The daily morning journal and courier., 1894-08-02
NEW RAVENS NEW CHARTER
RADICAL CHANGES ARE PROPOSED
 IN CITY GOVERNMENT.


 Mayor to Have More Power-Boards of
 Couneiimsn and Public Works Abolished
 -Non-Partisan Police and Fire Boards
 Other Changes.
 The members of the commission ap- pointed by the last legislature to hold public hearings and if deeemed ad- yisabie to revise the charter of the rity of New Haven has practically completed It's labors. The members of the commission are James N. States. chairman: Henry c. White. Francis K. Q Beach. Ell Whitney. jr.. and Professor George D. Watrous The committee will not give out the complete char ter until all the details have been. agreed upon. but some of the more important recommendations have been given out. The entire work of revision will be completed in the near future and the new charter will be submitted to the court of common council in the fall. Later 1t will go to the legislature for ratification.
 In the opinion of a number Of well known residents of the city the proposed new charter will never be ratified by the next legislature. Said one man, and he well known democrat:
 ''The next legislature will be republi- can and you can rest assured 1t will never ratify that charter. There Is altogether too much one man power In the proposed act. It will never be- come operative"
 The new charter will make radical changes and vastly more power will be given to the mayor than he has enjoyed before. Some of the more i'm portant changes are as follows: The board of councilmen is to be abolished and the law making power of the city centered in one board, to be known either as the board of aldermen or the city council, to consist of one rep resentative from each city ward and three aldermen-at-large. That is one of the sweeping changes in the new charter.
 The first section of the new charter is devoted to the incorporation and boundaries of the city and wards No change is made in the boundaries of either the wards or the city. The mat ter of consolidation is left for a sepa- rate bill. whose provisions are de- scribed later.
 The date of the city election is changed from December to the third Tuesday in April. This was done mainly because the weather in Decem- Der is apt to be indictment. At that time a mayor, comptroller, treasurer, collec- tor, clerk and three aldermen-at-large for the term of two years, are to be chosen by the people. Ward elections will be held in one-half of the wards for the choice of one alderman from each ward. aldermen to serve for two years.
 The first election under the new regime would be on the 3rd Tuesday in April, in 1897. Every two years there Rfter city elections would be held. No election would take place in December, 1896, but those in office at that time would rhold, rover until the following spring. Under the new charter, as ytated, threee aldermen-at-large will be elected. No voter can vote for more than two aldermen-at-large at any cleo lion. It is planned to have half the aldermen elected every year and the other half hold over hs is done in many cities. The odd number wards would lect aldermen In 1897 and every second year there after and the even number wards in 1898.
 The mayor is to 'call together the heads of all city departments once a month for 8 conference He may ap- point three disinterested persons to ex- anime the affairs of any department or officer without notice. The mayor shall sign all contracts for the city. He is given the. veto power of all votes or parts of votes of the city council, sub- ject to two-thirds overruling vote of the council. The mayors duty is to see that the laws are enforced, and he is made responsible for the good order and effective government of the city. He Is to appoint the superintendents of police and fire departments, the director of the board of public works and corpor- ation counsel. He Is required to sub init to the city council 8 general state ment of the condition of affairs of the city government on the July following his election and quarterly thereafter. He has power to assume the entire con- trol and direction of the police and fire departments in case of emergency, for five days. He can appoint three persons, only two of whom shall be of the same political faith, to examine without notice the affairs of any de- pertinent or employe of the city. He may remove from office any person ap- pointed by him or his predecessor by a written order giving reasons. "s
 The comptroller's duties are to keep account of all officers and departments, in manner to be directed by the board of finance. He is to audit all accounts once in three months and keep an ac- count of each item of appropriation. He shall not suffer, any appropriation to be .overdrawn and shall examine and certify all bills against the city. The treasurer shall have an office in the city hall, to be kept open at fixed hours, and shall. have clerk. He shall deposit funds where directed by the board of finance, and all interest receiv- shall helong to the city. He shall re- ceive all license fees and pay all bills duly certified to by the comptroller, and report to the board of finance monthly the condition of the city finances. The city tax collector shall have the power and duties of town collectors, L B. &