None of the following shall be subject to the initiative or the referendum procedures:
(a) Proceedings relating to the internal organization or operation of the city council or of the school committee;
(b) An emergency measure adopted under the charter;
(c) The city budget or the school committee budget as a whole;
(d) Any appropriation for the payment of the city's debt or debt service;
(e) An appropriation of funds to implement a collective bargaining agreement;
(f) Proceedings relating to the appointment, removal, discharge, employment, promotion, transfer, demotion or other personnel action;
(g) Any proceedings repealing or rescinding a measure or part of it which is protested by referendum procedures;
(h) Any proceedings providing for the submission or referral to the voters at an election; and
(i) Resolutions and other votes constituting ordinary, routine matters not suitable as the subject of a referendum petition.
For any measure to be effective under initiative procedure and for any measure to be declared null and void under a referendum procedure and for any recall election, at least 20% of the voters as of the most recent regular city election must vote at an election that includes on the ballot submission to the voters of one or more initiative or referendum or recall questions.
The city council may on its own motion and shall at the request of the school committee, if a measure originates with that body and pertains to affairs under its jurisdiction, submit to the voters at a regular city election for adoption or rejection a measure in the same manner and with the same force and effect as are provided for submission by initiative or referendum petitions.
If two or more measures passed at the same election contain conflicting provisions, only the one receiving the greatest number of affirmative votes shall take effect.