The herald., 1894-07-30
THE PROPOSED CITY CHARTER
Digest of the Changes
Suggested.
Some Marked Cuts in the officials
Salaries.
The Salient Features of tho Now Docu-
ment Which Will Shortly De
Presented to tho Council
for Approval.

The charter revision committee OF the
council is on the eve of completing the
proposed amended charter for the city
of Los Angeles.
The council has really had but little
fault to find with the existing charter,
save with regard to some incongruities
existing therein, and the fact that sew
eral sections conflict with one another.
One of the chief ideas is getting up a
new charter cutting down the expenses
of the city by the reduction of salaries
Of certion elective Offices and the aboli-
ton OF others entirely.
Messrs. Rhodes, Nunson, Nickel and
Pessell of the charter revision commit
tee have been burning good deal OF
midnight oil in concocting the new docu-
ment and it is now in shape for submis-
sion to the city attorney. in order that
the proposed changes may be couched
in proper legal form. This will be done
during the coming week, and at the ex-
piration OF 10 DAYS the new charter will
be ready ior presentation to the city
council for their action.
A review of the proposed changes in
the charter at this time will not be out
place. It is expected to make a sub
stantial saving to the city by abolishing
the Offices of city assessor and city tax
collector, and relying on the county Off
cials to do this work. This, it is ex-
pected, will be O saving in money and In
the time OF taxpayers by obviating the
necessity OF going to two places to pay
city and county taxes. The sslaries oi
the city officials also come in for some
pruning. The mayors salary is cut to
$500; the council from 1920 to $1,000
per annum; city clerk. city auditor and
city treasurer, $500. The salaries OF the
city engineer and city attorney are cut
from $4,000 to $2400. The street super
ntendent is cut from $4,000 to $500, and
the chief of police from $4,000 to $2400,
health officer from $2400 to $500. The
salary of the city librarian has
been reduced from $3.50 to sl25 per
month, but since the announcement oi
this cut someone persuaded the chamber
of commerce directors to insert the origi.
nal figure of $3.50 in the amendments
which they prepared to the committee.
1t is likely that the librarian will have
to submit to cut in common with other
city officials. Another important
change in the regulations OF the public
| library is a provision that all requisi.
tons and bills of the public library shall
be submitted to the council for their ap'
proval or rejection. This will result in
great saving OF the city money.
The school. board also comes in for
some radical changes in the proposed
new charter. 1t provides for five mem
| bers instead of nine, and further that
they shall be elected by the people ai
large. All vacancies in the school board
will be filled by the council in
stead OF the remaining members
of the board. and all work and supplies
in excess OF 5000 shall be let by contract.
No member Of the council is eligible to
serve on the library board, and all meet
ings of municipal boards must be open
to the public. which is a blow at execu-
tive SESSIONS. The city attorney and
health officer are required to devote
their entire time to the duties OF their
Offices. A new board is provided, to be
known as water commission, which
will have general charge OF the city
zanjas, the outfsll sewer and the city
water works, in case they are ever built.
very important part OF the work on
the new charter, which is built on the
model of the present one, is to avoid the
conflicts between certain sections which
now cause good deal OF trouble in in
terpreting the meaning of the charter.