The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-02-16

The new charter for the city of Roam
oke has become law and its changes
from the old will soon begin to effect
the transactions Of the municipal gov
eminent.
There are some offices which have
been created that will be filled imme-
diately. The members Of the police
force will go out of Office on the 22nd of
this month, and their places will be
filled by tho mayor, who now has COM
pleto control of the force and can make
appointments as he may see fit. There
is an end to the administration of the
police commissioners, as the terms of
office of all three expired with the pas
sage of tho act.
The Office of police justice has been
created, and will go into effect as soon
as that functionary can be elected by
Council. board of public works will
be new feature in the city. They are
appointed by the mayor, to be approved
by Council. These are all the offices
that will be affected at the present
time.
The act makes one important change
in the division OF the city by wards.
There will be five wards instead of
three, as heretofore, and they will be
bounded as follows:
First ward-Bounded on the east by
Roanoke and franklin streets, south by
Roanoke river to the Norfolk and West
ern railroad, north by the said road to
j. M. Gambilrs mill, which is in line
with the eastern boundary os the ward.
Second ward-Boupded on the north
by the Norfolk and Western railroad.
cast by Jefferson street, south by Roa-
noke river and west by the eastern
boundary of the First ward.
Third ward-Bounded on the north by
the Lynchburg and Salem turnpike,
east by Tinker crock, south by the Nor
folk and Western and west by Henry
street to Gilmer; thence with Gilmer to
Henry; thence with said street and
Gainsboro road to Peach street; thence
with said street to the Lynchburg and
Salem turnpike, which forms the north
ern boundary.
Fourth ward-Bounded on the north
by the Norfolk and Western railroad.
east by the city limits to Roanoke river,
south by Roanoke river and west by JEFF
ferson street.
Fifth ward-Bounded on the north by
the corporate limits, east by the western
boundary of the Third ward, south by
the Norfolk and Western railroad, west
by the corporate limits.
The First ward will be lesseued in
population by about 5000 inhabitants.
The Second ward will also be lessened.
The 5000 decrease from the First ward
will, however, be added to the Second
and Fifth wards, but the population of
the Fourth ward, which includes all the
southeastern section of the city, will be
cnt OFF from the Second. The Third
ward, Councilman Sheehan estimates,
will be increased from 40 to 80 per cent.
in population. The Fifth ward promises
to be strong one. 1t is about equal in
population with the Fourth
The charter provides that each of
these wards shall elect four councilmen
at the mex t municipal election, which
falls on the fourth Thursday in NAV
(the 2Gth.) Theipresent Council will 90
out of Office on the first of July. This
gives the city for its municipal govern
mont twenty councilmen and mayor
with the veto power Ten of the CoHn-
cilmen are to be elected for two years
and ten for one year.
at the coming election in May, be-
sides the eouncilmen named above, the
following officers will be elected
Mayor, sergeant. commonwealth at
torney, five justices of the peace, one
from each ward. and a constable The,
shall each hold Office for two years
The clerk Of the Hastings Court will
be elected on the, fourth Thursday in
May, 1896, and every six years there
after. The treasurer will be elected on
the fourth Thursday in May. 1893, and
every three years thereafter. The com
missiopers of the revenue will be elected
on the fourth Thursday in May, 1894,
and every four years thereafter.
Not until the election in May takes
place will the municipal government be
radically changed by the new charter.
The police justice will be elected right
away and take charge of the police
court. This Office may be filled when
Council meets tonight. There are sew
eral applications for the position,
among them being j. Waugh, A. b.
Woodbridge. G.. A. Turner, w. Ii. Turner
and d. w. Espenlaub.
The police justice will relieve the
mayor from one onerous duty. He will
hold police court and dispose of all cases
of criminal nature which have hereto
foro gone before the magistrate. He
will be in position to dispose of cases at
all reasonable hours during the day.
The board of public works is the most
ortanO matCer LOT consideration at
present. 1t will be composed of three
qualified citizens who will DO appointed
to the mayor and approved by Council
The appointment of this board will
relieve the Council in great measure
1t will have charge of all public i'm
provements, building matters, and all
street and sewer work which may be
done in the city. The members will be
salaried officers and will probably re-
ceive from 81, 600 to $1,505 year each.