The independent., 1905-04-06
DIRECT LEGISLATION
The San Diego Charter

| The San Diego Charter
| On Nov. 90, 1904, the common coun-
Gil of the city of San Diego, Calf,
passed twenty-seven amendments to
their city charter, practically recon
structing it. Two days later the mayor
signed the ordinance and on Jan. 4,
| 1905, the people of the city voted on
these amendments, carrying them all
by votes ranging from to to votes
of to /. There are 4,934 registered
voters in San Diego but the vote on
these amendments ranged around $500
SO about half of the registered voters
voted.
OF the twenty-seven amendments.
two concern us. The first which makes
| the common council single chamber
of nine members each having some
special department of work. This body
| has large legislative powers, can pass
an ordinance over the mayors veto by
| two-thirds vote but is itself held IN
check by the initiative, referendum
land recall which constitute amendment
No 26.
/ These sections are modelled very
Iclosely on the Los Angeles provisions.
| It was carried by vote of 1,534 for to
l74S against, which was a larger athr-
native than most of the other amend
ments. 1t is:
San Diego Direct Legislation Provision
That article of the charter OF the
city of San Diego, Calf, be amended
lby adding thereto new chapter to
be known as chapter 4, which shall
read as follows:
CHAPTER ".
Section 1. The common council shall
Ihave power to submit to the electors OF
said city at any election any question
lreauired to be so submitted by the con-
stitution, the law. this charter, or by
Ordinance; provided, that in case such
lquestion is required by said constitu-
tiOn, law, charter, or ordinance to be
submitted at special or other particu-
lar kind of election, it shall be so sub
mitted, and not otherwise.
I Sec. 2. Any proposed ordinance may
lbe submitted to the common council
by petition signed by registered cleo
tors of the city equal in number to the
percentages hereinafter required. The
signatures to the petition need not all
be appended to one paper, but each
signer shall add to his signature his
place of residence, giving his street
and number. One of the signers of
each such paper shall make oath be-
fore an officer competent TO administer
oaths, that the statements therein
made are true, and that each sigma
ture to the paper appended is the gen.
uine signature of the person whose
name purports to be thereunto sub
scribed, within ten days from the date
of filing such petition the city clerk
shall examine and from the great
register ascertain whether or not said
petition is signed by the requisite num-
ber of qualified electors, and If neces-
sary the common council shall allow
him extra help for that purpose, and
he shall attach to said petition his GER
tificate showing the result of said ex-
animation. If, by the clerks certifi-
cate, the petition is shown to be insult
ficient, it may be amended within ten
days from the date of said certificate.
The clerk shall, within ten days after
such amendment, make like examina-
tion of the amended petition, and if his
certificate shall show the same to be
insufficient, it shall be returned to the
person filing the same without prejud
ice, however, to the filing Of new
petition to the same effect. If the
petition shall be found to be sufficient
the clerk shall submit the same to
the common council without delay.
. If the petition accompanying the pro-
posed ordinance be signed by electors
equal in number to fifteen per cent of
the entire vote cast for I'll candidates
for mayor at the last preceding general
election at which mayor was elected,
and contains request that said ordi-
nance be submitted forthwith to vote
of the people at special election, then
the common council shall either:
(a) Pass said ordinance without al