The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1897-12-31
CHARTER REVISION
Power and Responsibility Should
Be Centralized.
Restrictions Against Incurring Debt, More
Efficient Assessments, COuncilmen
at Large, Etc., Advocated.

Inasmuch as the constitution of the
state now prohibits special legislation,
it is impossible for any city to secure
charter adapted in all respects to its
particular needs; however, it may not
be amiss for the people of Mankato to
discuss and. if possible, determine the
essentials of a charter best suited to a
city of it's, size, situation and condition;
for it will not be long before the legis-
lature of the state passes a general act
governing cities of the size OF Manka-
to, and when such time comes we
should have definite ideas and be pre-
pared to urge them. Though our pre-
sent charter is in many respects defec-
tive it does not merit much of the crit
icism that it receives. Many things
have been done by those conducting the
affairs of the city directly contrary to
and in spite of its provisions and as the
pernicious results of such acts have
come to light the charter has been
blamed for not preventing the mischief
thus brought about
While not intending to criticise any
particular administration. the writer
believes las an instance) that much of
the floating Indebtedness now outstand-
ing against the city has accumulated
without legal authority, in fact total
disregard of authority. Unless the
people insist on government accord
ing to law, it is worse than useless to
enact laws, for constant disregard of
the law begets carelessness and con-
tempt for law.
To open the discussion the writer
would state the following as some OF
the essential elements of goad char
ter:
1st. Centralized power and response
bility.
One great trouble with our present
charter is that responsibility is so div
ided that if anything goes wrong it is
practically useless to try to ascertain
the cause and fix the blame. each Off
cial claiming that some other official is
the guilty party. Give some person
authority to oversee and to do and then,
hold him responsible for results; if no
result or if bad results follow, kick him
out.
2nd. Severe restrictions against
creating floating and bonded indebted
ness. The individual, the city or the
nation cannot accumulate wealth and
enjoy prosperity by recklessly running
in debt or by mortgaging the future
and thereby fixing continuous high
tax rate.
3rd. The council should be the legis-
lative body of the city and that alone,
the power of ordering improvements,
the purchasing and paying power are
of course included.
The council should have nothing to
do with official appointments. 1t is inn
possible to hold legislative body re-
sponsible for official conduct in the
same sense and to the same degree in
which executive or ministerial officers
can be held
4th In city of this size there should
be an official. or body of officials IRE
sponsible to the executive or other su
perior officer) to make special assess
ments, to look after public works ant
care for the water system and kindred
services.
This does not mean that board Of
public works is necessary, on the othel
hand the writer would suggest that thu
duties now resting upon the board Of
public works, with some other duties
be delegated to one man with power tt
hire assistants, thereby making the de
partment controlling public improve
ments and having charge of public
property responsible to the executive
who in turn is responsible to the people
of the city.
9Th. The police should be appointed
by the executive,
The council should have nothing tt
do either with appointments or remov
ais. Police officers should not serv,
process in civil actions.
9th. In this city there should be on,
and perhaps three councilman at large
Thus giving each ward due representa-
ton, and at the same time giving II
the most populous and tax producing
portions of the city additional repre-
sentation. This would also proven
dead locks, and have tendency to pre-
vent expensive log rolling schemes from
becoming successful.
Z. The charrer should not only com
pei the assessor to secure a sworn prop
erty statement from property owners
but should compel him to go from
house to house, and from property tt
property and verify such statements.
Probably one half of the taxable per
sonal property of this city escapes tax