The record-union., 1892-02-25
CITY WATER RENTS.
The FreehoIders Have a Lengthy Dis
cussion on the Subject.
Under the New Charter Rates Will Be
Fixed by a Water Assessor
Salaries Again.

5here We're present Freeholders LaRue,
White, Johnson, Cox, Hall, Smith and
Simmons.
Mr.. LaRue offered new section to be
added to the miscellaneous department,
providing that in cases of special meet
lngs of the Board of Trustees, Board of
Education, and other boards, each MEM
Der must be notified in person, and the
matter to be considered at such meeting
must be set forth in the notice. The sec
ion was adopted.
A WATER ASSESSOR.
Mr.. White said he wished to speak of
matter in connection with the water col
-ections that he had been thinking Of for
some time. He had observed the irregu-
arities in the present collection system,
and had evolved plan which, if incor-
porated in the new charter, would insure
PETER results TO the city. Mr.. White
hen proposed the following section:
The Board of Trustees shall as often as once
each year appoint a Water Assessor, who shall
nave been a resident and eector of the city for
IT least two years next preceding his appoint
Jnent. Said Water Assessor shall qualify and
enter upon the discharge OF his duties within
Ten days next after his appointment, and shall
within - months next thereafter diligently
ana accurately ascertain the res pectiye sums
properly colectable for the use Of city water
rom the several water takers, according 10
lhe rates established by the ordinance for that
purpose then in force, and report the same 10
he City Collector who shall accept such re-
bort as the minimum sums to be collected,
md make collections of water rates accord
thgly, and he shall not have power TO make
eductlonS from the sums so reported: but
nay collect greater sum whenever he shall
discover that any sum so fixed is less than is
properly collectable Nor shall any reduction
Je made In any of the amounts to b. collected
IS reported by the Water Assessor, unless by
. IT tHE Roo flghf EssvV1
ne collected from any water taker has non
zen reported by the Water Assessor. the CITY
director snail collect in such case the proper
amount Tor water rates in accordance with the
ordinance, the same as if it had been renortad
Dy the Water Assessor.
The sums collectable for water furnished by
ne CITY 10 consumers shall, without regard to
ne ownership Of the property be a lien upOn
ne real estate and Improvements where such
water is made use OF.
THOUGHT IT TOO HARSH.
Mr.. Johnson was opposed to that por-
Ion OF the section referring to a lien on
1eal estate. 1t was too harsh
Mr.. Smith objected to it because he
bought too much power was placed in
he hands Of the W alter Assessor.
Mr.. Hall agreed with Mr.. Johnson that
delinquency should not create a lien on
zeal estate. There was another remedy
lor non-payment, and that was to shut off
the water supply.
Mr.. White said mis- proposed section
vas IN the nature of a suggestion. and he
wanted the faults pointed out. He had
ihother suggestion to offer, too, and that
vas tnat water rates should be paid at the
Water Clerks Office, and thus do away
with the expense of water collectors.
Mr.. Smith thought that to do away
with the Water Collectors now would be
Unpopular The people considered the
collectors CONFERENCE.-The they had
fbeen educated up to that-and they would
Oh TOO 4 =
-dr. Smith took occasion at this point to
speak of the duties it was proposed to re-
Quire of the City Collector under the new
charter. He said he thought they had
made grievOus error. Under their pro-
posed laws the Collector was not obliged
10 collect the water rents. No restriction
mas been placed upon him, except to say
10 him, I'VE will pay you S., 900 a year
with which to run your Office" Mr..
smith thought that it would be impos-
Sible for two men to collect all the water
rents under the present system. 1t was
notorious fact that the collections had
Tarled from $4,000 to $4,000 a year The
amount advanced when the third coll
Iector was added. Mr.. Smith therefore
offered an amendment to that part of the
charter defining the Collectors duties,
providing that the Collector must en-
ploy at least three water collectors. and
must pay them himself.
L W - MEN ENOUfH.
Mr.. Hall disagreed with Mr.. Smith
He was confident that two men could col |
lect rent from every water-taker in the |
city, if they attended to business There |
was no necessity for their making three |
or four visits to consumer in order TO |
collect the rent. After one visit a notice |
could be left requiring the consumer to |
pay at the Collectors Office.
Mr.. White did not think there would !
he any trouble collecting water rents if |
the names of delinquents were filed with |
the Board Of Trustees, and then pub
lished. The water rates charged in Sac
1amento were not hardship. They were
the lowest rates probably in the United
States. No farmer could maintain a well
1T less expense than the city people got
their water.
Mr.. johnson did not think that Mr..
Smiths amendment should prevail The
j'reeholders had been working for Some
time on the charter and had done their |
work well. There was danger now of
making the instrument top-heavy, and he |
feared that Mr.. Smiths amendment was !
enc of these top-heavy adjuncts. The char
ter, as it now stood, sufficiently bound
The Collector to do his duty.
A vote was finally taken on Mr., Smiths
amendment, and it was lost.
Mr.. Whites Water Assessor section
was referred to the Water Works Com
1nittee.
Chairman Weinstock at this stage of
the proceedings took occasion to express
himself on a topic that has been discussed
several times by the Freeholders-the !
subject of salaries. No provision had
leen made, he said, for an increase of
population, and If the city advanced as it |
should, it would only be a matter of time |
when many of the city officers could not |
GO the business coming into their hands. |
When the charter under which the city |
now operated was drawn up the trainers !
10 doubt expected that the standard of |
compensation would diminish with /
Years. The fact was, however. that the /
standard had advanced. lift should con-
tinue to advance, there would be trouble |
Under the charter III the future
Mr.. Weinstock's remarks caused quite
discussion on the standard of wages and |
labor.
TO PROVIDE DEPUTIES.
Mr.. Hall finally took the floor and said
that he thought the Freeholders had
made mistake IN providing lump sums
Tor running these offices. He thought it
would be better, in the cases of the
AUDITOR and Assessor, to pay them a
fixed salary, and let the City Trustees
provide for the deputies. With this
idea IN view, Mr.. Hall said he had pre-
pared an amendment, as follows:
The City Auditor and Assessor at the time
q assessing property shall be allowed such
lumoer OF Deputy Assessors as may be re-
ulred 70 carry the work forward promptly TO
completion. The number of such Deputy
assessors, term of service and compen alton |
they are 70 receive while engaged IN such |
work shall be fixed by the Roard -0f TrTstees
Whenever the duties of the CITY Auditor and |
assessor become too arduous to be performed /
10y MN aionei et!e Board OF Trustees may allow /
Jim clerk. said clerk shall be chosen by 4
the City Audttor and Assessor bv and with /
inc consent ~ tAe Board of Trustees, and shall /