Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-12-18
WARNING FROM
MAYOR THOMPSON
Approves Ordinances But Believes
Increase IN Salaries is
Illegal,
CONCERNS OFFICIALS. ELECT.
Says Supreme Court Has Decided That
officers Cannot Increase Their
Own Salaries.

When the city council meets tonight
To receive the revised ordinances from
Mayor Thompson, 1t will also receive a
communication from him calling atten-
lion to the fact that the supreme court
has decided, in the Hulan!sk case that
the salary of a city official cannot be
increased during the term for which he
was elected, This he holds will inYali-
date the Increases made by the council
in the salaries of a number Of the city
oiIicials-elect, because such increases
were made after the officials were elect
ed.
The communication Is not a veto but
is merely suggestion and recommen-
dalton The mayor has already signed
the revised ordinances and he simply
calls the councils attention to the mat
upon 1t before 1t is too late. The
mayors communication follows:
THE MAYORS LETTER,
salt Lake city, Dec, IS, 1903
ITO the Honorable President and Mem
bers Of the City Council Salt Lake
City.
"Gentlemen-I have this day signed
an ordinance revising and compiling
the ordinances of Salt Lake city, Utah.
Under the laws OF this state, | cannot
veto any particular section or sections
of a compilation of ordinances, SINH
lar TO the one passed, without Veto
,,,., . l.. sulN hAlI Snl "a 70
City Is absolutely in need of Revised
Ordinances in compact form, The re-
vision which you have Just completed
is to go Into effect ten days after APP
prevail The proposed Revised Ordin-
ances provide, among other matters, an
Increase OF salaries OF certain elective
officers Of Salt Lake City. BY the
terms of the revision. this Increase OF
salaries is made applicable to those otii-
GERS that We're elected at the last nu-
nIclpal election. This Is an error which
your honorable body should take steps
TO correct. Section eos OF the Revised
Statutes OF Utah, relative TO this sub
ject, reads as follows: "All officers of
any city shall receive such compensa-
ton as may be fixed by ordnance, but
the compensation of any OF such oiii-
GERS shall not be increased or dimin-
iShed 10 take erect uutllB Nic tlhic ioi
which any such officer was elected or
appointed" ....,..
An officers salary, after he has been
elected whether he has qualised or not
cannot be increased or. diminished dur
ing the term for which he was elected
This question was decided by our SUI
preme court sometime ago. The case
arose In ogden. Mr.. Hulaniski was
elected city justice of the peace of Og-
den City. After his election, the city
council attempted by ordinance to re-
duce his salary The matter was de-
termined finally by the supreme court
OF Utah, that an officers salary could
not be changed after he was elected, so
as to effect his compensation curing
his term. .. -, 80
II II we're not for the urgent need OF
the revised ordinances, l would nave
vetoed the compilation. and pointed out
particularly the sections which l CON
slider Objectionable A veto at TINS time
might complicate or delay the revision
Of our ordinances and such result !
wish 70 avoid. ] am,
Very respectfully,
EZRA THOMPSON,
Mayor.