The initiatory petition referred to in this act shall be addressed to and filed with the secretary or clerk of the metropolitan district where the territory is located. The petition shall state the body or organization, if any, or if there is no body or organization, then the person or persons who are primarily interested in and responsible for the circulation of the petition or petitions and the securing of the amendment or amendments. The petitions shall be verified by the affidavit or affidavits of the person or persons who obtained the signatures and shall be signed by a number of registered electors equal to 5% of the highest vote cast for the highest elective officer whose vote can be ascertained at the last district election. The verification shall state that the petitions were circulated at the request of and pursuant to the directions of the association, organization, person, or persons desiring the amendment. The verification shall also state that the signatures were obtained by the persons verifying the petition, that the signatures are the signatures of the persons purporting to sign the petition, and that each of them signed in his or her presence and that the person verifying the petition has good reason to believe and does believe that the signers obtained are duly qualified and registered electors of the district and are the identical persons their signatures purport to be. Within 14 days from the date of the receipt of any initiatory petition, the secretary or clerk shall check over the names on the petition with the registration rolls of the territory affected or in some other proper manner determine whether the petitioners are duly qualified and registered voters of the district whose charter is to be affected by the amendment. If it appears that the number of duly qualified and registered electors signing the petition equals or exceeds 5% of the total vote cast for the highest elective officer whose vote can be ascertained at the last district election and in all other respects conforms to the provisions of this section, he or she shall certify to those facts and report the same to the legislative body of the district. If he or she finds that there are less than the required number, he or she shall report that fact to the legislative body of the district and no further action upon the petitions shall be had. If the petition conforms to this act, the legislative body of the metropolitan district shall submit the ballot question to the metropolitan district electors as provided in section 389 of the Michigan election law, 1954 PA 116, MCL 168.389. Other proposals, whether initiated by petition as provided in this section, or proposed by the legislative body, within the times respectively within this act provided, may be submitted to the metropolitan district electors as provided in section 389 of the Michigan election law, 1954 PA 116, MCL 168.389.