Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1903-09-03
RESOLUTION TURNED DOWN
Aldermen Decline to Order Bonds
for Electric Light Plant.


|
fused to issue bonds for $500 Tor the
purpose of constructing municipai isht-
| ing plant and as a consequence thcrc Is
| likely to be a merry war before the a1alr
is settled.
A city meeting for the purpose Of de
termining If the people of burlington
wanted a municipal electric Lighting pant
was held last June and meeting Of
ouch a character was probably never ncid
| in The city before. 1t was nothihS less
than a mob in which people IRON WI
nocski, South Burlington and other towns
| IN the county voted as freely as ana thv
| taXpayers Of Rurlington and MOB law pre-
/ yailcd IL was voted to bond the city to
the extent of $3.50, 900 if need be. to cstab-
| lish Il plant
The city council was called together last
FRIDAY night to issue bonds but the queS-
! ticn of whether the issue should be voted
by the council or by the beard Of alder
mon was raised and referred to the city
attorney and the meeting was adjournod
until Monday night City Attorney Brown
decided that the resolution should cnia"
before the board aud so reported. VI" r"-
/ port was as follows
My opinion is asked as to whether the
proposed resolution bonding the city for
the construction of an electric light plant
should be considered by the board Of al
dcrmcn. and if adopted by them, sent to
! the mayor fey his approval. or whether
the same should be considered by the
city council. with the mayor presiding.
| am of the opinion that this question
is clearly settled by section l6 of the city
charter as amended by section : of num-
her 1S3 of the acts of 1898. Said section.
as amended, is as follows:
For the cnaCtng of all ordinances and
bylaws and the transaction of any
other business provided to be done by
the city council except such as is dcsig-
mated in section six of this act the mayor
shall not preside over or sit with the
board of aldermen and the action Of the
board of aldermen shall require the APP
prevail of the mayor except as hcrCir
otherwise provided. If the mayor shal
approve any ordinance or bylaw or any
resolution or vote of the board Of alder
men in respect to the business above
referred to- he shall sign the Same.
1t is the obvious intent of the charter
that all measures coming before tho hoarC
shall before they become effective, bt
approved by ma iority of the board, ant
: also the mayor. except as is provided il
section II of the charter, which provide.
b. for the passage of measure oyer Tho
veto of the mayor by vote Of two third.
of the whole number Of aldermen. 1t j:
, equally obvious that if this measure were
| to he considered by the city council
with the mayor presiding, the intent q
the city charter might he defeated. fol
t the votes Of five OF the aldermen. which
! is less than a majority, with the vot,
of tho mayor. would ho sufficient for tn.
. adoption Of III" resolution or the vote:
of six members of the board Of alder
men. which is less than two-thirds Of The
whole number. would he sufficient for th'
adoption of the resolution without ap
: prevail of the mayor.
There is nothing in the act of 1902 au
thorizing the CITY to construct an eloctri,
r LIGHT nlant that Is in any way incon
l eistont with the provisions of the char
fer above referred TO and | am clolrl,
' of the opinion that this resolution should
he considered by the board of alacrmo,
! If adopted. PASSED to the MAYOR for hi
: annroval
In consequence of Attorney Browns re
mort Moyor Burke called 4 meeting Of II
e hoard When tho resolution that va
- ,rosontod Friday night came mn acat
> for discussion Nondov nigbt II WIS move,
l nv Alderman Parker that il he adopt ed
, This was seconded and voaandn nay vot
I v.oe collod for Th. vote was as follows.
Voting no: Aldermen Taft. Morgan
q sulcs Richardson and Reeves
/ voting vcs: Aldermen shea. Courtney
p Trick. Parker and Coffoy.
mo vote was consequently doclor,
$ LOST
D noti.ion was received from Mrs "
e X Walker asking that the ordinance rro
vi1i,,o tbot evcry shoyy nay p. Iico,se f.
10 charrod and the houso be taxed e
r instead, The matte, was referred to tn
F. license committee
r rh.. mottnr of tho annointn,ont NJ "
e W Conner in tho fire department wa
= l,rourh, mn Mr. Connor's apulicatio, ro