§ 40-12-06 — Duty of governing body after receiving petition for proposed ordinance

After receiving the petition for the initiation of a proposed ordinance, the governing body of
the municipality shall:
1. Pass the ordinance without alteration within twenty days after the attachment of the
auditor's certificate to the accompanying petition;

2. Call a special election, unless a general city election is fixed within ninety days
thereafter, and submit to the vote of the qualified electors of the municipality the
initiated ordinance without alteration; or
3. If the petition is signed by not less than twenty-five percent of the qualified electors as
defined in section 40-12-02, pass the ordinance without change within twenty days
after the filing of the petition or submit the initiated ordinance at the next general
municipal election, if the election occurs not more than thirty days after the city
auditor's certificate of sufficiency is attached to the petition, and if no general municipal
election is to be held within thirty days after the city auditor's certificate of sufficiency is
attached to the petition, it shall call a special election.