The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1897-01-07
CHARTER OF THE TOWN
OF BENTON.

OF BENTON.
FT1he inhabitants of the Town of Benton, in
L the Paiish 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 successors shall be capa-
BILE of suing and being sued in all Courts OF
competent jurisdiction, shall or may have an
official seal, and may alter same at pleasure
shall have the right o.. acquiring, receiving,
holding, farming, leasing or conveying proper
| ty, whether real or personal, within and with
out the limits of the Town, for the use and
benefit 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
| pOratiOns 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
| pOratlons 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 fixed and established as follows, to-
wit: All that territory lying and embraced
| within the east half of section thirty 800 and
the west half of section twenty nine f29) in
township twenty t2nl North, of range thirteen
| 49, West, Northwestern Land District of
Louisiana.
| SECTION B. The officers of said Corporation
shall consist of a Mayor and five Councilmer
| 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 cx-otficio Assessor, one Treasurer one
Marshal hal hn a t,oio S.,lJ
| such Police officers, not to exceed two in num-
Der. unless in cases of emergency, as the Mayor
and Council shall deem nccessary =; said officers,
namely: Secretary, Treasurer and Marshal,
| shall be elected bi-annualy by the Council, and
any one OF them may be removed for sufficient
cause by majority of the Council.
SECTION 4. The first election for Mayor and
Counellmen shall be held on the same day that
this Charter is submitted for adoption, or re-
JectiOn, and to he conducted by the same COM
mIssioners appointed for holding the Charter
election; and in case the Charter is adoptcd.
the Mayor and Councilman elected shall hold
office until the next regular election, which
shall be on the third Tuesday in November.
1878, and bi-annually, ION the same day. there
after.
Sec S. The Mayor and Councilman of said
Corporation, before entering upon the dis
charge oftheir duties, shall take and subscribe
the oath Of office required of all officers under
the Constitution aud laws of the State, and
ME same in manner prescribed by law.
SEC. 8. That the Mayor of said Town shall
he ex-Officio 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 thereof at such times
as ne may deem necessary. He shall execute
o. cause to be enforced all laws, regulations
and ordinances legally passed by the Council
lie shall hold the right to vote on Questions
and matters before the Council ONLY when
there is u tic 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
shatl preside and perform the duties of Mayor;
and in case of his death or resignation. or his
refusal to act, the Board of CounciImen, by a
majority vote of a 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
SEC.7. The Mayor shall have full and ex-
elusive power to try and determine all viola
tlons 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 infict punisbments
as hereinafter provided. lie shall have mower.
and 1t is hereby made his dhty, 70 unell and
suppress all riots, routs, unlawful assemblies,
ARRAYS and tumults, or cause the same to he
zone through the proper police officers, and
snail 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 tins act OF incorporation, or by virtue of any
law, regulation or ordinance of this COrnora
tlon shall be entitled to compulsory process.
allowed by State laws, to compel the attend
ance OF witnesses in their defense The Cor
poratlon shall also have power to compel the
attedance of witnesses against all defendants.
and, III either case, the Mayor shall issue and
enforce the necessary process.
oEC. O. 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 inlpris-
oned in the Jail of the Parish of Bossier, or in
the jan OF said Corporation, for period not to
exceed one hundred days. or be compelled to |
work out said fine on the streets or pnblic
WORKS OF said Town, at the rate of one dollar
per day.
Sec. 9; The Mayor shall cause the laws. bv
laws and ordinances of said corporation TO he |
pupilsheo IN some newspaper in said Town, if |
there be one, or shall promulgate the same nv |
posting written copies thereon on the door OF |
the Hall in Which the Council holds its meet |
lngs, 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 bns-
mess, shall hold regular meeting at least |
on once every month Oh day to be fixed by them. |
lhe,r sessions shall be public, and their pro- |
following powers and perform the following |
duties, to-wit: To levy and collect a tax upon |
an property taxable under the laws of the
State. owned, situated and being within the |
posed and collected more than once in each
year. which shall never exceed ten mills on the |
assessed valuation of said property; to levy
ana collect a License tax upon all trades, pro-
lessions' stores, shops, hotels, public boarding !