The herald., 1894-06-25
A CHECK ON THE CITY OFFICERS
Some Recommendations From
the City Clerk.
Proposed Amendments to the Munich
pal Charter.
City Clerk Luokenbach at the Request OF
the Special Committee on Charter
Revision Submits Some
Excellent Features.

The matter of providing some system
by which the moneys handled by the
city officers, outside OF the taxes and
licenses, shall be absolutely and accu-
rstely accounted for, is question that
has been the subject of much cogitation
on the part of the members of the coun-
cilmsnic special committee now revising
the city charter.
At the request of the committee. City
Clerk Lucksn bach has been at work
on such system and has just completed
the came. 1t provides that all monies
on streets, etc., which hitherto have
been deposited with the street superin-
tendent shall now be paid direct to the
city treasurer, and that his receipt shall
be taken ae evidence that said money
has been paid. Further, it is provided
that ali contracts to which the city is q
party shall pass through the hands OF
the city auditor, who shall keep in q
book provided for the purpose com
plete record Of this same. The advan-
tage of this amendment is that the
council can tell at glance the amount
of money outstanding Oh contracts.
The report which Mr.. Luckenbach has
just has completed provides that:
All moneys belonging to the city oil
Los Angeles or provided to be collected
by any officer by law or ordinance OF the
city of Los Angeles or to be deposited
with the city of Los Angeles to insure
the performance of any work, except
city licenses and city taxes, shall be
paid directly to or deposited with the
city treasurer and any officer entrusted
with the collection of such moneys or
directed to require such deposits, shall
accept the proper receipt OF the city
treasurer as full and complete evidence
of the payment or deposit of such
moneys.
All receipts for the payment or de.
posting of moneys with the city tress-
urer shall be made in the name of the
party actually paying the same and in
NO case, except for moneys collected for
city licenses and city taxes, shall re-
ceipts be issued in the name of any
officer of the municipality.
All receipts iseued by the treasurer
shall specify the items for which the
payments are made in such msnDer
that the same can readily be distn.
guished one from the other and in nc
case shall one receipt cover two or more
items.
Deposits to insure the performance oil
specific work shall be made to the city
treasurer ss the joint custodian OF the
city and the deposilor, and shall be re-
turned to the depositor upon the proper
certificate of the officer directed to re-
quire such deposit, that the work has
been performed in accordance with the
ordinances of or contracts with the city
and shall not require demand as pre-
vided for the payment of indebtedness
incurred by the city.
IL shall be the duty of the city auditor
to enter in book OF accounts to be KEEP
for that purpose, against the prope
fund so as to show in detail in separate
columns, the amount appropriated by
each contract or authorization to incul
indie Dtedness. countersigned by him
showing the entry thereof to the proper
account, as we'll as the payment or can.
collation. OF the indebtedness incurred
thereby, and the amount OF monies to
be derived from such fund from the an
nual tax levy and the amount actually
collected and apportioned to such fund
as we'll as the revenues received from
other sources for the credit of such fund,
He shall upon the frat Monday Of
January, April, July and October, file
with the council report showing the
condition of the several funds as sci
forth above for the expired portion Of
the fiscal year.
He shall not suffer any appropriation
to be- overdrawn. or the appropriation
for one item of expense to be drawn
upon for any other purpose or any de
partment other than that for which the
appropriation was specifically made, ex
cept on transfers made by the council
by ordinance, and if the city auditor
countersigns any contract or authorize.
ton, or approve any demand contrary
to the provisions hereof, he and hit
sureties shall be individually liable for
the amount of the same to the holder
thereof.
The city auditor shall under the di.
rection of the city council perscribe
and enforce system of account
ability for all supplies or material furn-
ished the city or any of its officers, and
shall require quarterly reports from all
officers showing in detail the supplies
purchased, the amount disposed of and
amount on hand at time OF making such
report.
He shall also require all pay rolls OIL
the various departments to be accom-
panied by statements showing the time
and place when the men and teams
charged for have been employed during
the time covered by said pay roll.
The report then provides that in addi-
ton to the prescribed safeguards in
making contracts on behalf OF the city,
that all contracts shall be countersigned
by the city auditor, and certified copie.
furnished the city auditor. city clerk,
the contractor and the department in
charge of the work, and no work shall
be done until these copies have been
duly delivered.
The report. which is quite lengthy
provides such safeguards that there will
be no opportunity for defalcation on the
part OF any OF the officers or their en-
ployees, and is precisely what has been
needed to keep q check on all of the
departments of the city government, "a
well as the keeping of an accurate
record OF contracts entered into by the
municipal government