The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1905-01-16
Mayor Boyd Sends Message to Coun-
CilWith Suggestions in Accord With
Ideas of Business Mems No Salary
Party--Executive Responsible.

and police departments in order to
build up a political machine to the
detriment of the service of those de-
partments. Hence, there are two pro-
visions in our present charter that
should remain undisturbed. These
are the provision that all appoint
ments shall be confirmed by the city
council, and that members of the fire
and police departments shall be re-
moved only for cause after hearing.
while in the past the city has
been put to great annoyance and ex-
pense through the interference by the
courts after policemen have been re-
moved upon trial by the police board,
it is better that it should be so than
that the fire and police departments
should be disrupted every two years
through political changes
Seattle unquestionably has the
best charter of any city in the north
west, and some Of its provisions, with
few changes, can be adopted with
great benefit by our own city. Some
Of these are embraced in the sug-
gestions which are hereby made that
lowing lines:
THAT the executive and legislative
departments be divorced, and that the
legislative body confine it's duties to
matters of legislation, without inter-
ference with appointments, which
should be vested in the executive,
which is, in fact, the intent of the
present charter.
THAT any appointee of the mayor
may be removed by him. that imme-
dfately upon the removal the mayor
shall appoint a successor; that at the
next meeting of the council the may
or shall report the removal, together
with the reasons therefor and SUBJ
nit the appointment of the new Of
fetal for confirmation, and If the ap-
pointment is not confirmed, he shall
at the next succeeding meeting of the
council submit another appointment,
and so on until an appointment is
confirmed the official first appointed
after the removal to hold until an
other is confirmed. In this manner
there is no possibility of vacancy
occurring on account of a failure to
confirm. Provision shauld be made
that the same man shall not be APP
pointed a second time after his APP
pointment has been rejected by the
council
That the fire and police depart
ments shall be under the control Of
the mayor and their respective chiefs,
who shall appoint the members; the
members to be removed only for
cause, after trial before a board of
three at least. the corporation eoun-
sci being u member of said board.
The chiefs, with the consent of the
mayor, to be empowered to suspend
members not to exceed 80 days for
cause.
THAT there be a board of public
works, to consist of the city engineer
as chairman, the street commissioner
and a superintendent of water works.
The city engineer should be building
inspector, superintendent of sewers
bridges. etc. and his salary should
be fixed at not less than $3.50 per
month, in order that the services of
a thoroughly competent man may be
secured.
Provision should be made for the
appointment of a city engineer, super
intendent of water works and street
superintendent, the first for three,
the second for two and the third for
one year at first, the successor Of
each to be appointed for three years,
unless removed.
amendments along the lines sug-
gested above will give Spokane a
charter under which the public BUSH
ness can be conducted promptly and
in business like way, and appointive
officers, knowing that they can be
promptly removed, will attend to bus
mess as strictly and as promptly as
employees of private firm. Respect
fully submitted,
a.. f. BOYD, Mayor"