The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-02-06
CHANGES IN THE CHARTER.
- o.
Tho Mayor Not TO be q Member OF
the Board Of Public
Works.
Again Decided That Aldermen
Should be Elected at
Large,
And That the City Council Shall Elect this
Public Board-Work Of tbs
Commission

The charter commission held two ses-
sions yesterday. During the afternoon
they ~grappled with the important matter
OF public improvements, how they should
be made and paid for. This being . very
important subject. il received due
consideration and many different
mission has already passed upon
the procedure Of condemning private
property for public use. and the benefits
derived therefrom are to be assessed to
abuttina and adjacent property improved
thereby. The 81. Louis charter was re-
ferred to in several instances. The follow
ing Is substantially the system proposed,
and that will be adopted. All street clean
ing, street repaire, and building street
crossings, repairing sewers. ETC., shall be
paid for out Of thc general fund.
The opening OF grading Of ar alley
through any block shall be paid for by the
AUDITING property in that block. When a
street is to be opened or graded, the board
of public works shall FIX the section to be
benefited thereby and which will pay pro
rata. The property in any single block
shall be assessed equally for each front foot
improved. and in their discretion
blocks in different sums as they
may deem just and equitable, but there
dit ie En- b blocks. Ali = paving, euttering,
curbinR and sidewalks shall be paid for by
the abuttinR property. The cost Of open
ing, grading, paving, curbing, guttering.
sidewalks and all materials therefor, shall
be a special tax and charge upon the
and praoNrihad Inv tho hOapd NJ
public works, as the case may
be. Nobody shall be required
however, to pay for any of the above men
toned Improvements in excess Of 25 per
cent. of the value Of the property. In such
case the excess will be paid by the city
MI. Murphy thought the city should pay
for a part Of the street grading. in view Of
the fact that the city is benefited in that
the property SO improved enhances in value
and the taxes collected thereafter CORE
spondingly increase.
In the matter Of paying. this special tax
Mr.. Robertson suggested a fuctuating
policy that would be a great relief to tax
payers. He says the property owners will
have to pay for all the work done hereto
fore and paid out Of the general fund, and
som nsa sims 1 pay P }op he % street ao sni ;m aaa Ct int
in front Of their property, might work
and would have a tendency to re-
tard the development Of the CITY.
He propose that the city shall the first
year pay so per cent. Of the work and the
cent, and 30 on down to five years. The
property owners would pay seven per cent.
interest on the deferred payments, but
would eventually pay for the whole work.
This plan, Mr.. Robertson Thought, would
be a great assistant to the men who are en-
%deavoring to build, own and beautify their
homes, and though they would pay for all
improvements made to their property with
interest, the burden would fall lightly upon
them and the results would be better all
around
The meeting then adjourned until 1880.
When the commission resumed those
present were Mayor Bradford. Messrs.
Murphy, Chessman, Smith. Wells, Robert
son, Lorey and Theme. Instead of taking
up the work where it was left off at the af-
ternoon session, that already passed upon
and reduced to typewriter copy was read
over again, tho result being that many i'm
portant changes were made.
The most important were those relating
to the board of public works. BY. unani-
nous consent, after due consideration, the
time Mr., Murphy accidentally dis
covered a provision in the state constitu-
ton which conflicted with the terms of Of
fee of municipal officers. The charter
commission, following out the Nashville
to making the n of office of the board
of public works, such as would leave polit-
ical considerations a secondary matter, and
with a view to securing the best service,
had contemplated making the terms of Of
fee of the board two, four and six years re-
spectively. The constitution provides that
1.-THE legislative assembly may provide for
the election or appointment Of such other
county, township, precinct or municipal
officers as public convenience may re-
quire and their terms of Office
shall be prescribed by law, not in any case
to exceed two years, except as 10 in this con-
stitution otherwise provided"
In view of this it was decided that the
board Of public works shall serve for two
years. In lieu Of the mayor a question
came up rs to how the third member should
be selected. Alderman Theme and Messrs.
that one member should be elected by pop
ular vote, as long as the commission was
against electing all of them at large. These
three gentlemen we're alone in their views,
however, as vote on that point
determined. A vote that three members
Ct If the city board soanoi, be o.r elected rh BY
question was pretty thoroughly discussed
and it was decided that the best results
would be secured by having the board elect
cd by the city council. Their salaries shall
not be less than $1,000 nor more than 5000
per annum. The provision of the constitu-
ton, however, has greatly interfered with
the purpose of the commission.
Many objections were advanced to having
the mayor 4 member Of the board, among
them being that to make him attend to
those duties no representative citizen could
afford to assume the task and his power
would be too arbitrary. The more it was
considered the more were the objections.
The proposition of electing alderman at
large, 40 previously passed upon, was OPP
posed only by Mr.. Smith, who felt that the
people of the different wards wanted to
send Il man to the council in whom they
had perfect confidence. Mr.. Smith was
outvoted and the election at large goes.
An effort to establish a property quRlitica-
ton to become a candidate for Office was
also defeated. but in all cases every officer,
elective and nppointive, including police
men, must be q citizen of tho United
States and have resided in the city two
years prior to his election or appointment;
and policemen must be able to read and
write the English language. Mr.. Wells
jocularly suggested as anoth r qualification
for a policeman that he should vote the
democratic ticket.
Four sections OF the st. Louis charter,
further prescribing for the condemnation
of property FOR public use, were adopted.
Mr.. Smith, who was requested to investi-
gate tho legality of issuing interest bearing
bonds to pay for street improvements, tho
same to DO held as u lien against the prop
erty benefited, IA Ia done at Superior, Wis
consin, II which system was suggested by