The Citizens of Jefferson County reserve the power to propose by their own initiative to enact Ordinances independent of the County Council, to approve or reject any Ordinance of the County Council by referendum, and to recall any elected County Officer.
Initiative petitions may propose Ordinances or the repeal of Ordinances on any subject except (1) Ordinances concerning appropriations for the budgetary support of County Government, (2) Ordinances concerning the payment of principal and interest on debts of Jefferson County, (3) Ordinances concerning the borrowing of funds in anticipation of the collection of taxes and revenues previously authorized at an election, (4) Ordinances directing the issuance of bonds by Jefferson County previously authorized at an election, (5) Ordinances establishing tax rates, (6) Ordinances establishing zoning districts or designating real property to be in one zoning district or another or Ordinances amending other Ordinances that do so. In order for a proposition by initiative petition to be submitted to the voters, the following requirements must be met: (1) the initiative petitioners must file a notice of intent to circulate an initiative petition with the County Clerk; (2) within twelve months after filing the notice of intent, but not less than six months before the next general election, the initiative petitioners must file with the County Clerk initiative petitions bearing the signatures of Registered Voters who reside in each of the Council Districts equal in number to four percent of the total votes cast for Governor of Missouri in that Council District in the last gubernatorial election; and (3) each petition that is signed and filed must contain a full text statement of the proposed Ordinance with an accompanying title that reflects the content of the Ordinance and an enacting clause that reads as follows: "Be it enacted by the citizens of Jefferson County". The County Clerk is to examine the notice of intent and the initiative petitions that are filed in his or her office to determine if they meet the foregoing requirements. If they meet the foregoing requirements, the County Clerk must so certify and the proposed Ordinance must be submitted to the voters at the next general election. If the proposition is approved by a majority of those voting on the proposition, the proposed Ordinance is to be deemed adopted and to have the same force and effect as an Ordinance adopted by County Council as provided in this Charter.
Recall petitions may propose the recall of any elected County Officer. In order for a recall proposition to be submitted to the voters, the following requirements must be met: (1) the recall petitioners must file a notice of intent to circulate a recall petition with the County Clerk, or if the County Clerk is the subject of the recall petition, with the County Executive; (2) within six months after filing the notice of intent, the recall petitioners must file with the County Clerk recall petitions bearing the required number of signatures of Registered Voters; and (3) each recall petition that is signed and filed must contain the following statement "[insert name of County Officer] is recalled from the office of [insert name of the office held by the County Officer]". If the elected County Officer to be recalled is a Council Member, the recall petitions must bear the signatures of Registered Voters who reside in his or her Council District equal in number to twenty percent of the total votes cast for Governor of Missouri in that Council District in the last gubernatorial election. If the elected County Officer to be recalled is not a Council Member, the recall petitions must bear the signatures of registered voters who reside in Jefferson County equal in number to twenty percent of the total votes cast for Governor of Missouri in Jefferson County in the last gubernatorial election. The County Clerk, or County Executive if the County Clerk is the subject of the recall petition, is to examine the notice of intent and the recall petitions that are filed in his or her office to determine if they meet the foregoing requirements. If they meet the foregoing requirements, the County Clerk, or County Executive if the County Clerk is the subject of the recall petition, must so certify and the recall proposition must be submitted to the voters. If the subject of the recall petition is a Council Member, the recall proposition must be submitted to the voters of his or her Council District. If the subject of the recall proposition is not a Council Member, the recall proposition must be submitted to the voters of Jefferson County. The vote on a recall proposition must be held at a special election called for that purpose if the first ensuing primary election or general election will be more than ninety days after the recall petition is certified. If the first ensuing primary election or general election will be more than ninety days after the recall petition is certified, the vote on the recall proposition must be held at that primary or general election. If the recall proposition is approved by a majority of those voting on the proposition, the County Officer who is the subject of the recall forfeits his or her office immediately and that office is to be deemed vacant.