The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-02-03
BILL To UNITE THE
CITY AND COUNTY
PREPARED
Chamber of Commerce Legis-
lative Committee Makes a
Report, Showing That Con-
sOlidation Cannot Be Eff
fected Except Through a
Constitutional Amendment

The legislative committee of the
Chamber of Commerce, through it's
chairman, f. H. Morphy, yesterday re-
ported to a meeting of the board of di-
rectors of that organization on the
proposed bill for the consolidation Of
the city and county governments. At
ter investigation of the questions in
volEed it was decided by the commit
tee that the change could not be effect
ed except through a constitutional
amendment. The report of the commit
tee is as follows:
Your committee on legislation has
carefully considered the resolution
passed by the chamber and referred to
TINS committee that bill be prepared
Tor the consolidation of the city and
county government, to be presented to
the legislation now in session.
In considering such measure your
committee had to bear in mind the con-
stltutional amendment inhibiting class
legislation, and the provisions of the
constitution relating to counties and
townships. Article IL, section 2, of
which provides that the legislature
may organize any city into a separate
county when 1t has attained a popula-
ton of 10000 inhabitants, without ref
erence to geographical extent, when
majority Of the electors of the county
In which such city may be situated,
voting thereon. shall be in favor of a
separate organization.
Legislative power over counties is
supreme, except as restrained by the
constitution, either expressly or by
necessary implication.
Under the constitution no county
In the state shall contain less than 400
square miles, and all laws changing
county lines in counties already organ
lied shall, before taking effect, be sub
mftted to the electors of the county af-
fected thereby at the next general cleo
tlon after the passage thereof and be
ADOPTED by majority of such electors
Counties may be enlarged, but not re-
duced below 400 square miles.
keeping within the provisions Of the
constitution bill might be passed by
the legislature charging the limits Of
the city of st. Paul to embrace the
whole county, or the county, outside of
the city limits be cut off and the city
OF st. Paul and the county confined to
the present limits of the city, but any
such measure would not meet the re-
qulrements of the resolution, for there
would still exist the dual offices.
Constitution Must Be Amended.
In the opinion Of your committee no
legislation could be passed and be con-
sututlonal for a consolidation of the
city and county government without a
necessary amendment to the constitu-
ton.
With these difficulties in the way
your committee met and consulted with
Mr.. Tighe, one of the Ramsey county
delegation of the present legislature,
and, as result, Mr. Tighe prepared
and submitted to your committee a bill
with the following title which shows
Its purpose: An act relating to the
IeVylng of taxes for county purposes,
and requiring certain statements and
estimates of the board of county COM
mlss1oners preliminary to such levy,
and limiting the power and authority
or such board in the expenditure of
money and1in the making of contracts,
and defining the duties of the board of
county commissioners, county auditors
ana county treasurerS, in relation
thereto, and providing a penalty for the
violation thereof, in all counties hav-
ing one hundred thousand OO0,0OO) in
habitants or more
This proposed measure for all prac-
t1cal purposes is copy of chapter 264
OF the General Laws of 1901, except
that 1t relates to counties having 1OO,-
wv inhabitants or more and not 200, 900
inhabitants or more, as provided by the
act of the legislature of 1901.
The proposed measure then makes
1t the duty of the board of county
commissioners, when deciding upon
the total amount of money necessary
to be raised to meet the Anticipated
expenses of the county for the next
ensuing year, to make an itemiZed
statement covering all expenditures
for such year, divided into not to ex-
ceed twenty-five general subdivisions
or funds, which amount shall be kept
at the lowest practical limit, and speci-
flying, as near. as possible, the specific
amounts necessary for each purpose
named therein, with appropriate titles
for the funds, indicative of the pur-
pose for which the money is to be
used. And the proposed enactment
makes it the duty of the said board to
make, at the same, time, an estimate
of all revenues the county will receive
for the next ensuing year, exclusive of
the revenues derived from taxation,
and also to estimate the amount of
money, if any, that will be credited to
a suspense fund at the end of the
current fiscal year.
County Auditor to Apportion Money.
E'These itemized statements, to-
gether with the two estimates, to form
part of the official proceedings of the
board, and the amount finally deter
mined upon AMI allowed to be raised
by taxation, together with the amount
of the estimates, when the same has
not been apportioned by law, to be ap-
portioned by the county auditor into
the several funds in the proportion and
for the specific purposes designated by
the board of county commissioners
in its itemized statement, as the basis
of taxation for the ensuing year; pro-
vision being made that for the items
for sinking funds, bonds, interest on
bonds, salaries and all items, the
Charges of which are fixed by law, the
full amount actually required to meet
such items to be apportioned. The
money so raised by the levying of
taxes from the estimated amount of all
revenues the county received for the
ensuing year, and the estimated
amount in the suspense fund, when all
is appropriated to the several funds,
to be expended for the particular pur-
pose designated in said itemized state
ment, and to which it is apportioned
and for no purpose in excess of the
specific amount apT&rtioned thereto.
Provision is made for an emergency