Omaha daily bee., 1898-12-16
SUGGESTS CHARTER CHANGES
Committees Get Together to Consider the
Weak Spots in the Document.
MATTER OF TAXES THE MOST SERIOUS
Commissioner saclSett Calls Attention
to the Need of Bctter Way
of Paying for Public
improvements.

pointed to consider and formulate needed
amendments to the present city charter
representing the city, business and labor
organizations of the city and Douglas coun-
tye contingent to the coming legislature
held its first meeting last night in the city
council committee room in the city hall.
Several proposed amendments were offered
but the discussion on them led into such
deep water that no definite and tangible de-
termination on any of them was reached.
AS a consequence the meeting adjourned
without doing anything except to talk about
the proposed changes, to refer them to COM
mntees to report upon their merits and de-
merits at a meeting to be held on next
Thursday night and to elect Councilman
Burmester chairman and City Clerk Highly
secretary of the joint committee
The most important matter that was up
for discussion was without doubt a rather
indefinite sentiment that a change should
be made In the existing system OF taxation.
The point was brought out by Tax Commits
sioner Fred sackett, who asserted that the
time Is fast approaching when the city will
have TO formulate some other plan to pay
for the cost Of paving, sewering and other
public Improvements instead OF assessing 1t
only against the front feet of property abut-
ting upon the streets where the improve
ments are made.
THE city Is collecting taxes now, not
20 pay for the improvements, he declared,
but to pay the interests on the bonds that
have been issued to pay for them. When
the bonds become due the city finds that 1t
has not the money on hand to take them up
and consequently must issue renewal bonds.
In this fashion the taxes originally assessed
for paying for the improvements are eaten
up In paying interest on the bonds and in
time the city itself will have to pay for the
improvements You cannot force the collec-
tion OF taxes, for In many cases the property
owners cannot stand it.
city Certain to Lose.
I'm many cases, too, If the city takes the
property for the tax, the property at forced
sale will not bring in the amount OF the tax
and the city will have to ultimately pay for
portion Of the improvement. The city
must so readjust it's assessment system that
property shall be taxed only in proportion to
the amount 1t can bear, the remainder to be
raised in another way. Ultimately the city
will have to adopt system by which a por-
tion OF the tax shall be paid by Ae general
public. another portion by the feet frontage
and another portion by the vehicles and
street cars that travel upon it. That Is
taxes and is in vogue in Pennsylvania, Mis-
souri, and other states"
This brought suggestion from Council
man Bingham that steps should be taken to
make 1t possible to levy an occupation tax.
Efforts to do this in the past, as in the case
OF the coal dealers licenses, have been de-
clared illegal. These suggestions were re-
ferred to a committee.
CITY Engineer Rosewater proposed a new
sidewalk regulation 1t provided for the
creation Of permanent sidewalk districts,
after the fashion Of sewer and paving dis
tricts Property owners should be given the
right to designate the material but the
sidewalks should all be constructed in
uniform manner by the Board of Public
Works Bonds should be issued for con-
structlon, similar to paving and sewer bonds,
the cost to be assessed against and ult-
mately paid by abutting property. In the
case OF temporary walks, the city engineer
would give the public works the right to lay
narrower walks Of a more permanent char
acter than wooden walks whenever consid-
cred necessary. This plan would do away
with good bit of advertising serving of
notices and Board Of Equalization work that
Is now necessary, besides saving the city
considerable money in payment of personal
injury claims.
Bingham Opposes the Plan.
Councilman Bingham opposed the idea,
declaring that the present charter pro-
visions. requiring the issuance OF permits
by the Board Of Public Works. afford the
city ample latitude. He also declared that
property owners should be given the right
TO protest to board Of equalization against
sidewalk taxes II they were unjust. More
h. I.I ~.
such walks OF more or less permanent cnar-
acter all over the city would pay any per-
sonal injury claims that may be presented
good many times over.
City Attorney Connell declared that uni
formity in sidewalk construction can be
brought about through an ordinance. City
Engineer Rosewater, however, insisted that
this Is impossible and has been so demon
strated by past experience. Councilmen, in
order to stand In with their constituents,
would suspend the ordinance to accommo-
date property owners who desired their
walks to be In a certain position. This mat
ter was also referred.
City Engineer Rosewater also had a sug-
gestion to reinstate an old paving Ew.
Instead Of permitting paving to be done
only on petition Of property owners, he
thought that the mayor and two-thirds or
some other proportion OF the city council
should have the right to order paving in
any portion OF the city whenever deemed
necessary. subject to protest of the owners
OF majority of the property affected within
thirty days. The result would be that resi-
Dent citizens who desired paving or repav-
ing could have 1t done without going to
great trouble In securing the signatures of
nonresident property owners to a petition.
City Attorney Connell thought that the
pfan gave too much power to the city coun-
Gil. He said that half the property owners
would not know when paving was ordered
and they would consequently be compelled
TO pay for improvements that they could
not afford and did not want. He also held
chat this power would result in the or
dering Of unnecessary paving that would
end In virtual confiscation OF adjoining prop
erty. The proposed amendment was re-
ferred.
Wants Time of Election Changed.
Councilman Mercer suggested an amend
ment to change the time OF holding the CITY
election from the spring to the fall. The
proposed change was suggested in the in
terests OF economy, 1t being stated that the
city Is called upon to spend 81 900 or IS, 600
Tor every spring election, while at the same
time 1t must stand a proportionate expense
OF the fan county and state elections, from
which 1t secures no benefit. City Engineer
Rosewater was an opponent OF this change
as he insisted that too much nartisapsbin ~