Omaha daily bee., 1899-01-27
CHANGES IN CITY CHARTER
Revision Committee Approves Amendments
Heretofore Suggested.
MATTER NOW GOES TO THE LEGISLATURE
City Asks to BE Given the Power to
ASSESS for Taxation All Railroad
Property within the Corpo-
rate Limits.

| with one exception, approved all the amend
| mcnts suggested at past meetings, which
| were presented in the shape they must go
| before the legislature. The exception was
! the amendment dealing with the Board Of
| Public Works. Just what form this amend
| ment will bear when 1t reaches the legisla-
| ture was not decided upon, the matter being
| left in the hands OF w. L. Selby, A. +.
| Tukey and Tax Commissioner Sackett. This
| committee will make whatever changes II
| deems best and will incorporate them In the
| proper form
At the last meeting Of the committee It
| had been decided to abolish the Board Of
| Public Works entirely. Since that time
| however Tax Commissioner Sackett and
| City Comptroller Westberg came to the con-
| clusion that II could not be abolished with
| out at the same time abolishing lot Of
other matters that are contained in the
same section of the charter and which are
| deemed valuable. Therefore the two city
| officials had incorporated a change which
| was not altogether satisfactory to the re-
! mainder of the committee.
The proposed change consisted In ousting
| the city engineer from the craftsmanship Of
the board, the present charter naming him as
| the chairman. City Comptroller Westberg
| was in favor of going to such an extreme
| as to permit the board to elect its chairman
every time 1t met. BY giving the board the
power to name its chairman City Comptroller
| Westberg insisted that the board and not
City Engineer Rosewater would be the real
! thing.
This view Of the matter did not suit Mr.
Selby, who had made the original move to
! abolish the board. The purpose in his rec
| ommendation was to do away with body
which he thought was entaiing unnecessary
| expense on the city, while the city comp
| troler was simply fighting to take away
| what he claimed was an arbitrary power
used by the city engineer. AS a consequence
| the matter not definitely settled, but
| was referred to the committee named.
Taxing the Railroads.
One of the most important amendments
| yet suggested was presented by Tax Com
| missioner Sackett. This provided that the
! city should have the power to assess all
! railroad property within the city limits the
| same as other property At present the city
| is required to take the assessment that is
made by the state. AS consequence the
! railroads bear very small portion OF the
| general taxes In comparison with the amount
| of their holdings in the city.
Tax Commissioner Sackett explained that
doubtless the taxation of railroad property
| by the state is equitable enough on the
| whole, because road is taxed as much for
| what it has in this city as it is for what
| it possesses in the waste lands OF the west
ern part OF the state. But he insisted that
| this average taxation is far below the taxa
| tion of other property in this city and that
| therefore this system Is grossly unjust to
Omaha This view was held by the COM
mittee and with no discussion the proposed
amendment was adopted.
| In toto there are some score Of changes
asked for by the amendments, the greater
portion Of them being of considerable i'm
portance. The principal changes are as fol-
| lows:
City elections will again be held in the
| fall instead of the spring, occurring for the
| first time in the fall of 1900 and every three
years thereafter.
| cash instead of a warrant system Of do
| ing business is adopted. This is to be
complished by prohibiting the city from is
| suing warrants unless there is cash in the
treasury to take them up. To supply the
money the city is authorized to issue short
| time certificates of deposit drawing a low
rate of interest to 90 per cent of the annual
| levy. The certificates are to be taken up as
| fast as taxes are paid in. At present the
| city can issue warrants to the total of 90 per
| cent OF the levy, which are registered if no
money is on hand, draw per cent interest
| and are called in as taxes are paid. 1t is
| estimated that a saving will be made in in
! terest and in the expense of registering war
| rants
No More Advisory Board.
The Advisory board is entirely abolished
| and the officers who have formerly reported
to it will report to the council and its work
will be done by the council.
| A poll tax of 81 will be assessed upon every
male citizen between 81 and 80 years of age.
1t is due July l and must be paid without
notice. II not paid an additional delinquent
| tax of 81 will be added 20 pay the cost of
| collection.
The police Judge will be appointed by the
council from the justices of the peace, in
| stead of being elected by the people.
| The salaries of the city comptroller and
| city clerk are raised from 81 800 to 81 500
| each.
The bond of the comptroller is raised from
| s. 900 to $50 900 and that of the tax com
| missioner reduced from 500 900 TO $4,000.
All bonds of city officials must be furnished
| by guaranty companies, the premium to be
paid by the CITY
The city council is given the power 10 or
der repaving, as it has in the case of paw
| ing. without petition, subject to protest of
! tH' ihaJo1 IVY VI piopSlNy ONhtlS WllulN
thirty days
The city is given the power to license
stated occupations for revenue. At present
| only sufficient license is allowed 10 pay the
| cost Of regulation by the city
Provision 10 made for the appointment of
| the members OF the Board of Fire and Police
| commissioners and the Park board by the
mayor, subject to confirmation by the coun-
Gil.
The limit that may be levied for the fire
department Is raised from 1925 900 10 $50 0OO
and for the sinking fund from 5000, 900 Ia
$3.50. 900. Also. instead of fixing limits that
may be levied for sewering street work and
street sweeping, all these funds are covered
into the general fund and the council shall
appropriate whatever it deems necessary for
such work out OF the fund. The limit OF the
general fund is s35O.OOO. which total is equal
to the limits that are allowed the fund and
the sewer ana street departments under tue
charter at present.
The city cannot annex any village unless
a majority OF the voters in both city and viii
lage vote In favor OF IL
The amendments will be sent to Lincoln
In few days.
PARK BOARD Is WILLING