Omaha daily bee., 1902-10-24
UR1os NEW MUNICIPAL CODE.

~ SSO-
The Ohio Legislature, which convened
on August % to enact a code Of uniform
laws for Ohio cities, has completed it's
work. The new code draws the line be-
tween cities and villages at 5000 popu-
lation. All cities over 5000 and under
25,O0O are to have boards Of public serv-
ice and boards of public safety, the
former to consist of not less than three
or more than five members, and the lat
ter to consist of not less han two or
more than four members. The term
of the service board is to be two years
and the safety board four years.
Under the new code the mayor is to
be the head of the police and fire de-
partments, while the board of safety has
the business end Of both departments
and makes all contracts. The chief of
police and the fire chief must be men,
bers of their departments before being
appointed. The merit system will pre-
vail in both departments, the board Of
safety acting as a merit board to pass
ON all men admitted to the departments.
This home rule approaches perfection.
The only place where the governor of
Ohio will dip into the municipal affairs
is in the impeachment of mayors,
against whom the governor may file
charges, and who are removable by the
governor on conviction. This Is a ques-
tionable experiment, because there is no
more reason why mayors should be i'm
~peached and removed by governors for
misdemeanors in Office than county Off
GERS or school superintendent. The
power of impeachment should be in
vested in a legislative or judicial board,
or both combined. The only redeeming
feature of the provision giving the gov
ernor of Ohio power to impeach, try and
emove mayors is that they cannot APP
point their successors; otherwise, Ohio
might just as well have adopted the
French code, under which the mayors
of cities are appolntive federal officers
who hold their commissions from the
national authority, the same as army
and navy officers.
Under the new Ohio code cities of 5000
population will have a council of seven
members, three elected at large and four
by wards; cities of $4,000 and over are
to have two additional members and one
additional member for each additional
$1,000. This would give a city of
Omaha's population fourteen councilmen.
Some of the features of the new Ohio
municipal code are practically the dupli-
Gates Of provisions embodied in h char
ter for municipal cities Of Nebraska.
The city auditor, or comptroller, is re-
quired to submit a statement of balances
to the mayor once a month. Public
service directors, who in reality are
members of the board of public works,
have charge of all municipal property
work in the letting of contracts. City
officers are required to submit annual
estimates of municipal expenses to the
mayor and auditor. The mayor may
raise or reduce any Item in this estimate,
but not the total; the council alone has
the power to change both, but the mayor
may veto the councils acts, thus requlr-
ing a twO-thirds vote before the levy be-
comes valid.
The new Ohio code will go into effect
on November Is of the present year, but
those elected under it will not take
office until the first Monday In May,
1903. One advantage of the new code
will be a degree of uniformity In mu-
nicipal regulation and government,
which is most desirable in every state.