is filed withinsuch thirty (30) days, or if the ordinance is approved at an electionhereunder, such ordinance shall become effective and the governing body ofsuch city may proceed with its implementation.

      History:   L. 1959, ch. 86, § 3; L. 1971, ch. 51, §2; July 1.