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.
40-12-07. Adoption of proposed ordinance - Effect - Repeal or amendment of initiated ordinance. If a majority of the qualified electors voting on an initiated ordinance vote in favor thereof, it shall become a valid and binding ordinance of the municipality. Any ordinance proposed by a petition and adopted by a vote of the people cannot be repealed or amended except by a vote of the people so long as the municipality remains under the commission system of government.
40-12-08. Petition to refer ordinance - Suspension of ordinance - Requirements of petition. An ordinance which has been adopted by the governing body of a municipality may be referred to the qualified electors of the municipality by a petition protesting against such ordinance. Such petition shall be signed by qualified electors of the municipality equal to at least ten percent of the entire vote cast for all candidates for executive officer of the municipality at the preceding regular municipal election and shall be presented to the governing body of the municipality within ten days and before four p.m. on the tenth day after the ordinance described in the petition became effective. If a petition is mailed to the governing body of the municipality, it shall be in the possession of such body before four p.m. on the tenth day after the ordinance became effective. Unless the ordinance protested against was passed by a four-fifths vote of the members of the governing body of the municipality for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, and safety and contains a statement of its urgency, it shall be suspended upon the filing of the petition. The petition provided for in this section shall be in all respects in accordance with the provisions of sections 40-12-02, 40-12-03, and 40-12-04, except as to the number of signers required, and shall be examined and certified by the city auditor in all respects as provided in section 40-12-05.