Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-01-03
City Charter.

| furnished with a two-page supplement- OF
| the REcoRD-UNIoN giving the text of the
| proposed new city charter 1t should be
very carefully read, and compared closely
with the existing laws, and no absolute
| judgment as to its merits should be pro-
| nounced until after the document has been
freely and fully considered.
Under its provisions, the government of
! the city will be vested in Mayor and eight
J Aldermen, a Board of Education, School
| Superintendent, Clerk, and other subordi-
nate officers. No ordinance will be valid
unless passed by the votes Of at least five
Aldermen and approved by the Mayor.
| But if the Mayor shall neglect 10 approve
such ordinance for the period of five days
the same may be passed by the votes of six
Aldermen and it shall have the same effect
as if approved by the Mayor The Mayor
shall have a vote only in the case of a tie,
and his salary is fixed at 81 GOO per year in
stead of $1,000 as at present, which effects
! saving of 81 800 yearly. The Street Super
intendent, instead of being as at present a
member of the City Governing Board. will
be an appointee of the Common Council,
and hence will be under their control and
will be compelled to give his whole atten-
ton to the performance of his particular
duties The Chief Engineer will act as Su-
perintendent of the Water works, which
saves 81 200 per annuln. The City Taper,
under the direction of the Common Council,
will have the supervision OF the water mans
and pipes The offices of Tax Collector and
Assessor are consolidated, which effects
saving of 81, 500 per annum. The office of
Police Judge is abolished, and is provided
that his duties shall beperformed by one of
the City Justices of the Peace. which will
save s.. 500 per annum. The Fire Depart
ment is placed under the control of the
Common Council, and the present Board Of
Fire Commissioners is abolished. The
present Board OF Police Commissioners is
also abolished, and the Police Department
is placed under the control of the Common
Council
The city will be districted into eight
wards. and one Alderman will be chosen
from each ward. The members of the
Common Council or Aldermen will hold
office for four years. but Will be so classified
that one-half of their number will be
elected every two wears. The other elective
officers will hold Office for two years.
The School Department will be prac-
tically unchanged The number of mem
bers of the Board of Education will be the
same, but one will be elected from each Of
the eight wards The School Superintend-
ent will be given the casting vote in case OF
a tie in the Board and school warrants will
be drawn directly by the School Depart
ment.
No change is made as to the offices Of
Clerk and Auditor, City Attorney and Chief
of Police, except that $500 of the annual
salary and whatever may be allowed for
extending the assessment roll Is taken from
the compensation OF the Clerk and Auditor.
The Clerk of the Police Court will receive
salary of 800 per month instead OF fees,
The proposed charter provides III Section
533 that the Common Council shall have
power to provide by ordinance a system for
the assessment. levy and collection of taxes,
which places the matter under the control
OF the city authorities, who possess the
power to change any system they may
adopt from time to time without the neceS
sity of applying to the Legislature for re-
lief In the subdivisions of powers the
Common Council are authorized to levy
tax not exceeding per cent per annum.
This and the other special taxes provided
in the Act are all that can be levied. \
saving of expense is made by having the
Tax Collector perform the duties Of Asses
sor. The proposed charter also provides
that the Council may require that officer TO
make a copy of the entries relating to the
4Otoitttl With Ni4C Nitl IiOiII
county assessment roll.
The committee in Section 500 have pro-
vided that none of the property Of the city
shall be taken on execution, and that all
existing statutes relating TO the bonded in
debtednesS shall be continued in force. This
leaves the parties in the same position that
they now occupy and obyiates the obiec
ton to the Act Of 1852 which enabled the
bondholders to seize the property Of the
city on execution.
The proposed charter gives the Council
power to provide by ordinance q system for
the improvement of streets. This is not i
mandatory provision and the city may act,
if it pleases, under any general law that
may be passed, or it may provide a Sepa-
rate system, by ordinance, applying to the
city alone.
The provisions of subdivision q. of Sec
ton 524 and of Section SO, provide for the
maintenance Of the leyees.
The city authorities are given all neces-
sary power to deal with nuisances endan
gering public health.
The elections OF officers will take place as
at present, on the second Tuesday in March
but an election viii occur only every two
years and the members of the Board of
Education and School Superintendent will
be elected at the same time as the other city
officers. This provision Will save the ex
pense Of many unnecessary elections