The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1896-12-24
CHARTER OF THE TOWN
OF BENTON.

| TINhe inhabitants of the Town Of Benton, in
| l. the Parish of Bossier, State OF Louisiana,
are hereby created and made body corporate
and polite in law, with perpetual succession,
| to have and to be known by the name and
style of the Clown of Benton, and by that
| name they and their succe sors shall be capa-
| BILE of suing and hcing sued in all Courts of
competent jurisdiction, shall or may have an
| ofhclal seal, and may alter same at pleasure,
shall have the right of acquiring. receiving,
| holding, farming, leasing or conveying proper
| ty, whether real or personal, within aud with
out the limits of the Town, for the use and
| benett OF said Corporation, and shall have the
power to raise money by taxation on the prop
| erty situated in the limits of said Corporation,
| and by Licenses on trades, professions and cor
poratlons pursued and carried on within said
limits said money so raised to be applied to
the use, benefit and good government of said
| Town or corporation of the ''Town of Benton, -
and to provide for and maintain a competent
| police force for the same; and, generally, shall
have and possess all inherent rights and pow
| ers pertaining and belonging to municipal cor
porations not in violation OF, or inconsistent
| with, the Constitution and laws of Louisiana
| SECTIoN2. The limits and boundaries of said
Corporation, or Town of Benton, shall be and
| are hereby ixed and established as follows, to-
wit; All that territory lying and embraced
| within the east half of section thirty (30) and
the west half of section tweuty-nine l29), in
| township twenty t2Ol North, of range thirteen
| l3) West, Northwestern Land District of
| Louisiana.
| SECTION 3. The officers of said Corporation
| snail consist OF a Mayor and five Councilmen
| who shall be elected by the qualified voters of
| said Town, and shall hold their offices for a
period OF two years, and one Secretary. who
shall be ex-otticio Assessor, one Treasurer, one
| Marshal, who shall be ex-otficio Collector, and
SUCH Police officers, not to exceed two in num-
II, nos cpfo ~. NJ
and Council shall deem necessary said officers,
| namely: Secretary, Treasurer and Marshal
shall be elected bi-annually by the Council. and
any one OF then, may be removed for sufficient
| cause by majority of the Council.
SECTION 4. The first election for Mayor and
Councllmen shall be held on the same day that
| this Charter is submitted for adoption, or re,
lection. and to be conducted by the same COM
| mlssloners appointed for holding the Charter
election; and in case the Charter is adopted,
the Mayor and Connclmen elected shall hold
office until the next regular election. which
shall be on the third Tuesday in November,
1898, and biannually, ION the same day. there
after.
Sec. S. The Mayor and Councilmen of said
Corporation, before entering upon the dis
charge of their duties, shall take and subscribe
the oath of office required OF all officers under
the Constitution and laws of the State and
hle same in manner prescribed by law.
SEC. f. That the Mayor of said Town shall
be ex-otficio Justice of the Peace, and as such
be and is hereby vested with all the power
necessary to carry out the provisions of this
act of incorporation, and to execute and en-.
force the laws, ordinances, and regulations of
the same, and shall hold his municipal Courts
at such times as he may think proper. He shall
preside at all meetings of the Council, and
shall call special meetings thereofat such times
as he may deem necessary. He shall execute
or cause to be enforced all laws regulations
and ordinances legally passed by the Council
tie shall hold the right to vote on questions
and matters before the Council only when
there is tie vote in that body. He shall sign
officially all laws and ordinances passed by the
Council, and the same shall be attested by the
Secretary. In the absence of the Mayor, tenn
porarily, the oldest member of the Council
shall preside and perform the duties of Mayor;
and IN case of his death or resignation or his
refusal to act, the Board of Councilmen, by
majority vote OF quorum present, shall choose
Mayor, who shall continue in Office until at
the next election for officers of said Town, his
successor shall have been elected and indicted
into Office.
Seq. The Mayor shall have full and ex-
elusive power to try and determine all viola
lions and oftenses against the laws rules, Ordi
nances and bylaws of said Corporation, and
on conviction of any person or persons, shall
have power to impose and intlict punishments
as hereinafter provided He shall have power
and it is hereby made his duty, to quell and
suppress ali riots, routs, unlawful assemblies,
attrays and tumults, or cause the same to be
done through the proper police officers, and
shall have power to cause to be arrested and
brought before him for trial, all offenders
against the laws, ordinances and bylaws of
said Corporation. All persons accused and
brought to trial in pursuance of the provisions
OF this act OF Incorporation or by virtue of any
law, regulation or ordinance of this CORPORA
tion shall be entitled to compulsory process,
allowed by State laws, to compel the attend
ance of witnesses in their defense. The Cor
poration shall also have power to compel the
attedance OF witnesses against all defendants;
and, in either case, the Mayor shall issue and
enforce the necessary process.
SEC =. Whenever any person shall be tried
and committed for any offense against the
laws, rules, bylaws, ordinances or regulations
OF said corporation, the Mayor shall sentence
said person to pay fine not to exceed the sum
OF one hundred dollars and costs of trial, and
IN default OF payment of said fine and
costs, the person so convicted shall be impris-
oned in the Jail of the Parish of Bossier, or in
the Jail OF said Corporation, for period not to
exceed one hundred days, or be compelled to
work out said fine on the streets or public
works OF said Town, at the rate Of one dollar
per day.
SEC. 9. The Mayor shall cause the laws, by
laws and ordinances of said corporation to be |
published IN some newspaper in said Town, if |
there be one, or shall promulgate the same by |
POSING written copies thereon on the door of |
the Hall in which the Council holds it's meet |
ings, as the Council may elect. He shall receive |
such salary as the Council may fix, not to ex- |
coed fifty dollars per year.
SEC. 10. The Councilmen of this Corpora |
ton, as Board, majority of whom shall |
constitute quorum for the transaction of bus
mess, shall hold regular meeting at least |
once every month on day to be fixed by them.
Their sessions shall be public. and their pro-
ceedings recorded and thew shall possess the |
following powers and perform the following
duties, to-wit: To levy and collect tax upon
all property taxable under the laws of the
State, owned, situated and being within the
limits of said Town, which tax shall not be i'm
posed and collected more than once in each
year, which shall never exceed ten mills on the
assessed valuation of said property; to levy
and collect a License tax upon all trades, pro-
LESSONS, stores, shops, hotels, public boarding