Bangor residents will have the chance this fall to vote on a proposal that would require petitioners attempting to place an initiative or referendum matter on the city ballot to gather a number of signatures equal to 20 percent of the votes cast in the city in the last gubernatorial election.

The City Council approved the proposed changes to the ordinance regulating petitions for referendum and initiatives at its meeting Monday night.

Among the changes is one that would require petitioners gather as many as 2,300 signatures. Currently the requirement is 500 signatures. The number of signatures was one reason that debate, from the audience and councilors, on the matter lasted nearly three hours.

“Anyone can get 500 signatures,” said former Councilor Don Soucy. “If we’re going to second guess every council decision we might as well give up. If an item is important enough you can get 20 percent.”

Another member of the audience had a different perspective. “The current figure is 500. Statewide petition drives require 10 percent in a gubernatorial or off-year election, non-presidential year vote,” said Ross Ferrell. The whole idea of 20 percent requirement is not a good idea at all.

“You may create a perception,” he said, “as looking like you’re doing an end run on the issue.” It could seem, he said, that the voters would think the council is trying to freeze them out of the process.

The council considered changing the city’s procedures governing petitions in the wake of a statute passed by the State Legislature. Prior to the new law, the City Charter petitions for a referendum or an initiative had to remain in the city clerk’s office and petitioners were required to gather 500 signatures.

The state law prohibits the city from restricting the circulation of initiative petitions. Consequently, the city permitted petitions for initiative to circulate, keeping the 500-signature requirement.

The proposal approved by the City Council would not change the charter, if approved by the voters, but would be an amendment to the municipal ordinance that would supersede the charter.

In the last two years, residents opposed to actions by the council have started several petitions. And the number seems to be increasing, which causes some councilors to wonder at being second guessed and gives some pause to wonder about the merits of an elected office in a representative democracy.

In addition to the debate on the number of signatures, councilors also discussed but turned down a provision that would have required a voter turnout equal to or exceeding 30-percent of the votes cast in the last gubernatorial election.

In opposing the trigger figure, Councilor Jeffrey Sosnaud said that if council elections have no required minimum turnout, why should votes on initiatives or referendums?

The debate, however, turned on the number of signatures. Coucnilor William England, said that he thought 20 percent was fair. “Twenty percent brings it in line with the number of votes required to get elected to the council.”