ARTICLE XIII
AMENDMENT AND SEPARABILITY OF CHARTER

Section

XIII-1    Amendment of charter—proposal, approval

XIII-2    Separability clause

    For statutory provisions on charter amendments, see AS 29.10.100.

XIII-1 Amendment of charter—proposal, approval

Proposals to amend this charter may be made in either of the following ways:

(1) The qualified voters of the City, by initiative petition, may initiate amendments to this charter in the same manner, as nearly as may be, as they may initiate ordinances; or

(2) The council, by resolution or ordinance, may propose and submit or provide for the submission of charter amendments to the qualified voters of the City. A charter amendment initiated by petition of the qualified voters shall be submitted to the qualified voters at a regular or special election in the same manner as an initiated ordinance and subject to the same regulations as nearly as may be. A charter amendment proposed by the council may be submitted to the qualified voters of the City at any regular or special election held not less than two months after passage of the said resolution or ordinance. Any amendment thus submitted to the qualified voters shall become effective upon approval by a majority of the qualified voters who vote on the question. If more than one amendment should be proposed, all of them except those which are so interrelated that they should be approved or rejected together, shall be submitted in such manner that the voters may vote on them separately. A copy or copies of every charter amendment approved by the qualified voters shall be filed as may be required by law. A new Charter may be proposed and approved in lieu of this charter in the same manner as an amendment to this charter may be proposed and approved.

It is hereby recognized that the manner of adoption, amendment, and repeal of home-rule charters may be regulated by law; and any binding provision of the State constitution or law regulating such manner shall prevail over any conflicting provision of this charter or of any ordinance.

XIII-2 Separability clause

If a court of competent jurisdiction should hold any section or part of this charter invalid, such holding shall not affect the remainder of this charter nor the context in which such section or part so held invalid may appear, except to the extent that another part of the charter may be inseparably connected in meaning and effect with that section or part.

If a court of competent jurisdiction holds a part of this charter invalid, or if a change in the State constitution or law renders a part of this charter invalid or inapplicable, the council, by ordinance, may take such appropriate action as will enable the city government to function properly.