The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1898-01-28
voluntary on The part Of the municipal-

voluntary on the part of the municipal
lily.
Under the present Act no such Office is
provided for.
There are other officers provided for by
the new Act, such as Overseer of the
Poor, three Commissioners of Appeal in
cases of taxation, Justices of the Peace,
and Constables, City Engineer or Sur
veyor, &C., whose duties, mode of cleo
ton and compensation, it is presumed,
do not differ materially from such officers
existing under the present charter.
s. BOARD OF EXCISE-Under the new
Act the granting of saloon licenses, and
the like. is vested in the Common Council.
Under the present law licenses are
granted by Board of Excise, which is
appointed upon the resolution of the
Council, by the Court of Common Pleas.
The City can do away with this Board
by vote of Council at any time after
three years from the adoption of the
original resolution.
9. BOARD OF EDUCATION-Under the
new act the municipality constitutes
seperate school district Five persons
elected by the people constitute the
Board of Education, four of whom hold
Office for two years. and one for one
year, and the election is SO arranged that
three members are voted for annually,
two for two years, and one for one year.
Under the present charter there are
| two Boards, one called Public School
Commissioners, and the other "The
Board of Education" The School Com
missioners consist of twelve person
elected annually at the Charter election,
of whom six only shall be voted for on
each ticket, whose duty it is to meet
with the Board of Education once
year, and with that Board fix the
amount of money to be raised by tax for
the current year. The Board of Educa-
ton is composed of nine persons, and it
is self perpetuating body. Annually
the Board elects three of its members,
all of whom must belong to the Com
missioners, each of whom holds Office
for three years. If therefore the three
members of the Board of Education,
which retire in any one year are nomin-
ated on either of the tickets of the two
dominant political parties, they are
eligible for reelection to the Board of
Education. The present School district
is not co-extensive with the limits of
Morristown, but includes part of Nor
rl6 township as we'll.
B. POWERS.
The new Act and the present charter
are practically in accord in their grant
of the following general powers
|. The preservation of order and the sup
preston of disorderly houses.
2. Licensing of entertainments.
8. The control of streets and highways.
4. The opening, grading and Yacating and
improvement of streets.
5. The providing of lights.
| 6. The regulating of slaughter houses.
7. The abatement of nuisances.
8. The establishment of a Board of Health.
9. The establishment and control of Fire
| Department.
TO- The levying and collecting of taxes. &c.
PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS.
The new Act makes provision for vari-
Gus public improvements, such as the
construction Of sewers, the acquisition
and operation of water supply, and of
gas and lighting plants. 1t also gives
power to the City to build City Hall.
In the new Act methods are provided
by which all these powers Can be exer-
cised, and if necessary the City may is
sue bonds for the payment of the public
improvement, which bonds are not to
exceed however a sum in excess of per
centum of the taxable value of the prop
erty. No bonds of the City can be issued
unless approved by majority vote of
the City Council and then submitted to
the votes of the City at an annual or
special election and receive majority
of the votes cast in favor.
Under various general laws heretofore
passed by the Legislature, Morristown, if
it is in fact a City within the legislative
classification, now has the power to I'M
dertake most of these improvements.
TAXATION.
By the new Act taxes can annually be
raised for City purposes at rate not
| greater than two hundred cents on one
hundred dollars of the valuation of the
taxable property in the City.
Under the present system the tax to be
raised is fixed sum, thirty thousand
dollars. 1t has been the custom of the
City in addition to this fixed amount of
thirty thousand dollars to. raise about
seven thousand dollars under provision
of the law, which permits the Assessor to
levy and raise in addition not exceeding
ten per centum after deducting poll tax,
&C., to cover contingencies. 1t is doubt
full whether by law the City is author
lied to appropriate more than $50 1000, or
to use any portion of the amount so rails
ed for contingencies during the year in
which it is raised except for contingen-
cies. The balance, if any, that remains
of this sum at the end of the fiscal year
after meeting of the contingencies refer
red to, would be an inappropriate bal
ance and could be appropriated the fol.
lowing year for legal purposes.
The chief points of difference between
the new Act and the law under which
Morristown is at present governed. are
the following:
/. By the new Act the Mayor is an
executive officer performing executive
functions only. He is given the veto
power. He is also given the power of
removal, and that power in the Police
] DEPARTMENT is absolute. Under the pres