Petitioning

Residents of the City of Morgantown have the right to petition action by Council.

Procedures for Petitioning the Council to Repeal an Ordinance

1. Form a Petitioner’s Committee consisting of 5 qualified voters
2. File an affidavit with the City Clerk’s Office stating:
   • Petitioner’s Committee members names and addresses
   • Statement of formation of Petitioner’s Committee
   • Statement of responsibility for circulation of petition
   • Specifying an address where notices to the Committee are to be sent
   • Citation or full text of the Ordinance sought for reconsideration
3. The Clerk may issue blank petition signature pages to the Committee. Otherwise if produced by the Committee, shall contain lines for signatures, names and addresses of signees, citation of the Ordinance sought to be reconsidered, and an Affidavit of Circulator on each page.
4. Members of the Committee assemble the petition to include:
   • Signature Pages
   • The full text of the Ordinance sought to be reconsidered
5. Members of the Committee circulate the petition, acquiring the necessary amount of signatures.
   • At least 10% of the total number of qualified voters registered to vote at the last Municipal Election.
     * 10% of 16,622 Registered Voters = 1,662 Signatures Required*
6. Completed Petitions must be filed with the City Clerk’s Office within 30 days after the adoption by the Council of the Ordinance to be reconsidered.
   • All pages shall be assembled as one instrument when filed with the City Clerk.
7. The Clerk will examine the petition for sufficiency and notify the Committee within 20 days of receipt of the petition.
   • If insufficiencies are detected among the petition, the Clerk will prescribe the procedures for Amendment to the Committee, subject to Article VIII, Section 8.04 of the City Charter.
8. When the petition is filed with the City Clerk, the Ordinance sought to be reconsidered shall be suspended from taking effect. The suspension shall terminate when:
   • The petition is determined insufficient
   • The Committee withdraws the petition
   • The Council repeals the Ordinance
   • 30 days have elapsed after a vote of the City on the Ordinance
9. When the petition is found to be sufficient, Council will promptly reconsider the referred Ordinance by voting its repeal.
   • If the Council fails to repeal the Ordinance within 30 days after the date the petition was deemed sufficient, the matter shall be referred to the voters of the City as prescribed in Article VIII, Section 8.06 (b) of the City Charter.