Any person or persons, organization or organizations presenting or offering any initiative or referendum petition for final filing shall, at the time of offering said petition, deposit with the City Recorder either cash or a certified check drawn to the order of the City of Ashland, for a sum as established by Resolution of the City Council, which sum or check shall be held by the City Recorder until after the election and, in case the referred or proposed measure is defeated at such election, the entire cost of holding the election on such measure shall be paid from such deposit, and if any balance remains after payment of such election expense, such balance shall be returned to the proposer of any such measure. In the event any such initiative or referendum measure is enacted at the election held thereon, the entire amount of such deposit shall be returned to the proposer of such measure, and the expenses of such election shall be paid by the City.

This provision is made for the purpose of preventing the depletion of City funds by elections on matters in which the public is not interested and which have no merit. (Ord. 2979, amended, 02/17/2009)