The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1897-01-14
CHARTER or THE TOWN
OF BENTON.

CHATTER OF TIE TOWN
OF BENTON.
FINhc inhabitants of the Town of Benton. III
Il the Parish OF Dossier. state OF Louisiana
| are hereby created and made a body corporate
| and polite ia law, with perpetual Succession,
| t. 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 capu-
| hlo of suing and being sued in all Courts OF
| competent Jurisdiction, shall or nay have an
| official 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
| benefit of said Corporation, and shall have the
| power to raSc money by taxation on the prop
! cTty situated III the limits OF SAID Corporation,
| and by Licenses on trades, professions and cor
| porations pursued and carried on within said
| limits. said money 80 raised to be applied 70
| the Use. benefit and good government of said
Town or corporation Of the Flown of Bcnton
| and 70 provide for and maintain Il competent
! police force tor the same; and, generally, shall
have aud possess all inherent rights and DOW
ers pertaining and belonging to municipal cor
| poratl"n> not Ill violation OF, or inconsistent
with the Constitution and laws of Louisiana
! SECrIOE2. The limits and boundaries OF said
! Corporations, or Town of Benton, shall be aud
are hereby fixed and established as follows, to-
| Wit: All that territory lying and embraced
| within the east half Of section thirty l30) and
| the west half of section twenty nine (29l, in
| township twenty t2n) North, of rang, thirteen
| (l3l West, Northwestern Land District of
| Louisiana.
| SECTION 3. The officers of said Corporation
| shall consist of Mayor and five Councilnen
| who shall be elected by the qualified voters OF
! SAID Town, and shall hold their offices for Il.
| an ~
| shall be eX-oiclo Assessor, one Treasurer, one
Marshal, who shall be eX-otticio Collector. and
! such Police officers not to exceed two III num-
Dor, unless IN cases OF emergency as the Mayor
| and Council shall deem necessar y; said officers
namely: Secretary, Treasurer and Marshal
shall bo elected biannually by the Council, and
any one OF them may be removed for sufficient
cause by a majority of the Council
! SECTIoN 4. The first election for Mayor and
| Connrllmen shall be held on the same day that
this Charter is submitted for adoption, or re-
| lection, and to he conducted by the same COM
inissloncrs appointed for holding the Charter
| election; and in case the Charter is adopted,
the Mayor and CouneilInen elected shall hold
| office until the next regular election, which
shall De on the third Tuesday i'll November,
1873 and bl annually, ION the same day there
| after.
| SEC. ). 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
lille same III manner prescribed by law.
SEC. =. That the Mayer Of said Town shall
he exotticio Justice of the Peace, and as such
| tie and is hereby vested with all the power
necessary to carry out the provisions of this
| act of Incorporation, a:d TO execute and en-.
| torcc the laws. ordinances, and regulations Of
the same, and shall hold his m,ncIpAl Courts
at such Times as he mag think proper. lie shall
! preside ut all meeting, Of the Council, and
| shall call special meetings therco. 1T such times
| itS he may deem necessary. lie shall execute
W cause to be enforced all laws, regulations
| and ordinances legally passed by the Council.
| He shall hold the right to vote on questions
and matters before the Council only when
| there is y tie vote in that body He shall sgn
| nthclaiiy all laws ANA ordinances passed by the
! Council, and the same shall be attest ed by the,
| Secretary. In the absence of tho Mayor, TEN.
| porarily, tho oldest IHeInber of the Council
| Shat! preside and perform the duties of Mayor;
and III Case of his death or resignation, or his
| refusal to act, the Board of Councilmen, by "a
! majority vote OF quorum present, shall choose
a 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 The Mayor shall have full and OK
| elusive power to try and determine all viola
tons and otenSes against the laws, rules, orGi
nances and by Jaws of said Corporation, and
on conviction Of any person or persons, shall
| nave power to impose and inct punlshments
| as hereinafter provided. He shall have power
"nd 1t is hereby made his duty, to quell and
| suppress all riots. routs. unlawful assemblies,
! atiays and tnlnu!ts, or cause the same to he
| done through the proper police officers, and
| shall hay" power to cause to be arrested and
| brought before him for trial, all offenders
against tie laws, ordinances and bylaws of
said Corporation. All persons accused and
| Drought to trii III pursuance OF the prov iSiOlis
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 i'll their defense. The Cor
poratlon shall also have power to compel the
| attfdance 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 otieuse against the
! laws, rules, bylaws, ordinances or regulat ions
OF said corporation, the Mayor shall sentence
said person to pay Il fine not to exceed the sum
| OF one hundred dollars and costs Of trial, and
III default of payment OF said fine and
, costs, the person SO convicted shall be impris
| ened III the jail of the Parish of Bossier or in
| the Jail Of said Corporations for neriud not IA
exceed one hundred days, or be compelled to
work out said fine on the streets or public
works of said Town, ut the rate OF one dollar
per day.
SEC. 9. The Mayor shall cause the laws, by
| laws and ordinances OF SAID corporation to lie
published in some newspaper in said Town, il
| there be one, or shall promu gate the same bv
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 recei ve
such salary as the Council may Tx, 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-
eeedings recorded, and they 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 aud 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
aud collect License tax upon all trades. pro-