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STEPS FOR FILING AN INITIATIVE PETITION 1. CHIEF PETITIONERS SUBMIT PROSPECTIVE INITIATIVE PETITION Prior to circulation of an initiative petition, the chief petitioner(s) must submit the prospective initiative petition to the City Recorder's Office. The City Recorder shall review the prospective initiative petition for sufficiency as to form, and advise the petitioners of the election filing deadline (Eugene Code Section 2.976). The prospective initiative petition must include the following: o A copy of the proposed legislation. If this proposed legislation is passed by the voters, the exact wording as presented at this time will become the adopted law. It is strongly recommended that petitioners seek the advice of an attorney prior to submitting the proposed legislation to ensure that what is proposed is legislative in nature and does not conflict with existing State and Federal laws. o State Form SEL 370: "Prospective Petition for Local Initiative/Referendum Measure." This form requests that the City Attorney prepare a ballot title. The form must include a statement designating the names and addresses of not more than three persons or entities as chief petitioners. If the chief petitioner is an organization, its name and address, and the addresses of each of the principal officers of the organization, must be provided. (Eugene Code Section 2.976) o State Form SEL 301: "Statement One or More Petition Circulators WiIIlWiII Not Be Paid." (Eugene Code Section 2.973) The chief petitioners shall include with the prospective petition a statement declaring whether one or more persons will be paid money or other valuable consideration for obtaining signatures of electors on the initiative petition. 2. BALLOT TITLE The City Recorder will forward to the City Attorney two copies of the prospective initiative petition and the City Attorney will, within 5 business days, review the text of the proposed legislation for legal sufficiency and, if appropriate, issue a ballot title, question, and explanation of the proposed legislation. This text will appear on the ballot at the election for the initiative petition. (Eugene Code Section 2.977(1)) 3. APPEAL OF BALLOT TITLE Upon receipt of the ballot title, the City Recorder publishes a notice that it has been received in the next available edition of a newspaper of general circulation. Any elector dissatisfied with the ballot title may, within 5 business days after it is delivered to the City Recorder's Office, submit to the City Recorder a written appeal to the City Council requesting a different ballot title and stating why the ballot title prepared by the City Attorney is unsatisfactory. The council shall afford the appellant a hearing and act on that request within ten business days after the ballot title is delivered to the City Recorder. The ballot title, question and explanation drafted by the council shall be the official ballot language and shall appear before the voters at the election. (Eugene Code Section 2.977(4)) Initiative Petition Process 8/2007 Page 2