The San Francisco call., 1897-01-21
HOME RULE FOR
ALL COUNTIES
Stratton's Bill Favorably
Considered in Senate
Committee.
Gives Each County the Right
to Regulate Its Own
Affairs.
Designed to End the Perennial Con.
troversies Brought Before the
Legislature.

SACRAMENTO, CAL, Jan. 2O.-Favor-
able action was taken by the Senate Com
mittee on Constitutional Amend ents to-
night which is the first step toward county
home rule. The measure which the COM
mittee agreed to report is revolutionary in
its scope. If finally passed and approved
every county in this State will have the
privilege of adopting charter of its own,
Of regulating its local elections and fixing
the terms of its officers and their compen-
sation. 1t will do away entirely with the
cum bersome classification system, and
will effectually, it is believed, put stop
to the perennial controversies brought be-
fore the Legislature relative to salaries
and fees of county officials and the en-
ployment OF deputies. 1t amends article
II of the constitution by inserting new
section, to be known as III.
The measure is known as Senate con-
stitutional amendment No. 10 and was in
troduced by Senator Stratton. In speak
ing for the measure before the committee
he stated that no less than fifty news
papers throughout the State, representing
nearly as many counties. were In favor OF
the amendment. The measure received
| the unanimous vote of the committee.
Its full text follows:
The inhabitants OF any county may frame q
county government act for their own govern
ment relating to the matters hereinafter specl-
fed and consistent with and subject to the
constitution and laws of this State by causing
a board of freeholders, who have been
for at least five years qualified electors
OF such county, to be elected by the
qualified electors of such county at any
general or special election, whose duty 1t
shall be, within ninety days after such elec-
ton, to prepare and propose coenty govern
ment act for such county, which shall be
signed in duplicate by the mem bers OF such
board, or a majority OF them, and returned
one copy thereof to the Board OF Supervisors OF
such county, and the other copy to be sent to
the Recorder of Deeds of the county. Such
proposed county government act shall then be
published in two daily papers, then in one
only. for at least twenty days, and
within not less than thirty days
after such publication it shall be submitted
to the qualified electors of each county, at a
general or spe cial election, and if majority
of such qualified electors voting thereat shall
ratify the same, it shall thereafter be submit
ted to the Legislature for its rejection or ap-
proval, as a whole, without power OF altera-
tion or amendment, and il approved by
majority of the members elected to each
House, it shall be the county government act
OF such county, and shall in such case become
the organic law thereof, and supersede any
existing county government act, and all
amendments thereof, and all special laws in
consistent with such county government act.
A copy of such county government act, GER
titled by the president of the Board of Super
visors or chief executive officer OF such county,
and authenticated by The seal of such county,
setting forth the submission of such county
government act TO the electors, and its ratifi-
cation by them, shall be made in duplicate
and deposited, one in the Office OF the Secretary
of State, the other, after being recorded in the
Office of the Recorder of Deeds, in the county
among the archives of the county.
All courts shall take judicial notice thereof.
The county government act so ratified may
be amended at Intervals of not less than two
years. by proposals therefor, submitted by the
legislative authority of the county, to the
qualified electors thereof, at a general or
special election held least forty days after the
publication of such proposals for twenty days
in daily newspaper of general circulation in
such county, and ratified by at least three
fifths OF the qualified electors voting thereat,
and approved by the Legislature as herein
ernment act. In su admitting any such county
government act any alternative article or
proposition may be presented for the choice
| of the voters and may be voted on separately
without prejudice to others.
1t shall be competent in all county govern
ment acts framed under the authority given
by this section, to provide for the manner in
which, the times at which and the terms for
which the several township and county OFF,
GERS, other than Judges of the Superior Court,
shall be elected appointed, for their COM
pensation, for their respective duties, for
the lumber of deputi ties that each
shall have and for the compensation
payable to each of such deputies, for the
manner in which, the times in which and the
terms for which the members of all boards of
election shall be elected or appointed, and
for the constitution, regulation, compensation
and government of such boards and of their
clerks and attaches; ana also to prescribe the
ethod by which elections by the people shall
be conducted, whether by ballot or other
wise, provided that secrecy in voting be pre-
served.
Whenever any county has, in the manner and
method herein pointed out, adopted any
county government act, and the same shall
have been approved by the Legislature as
aforesaid, the directions OF sections and
of this article, providing for the uniformity of
q system of county governments throughout
the State, and likewise providing for the cleo
ton and. appointment of officers, and the
regulation of their compensation, shall not
apply. Said county government act shall,
however, at ali times be subject to general
laws enacted by the Legislature; but it shall
be witnln the power of the Legislature TO ex-
empt all or any of the counties so adopting
their own county government acts from the
operation of general laws relating to any OF
the matters provided for in such county
government acts.