Arizona weekly citizen., 1883-02-25
The New Charter.
IUCsoN. Feb.

TUCsoS, Feb. 2l.
 EDITOR CITIZEN: At a meeting of the Council and citizens, held last even ing at the Masonic hall, the new Pro- posed .City Charter came mp for dis cussion. After the reading of the re- port of the citizens committee, some very amusing incidents occurred.
 In the proposition for reducing the labors of city Assessor to q fine point, It was proposed to raise the office or Coun- cilman and Assessor and make the office of Supervisor and County Assessor sub rnissive to their will. lE other words, that these city officers should be en- titled to all the private papers apper- tainIng to the County Assessors oihce. A pretty pickle she City Fathers wlll find themselves ln year hence, should the County Assessor refuse to submit to the proposed outrage on hls private assessment roll. All cities al some tune during their municipal epoch are called upon to discuss the grave question oi annexation, but where IS the lawyer who will advocate that a contract IS bind ing where both parties have not agreed.
 The Charter proposes to annex certain boundaries without the consent oi the contracting parties, and wlth what avail will be the Assessors attempt to collect taxes, or the city to enforce law within the proposed new addition with out their consent
 The street law in all young cities Is Of the most vital importance to the main tenance of health, convenience and beauty to any young city, and 1t directly interests property owners by holdlng and inducement to them to have EhelT street improved in front of their prop erty and for contractors to perform the work. No street work can be under taken without producing some arbitrary financial inconvenience to some on the line of the proposed improvement for instance widows, sick men, etc. Under the proposed charter what would Q dollar or two street warrant be worth to the contractor. The old Oakland street law IS well worthy of the city fathers consideration. A majority Of property owners along the hne of proposed i'm provement petition the Council Tor the | improvemsnt; ten days tune IS gwen Tor 8 majority to protest; notice by ad- vertisement for bids IS published and let to the lowest bidder; ten days IS allowed 70 any prOpertH O"AoA ." N' the work at the same figure; the surveyor establishes the grades and lines and the street commissioner su- pervises the work. accepts the same and makes the assessment roll and writes out the warrants and before delivering them to the contractors collects hls and the surveyors fees from the contractor, the same having been added to the as sessment roll, the property holder hay ing the privilege of naming one Of thelr number to act as street commlssloner and draw his pay from the assessment roll not to exceed five dollars per day. The warrants draw one per cent. inter- est thirty days after their issuance and then become lien upon the property until paid, for two years, and then cease to be operative against the property unless legal proceeding be commenced, | thus enabling the contractors to cash them at a bank. It very good law, holding out inducements to property ! owners and contractors
 E. L. WTTHoRE