St. Paul daily globe., 1893-03-05
NEW CITY CHARTER. . .
The Lawyers Committee Is Be-
ginning to Get 1t Into Def
mite Form.
Minneapolis Representatives Out
voted on Ward Funds-Po-
lice Pensions Indorsed.

The charter commission was In seS-
sion all day yesterday aud last evening,
and disposed of several chapters of the
new general municipal act.
1t was decided that the mayor of the
city shall hold office for two years and
aldermen for four years, with these eX-
ceptions: At the first election in cities
of over 5000 inhabitants there shall be
elected two aldermen-at-large and one
alderman for each ward for two years,
and three aldermen-at-large and one for
each ward for four years. In the smaller
cities the system is the same, one Of the
three aldermen-at-large being elected
for two years and the others for four
years. After the first election under
the new charter all will be elected for
four years.
it was decided to make the terms of
the city comptroller and the other cleo
tive offices, except aldermen, two years.
The city clerk will receive the same
fees as the clerk of the court in the
county in which he is located, and shall
turn them into the city treasury
monthly.
The Salary of the Mayor
in cities of $4,000 or over shall not eX-
ceed $4,000 per annum, and aldermen
shall not receive more than S720 per an
mum. In the smaller cities the same Of
fcerS shall not receive more than 81 800
and $500, respectively.
The city clerk and other heads of de-
partments may appoint their own assist
ants. The city council shall fix the
number and compensation Of the assist
ants.
The mayor, comptroller and treas
urer shall constitute the board of tax
levy, and the mayor and four aldermen
the board of equalization.
No officials salary shall be changed
between the time of his election and
installation or during his term of Office.
Officials may be removed for neglect Of
duty by a two-thirds vote of tine council,
but only after formal charges are pre-
ferred and the accused is given an Op-
portunity to meet the charges.
To Guard Against BOOdling.
Public officers shall not have any In
terest direct or indirect in any contract,
and violation of their trust shall be
esteemed msdemeanor, conviction
in court disbarring the accused forever
from holding any Office of public trust.
The city clerk Issues licenses, and in
cities of less than 10000 population per-
forms all the duties elsewhere designed
to the comptroller.
The police shall be under the direction
of the mayor, the number of officers be-
ing prescribed by the council. All
police officers must have lived in the
United States five years or more.
Police Pensions Endorsed.
The city council was given authority
to establish police relief funds for the
widows and orphans of members Of the
force, and, if they should so desire, to
pension ex-officers after long and de-
serving service. One-half OF the for
feited bonds in the criminal courts shall
be paid into these relief funds. In Min
neapolis these are now paid TO the bar
association. One-half the dog licenses
shall also be paid to the relief fund.
The SiX-mill limit of taxation for the
"current expense" fund was abolished,
as was also the two-mill limit for the
permane Mt improvement fund. This
was to accommodate the smaller cities.
~ Minneapolis Men OutvOted.
There was long discussion Of fiscal
arrangement the only important
change made being the repetition Of the
abolition OF the ward funds now exist
Ing in Minneapolis and Duluth. City
Attorney Simpson ana City Clerk
Haney, of Minneapolis, and City Attor-
ney Smith, of Duluth, voted to retain
these funds, but they were outv oted.
!, In cities of less than 10000 the coun-
ell IS given authority vested in the park
board elsewhere.
THE commission will meet again at 2
o'clock Monday.