The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-02-20
NEW BOARD OF WORKS BILL
Introduced by senator Ketcham--Hts
Provisions.

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Introduced by senator Ketcham--Its
Provisions.
Special to the Jersey CITY Meas.
TRENTON, Feb. 90, 1S94.-Senator ketcham
had a small bundle of documents at the Sem
ate meeting today, and out of the batch he
drew five, which he introduced, one after
the other. Two of his measures deal with
the Board of Works of Newark and Jersey
CITY. One repeals the law under which the
boards are acting and all supplements there
to. and ends the terms of office of each COM
missioner and every officer appointed on
MAY L, 1894. In effect it abolishes the pres
ent boards and restores to the Common
Councils all the powers and prerogatayes
that were taken away from them by pre-
yious acts of the Legislature. The new
Board of Works bill is al exceedingly inter-
| esting document, and it is claimed to DE con
structed on lines of the latest ideas in muni-
pal legislation. Power is to be restored 10
| the people. The new board is to have mn
| portant prerogatives, but it is to be elective,
and in all essential matters is to be subor-
| dinate to the Common Council. 1t is TO con-
| sist of five memoers-three of one political
faith and two of another. The term of office
| is to be three years, and the salary OF each
| Commissioners is to be fixed at S2,0O0. For
| the first year, the Mayor is to appoint the
| members, but SO far as Newark is concerned
| the Mayor chosen at the election III April is
| to have the appointments, and not the pres
ent incumbent.
At the coming spring election it is pro-
| posed to give the people an opportunity to
| saw whether they desire a Board OF Works
| or would rather nave the municipal alfalrS
attended to by Common Council. This Will
only come up in Newark, however, as the
| bill SAYS it shall be submitted to the people
| at the election where a candidate for Mayor
| is voted for. There will be no election for
| Mayor in Jersey City this spring. II the
people declare by their ballots that a Board
| of Works is just what they want, 1t VIII De
| given to them at once. After the first year
| the members will become elective. But three
names can go on a ticket, and the nve nlgh5
| est men will be elected. Each commissioner
must give a bond of $4,000. Vacancies IN
| the board shall be filed by the Mayor, but
| for the unexpired term only. Apprentices
| must be of the same political faith as those
whose places they are to fill.
The board will nave control of the supply
and distribution of water, water rents, the
laying and grading of streets, paving, sewer
work, garbage contracts, public parks, docks,
| public lighting, public buildings, excepting
City Hall, hospitals, markets. schools, aims
| house; can regulate speed OF locomotives,
street cars; have charge OF grade crossings,
the granting OF SufeeU car lTaHcHlSeS, anu, III
fact, possess all the powers it now exercises,
but in every case the action of the board
must have the approval of the Mayor and
Common Council. A majority will consti-
tute a quorum. 1t will require four votes
to override the Mayors veto. The Mayor
will have ten days in which to consider Tres
olution, and if not vetoed in that time it be
| comes operative. The board must certify to
the cost of everything to a Board of Assess
ments.
The new board will be vested with power
to finish all work started by the present
board. At the close of each year q detailed
statement of the doings of the board must be
submitted to Common Council. Estimates
as to the appropriation needed for the COM
ing year must be submitted to Common
Council with the sum required for each de
partment. Common Council can decide what
amount shall be appropriated to the Board
Of Works, however. In short, the proposed
Board of Works is to be strictly an execu-
tive body. All legislation OF a municipal
nature will be cared for by the Common
Council