The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1901-06-28
THE NEW CHARTER
Its Provisions Made in 1t are
Explained.
Committee of the Charter Commission
Presents Brief Digest of the
Proposed Instrument.

In drafting the new charter, the
charter commission had in view the
following features:
First. Simplicity, effectiveness
and at the same time economy.
Second. The control and proper re-
striction of public franchises.
Third. The fixing of responsibility
without clothing any one man or de-
partment with too much power.
The charter commission soon found
that it was in large measure hamper
ed and controlled by the general laws
of the state applicable to cities of the
size of Mankato. At the last session of
the legislature, a general law was
passed, among other things, giving to
the common council exclusive'power of
making special assessments. Whether
or not this is wise provision, only
time will demonstrate but whether
wise or unwise, the charter commits
sion was compelled to and did include
the provisions of the general law in
the new charter.
Under the new charter, the common
council is the legislative body of the
city. Under severe restrictions, it has
the control of the purse of the city. 1t
has the granting or refusing of public
franchises. With the common council
is lodged the power of confirming most
of the officials appointed by the mayor.
If public monies are wasted, the peo-
pie may know where to fix the respon-
sibility and how to apply the remedy.
The mayor is the executive officer of
the city. In him is lodged the auth
ority to appoint police and to do all
things that is necessary to preserve
law and order and effect good govern
ment, Within the scope of his auth
ority, he is given ample power and the
people have right to hold him re-
sponsible for neglect or abuse of his
authority.
The water works system and the care
of the streets and alleys and public
grounds and buildings Except park
is, under severe restrictions, placed
under the control of the superinten-
, dent of improvements. The superin-
tendent of improvements has general
! control of all public works and i'm
provements made by the city. 1t was
the intention of the members of the
commission to furnish the department
of improvements with sufficient help
! to properly perform the duties of that
| department that the superintendent of
Improvements shall be held responsible
for the proper care of city property,
/ for the proper maintenance of streets
and public grounds and buildings and
for the proper care of the water works
system of the city. To do this, he has
authority to require the aid of the city
engineer and of all hired officials of
his department. To assist the superin-
| tendent of improvements in perform
ing the clerical work of his Office the
city treasurer is required to hold his
Office with the superintendent of i'm
provements and to assist in doing the
I, clerical work of the Office, for which
| 800 has been added to the salary of
the city treasurer.
Under the new charter, any person or
+; corporation applying for any franchise
in any street or public ground in the
! City must deposit with his applica tion
not less than 81, 900 and in addition
| thereto sum equal to not less than
! FIVE per cent of the proposed improve
ment to be forfeited to the city in
case the Improvement is not made ac-
cording to the terms of the franchise;
to be returned in case the improve
ment is made within the limited time
and according to the terms of the fran
chise.
The common council is prohibited
/ from borrowing monies from one fund
and placing the same in other funds
of the city except in extraordinary
emergencies. In case money is bor-
rowed from one fund and placed to the
! credit of another fund, the common
council must, in the next tax levy,
provide for returning monies so bor-
rowed to the fund from which the
same was taken.
Heavy penalties are imposed upon
any official of the city who shall vio-
late any of the provisions of the charter
relating to the care of city property or
the use of public monies.
Heretofore the city has been divided
into six wards. each ward having
one alderman in the common council.
An.even number is an unhappy num-
Der from the fact that tie vote is
often cast on important measures
then, too, the.different wards of the city
have become very unequal in voting
strength. For the purpose of obviat-
ing these two evil conditions, the city
has been redivided into seven wards,
each ward electing one alderman.
The city assessor and city attorney
have been made elective. Many of the
minor defects of the charter of 1891
have been remedied. The members of
the charter commission have ia ithfully
sought to draft a charter which will
prove practical and which will meet
the present and coming needs of the
city. The proposed charter has been
appr owed and signed by every member
of the commission but one. One
member is absent from the city and
therefore did not sign.