The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1893-01-05

government or wishing 10 induce it tt
take action in any particular matter o
public interest, to know where, il
each instance, power and responsible
ity are lodged. 1t is the object of thi.
: article to condense for general con
venience. some information on this
subject.
THE MAYOR.
The mayors powers must be consid
cred from two standpoints. First as
to his powers and duties apart from
his relation to the city council, and
second as member and presiding Off
GER OF the city council. As mayor
aside from his duties as a member vi
the city council, he is the chief execu-
officer of the city. In this capacity,
ali other officers of the city are subject
to his directions. By this is not
meant that other officers could be
required by the mayor to
perform duties other than
those assigned TO then by the consti-
tuition and laws of the state and valid
ordinances passed by the city council,
but simply that he is authorized To re-
quire all subordinate off ers to en-
force the laws in their respective de-
partments of the city government
AS means of enforcing his authority
he is given power to suspend other Of
ficers for any neglect or violation of
duty" but he cannot remove an off
Ger except with the consent of two
thirds OF the city council. Insubordi-
nation to the proper authority of the
chief executive officer would, itself, be
a violation of duty on the part of sub
ordinate officers He has power when
necessary to call to his assistance in
enforcing the law every male inhabi-
tant of the city over Is and under 90
years of age.
The mayor as a member of the city
council is their presiding officer, and
can vote only when there is tie vote.
He can veto any measure passed by
the council, and such measure cannot
then be passed so as to give it effect
unless two thirds of the council vote
veto. He is required to report
to the council as to the con
dition of the city government, and may
advise as to the policy 20 be
pursued in the city government or as
no power to have anything adopted.
However, his influence with a council
in harmony with the policies upon
which he was elected is usually suffi.
cient to secure the support of The
council at least in carry ing out the
administration policies But this is
not always true; and to judge of his re-
sponsibility as to any particular meas
ure attention should be given to his
support or opposition to such a meas
ure. Hence. he should not be indis
criminately held responsible for every
measure passed by the council nor for
every failure to adopt what might be
deemed by some wise measure.
THE CITY COUNCIL.
The city council is composed of
mayor and board of twenty-five alder
men, half of which is elected every
year. The city council determines the
policies to be pursued by the city gov
eminent and the taxation and expend
lures therefor within the scope of the
powers vested in it by the charter.
SUBJECT to the constitution of
the state. These restrictions
be carefully noted when
the council is being urged to under
take any public works. There are de
mands every year for the inaugura
ton of many useful and necessary
public improvements, the cost Of
which would far exceed the amount OF
money which the council is author
lied to raise annually by taxation;
aud as the council is forbidden by the
charter to incur obligations in one
fiscal year to be discharged out of
monies which may be raised in a sue
ceeding fiscal year, when expenses
have been paid and incurred to be
paid during any fiscal year, (no odds |
how early in the YEAR, which will alb
sorb all the funds that will belong to |
that year, it is useless to urge the !
council to undertake further public |
work. This suggests that the charac
ter and amount of public work to be
during any fiscal year
ought to be considered very early in
the year, to the end that out of a
number of proposed desirable public |
works, many of which cannot be
the most necessary and |
useful may be determined upon before
the council may have incurred obliga-
lions without careful comparison of
the respective merits of different
desirable public works. The council
has power to appoint all
the city officers except the mayor and
board of aldermen. This authority
was invested in the council by the old
city charter and has been perpetuated
in the new charter. 1t was claimed
by those who had this feature intro
duced, that while the people could
elect as good officers at least as the
council could. yet that the disturb
ance and excitement incident 10 per
sonal contests for so many salaried
offices overshadowed and placed in the
back ground the important questions
of the public policy of measures advo
Gated by the mayor and candidates for
positions. on which the
elections should and could be made to
turn. when so many salaried positions
we're not being sought for ia an cleo
ton by the peaple. The system has
given general satisfaction, though
is oc asionally made about
trading of votes on the part of the
whereby aldermen who do
not always vot, on their judgment a.
to every Office, I ut, to induce votes for
A favorte tor one position, they some