The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1909-05-06

ersl municipal reforms are recon-
mended by Mayor A r. Turnbull in
his annual message to the city coun-
Gil which was submitted last night
To the Honorable City Council:
Gentlemen:-Th law requires that
| the mayor shall communicate to coun-
Gil each year an annual budget of the
current expenses of the municipality,
and | as such officer herewith submit
such annual budget to your honorable
body for your careful consideration.
Your department is the legislative
branch of the city, and much depends
upon your actions regarding the well
fare of our city. Our city has grown
to a population where modern i'm
provements are absolutely necessary
for the health and comfort of our
citizens.
There are a number of improve
ments that should be made for the
betterment of our city, but l am
aware of the fact that it is impossi-
BILE to make all of these improvements
at one time, owing to the large ex-
penditure of money which would be
to start everything.
/ feel that the city of Canton COM
pares favorably with any other city
in the state of Ohio, with regards to
improvements; we are to be congrat-
ulated on having one of the best fire
departments in the state, and our po-
lice department, although small com
pared with other cities Of like size,
is a credit, as there never was time
in the history of Canton, when we
were as free of undesirable charac-
ters as we are at the present time,
which is very commendable to this de-
partment.
There are some recommendations
which l feel would be proper for me
to make at this time to your honorable
body, as you are aware of the fact
that the laws OF the state of Ohio
have been changed, with regards to
municipal government, and that your
body has to fix the number of officers
and The salaries for all of them.
| would most earnestly recommend
that you fix the salary for the direc-
tor of service and safety at a fair
price. SO that it will be possible to
get good men TO fill these positions
which heretofore was composed of
four men on one board, and three on
the other, and it will be necessary for
them to devote their entire time and
attention to these positions.
1t gives me great pleasure to know
that your honorable body has taken
steps to improve Shrivers run, by
sewering the same, as per the recon-
mendation in my budget of a year
ago, as / consider this one of the
most important improvements in the
eastern section of our city, and l hope
that this improvement will be COM
pleted as soon as possible.
We have a number of very beauti-
full parks in our city, and the city
owns large tracts of land, which
should be converted into public parks,
but | am aware that this would mean
the expenditure of a large amount OF
money, which at this time l feel
would be hardship On our citizens
to take care of.
But I would recommend that the
city council establish a fund, so that
a certain amount of this work could
be taken care Of yearly, and l be-
lieye that in the course of few years,
we would have the entire city sur
rounded by beautiful parks.
/ would also recommend that there
be some money appropriated for the
purpose of constructing and maintain
ing a number of swimming pools for
the boys of our city. 1t is impossible
to, and neither is it right to keep
them from bathing in our creeks, but
as our city is becoming SO thickly
populated, there should be some place
provided for bathing.
l find in going over our city, that
our brick pavements are ruined, by
being torn up, and not properly re-
placed, by the different concerns
which have franchises to use our
streets. This is becoming serious,
and in a few years our pavements will
be ruined entirely, unless something
is done in this matter.
My understanding of the law is,
that cities can compel these corpora
tions to replace the streets in the
same condition as they were, prior to
the tearing up of them for their per-
sonal benefit, and if not done accord
ing TO the inspection of the engineer
ing department, the city can do the
work, and charge the cost thereof, to
such corporation.
If they refuse to pay the same, ii
can be placed on the tax duplicate
and collected as taxes against their
property, but in order to take advan-
tage of this, it would be necessary to
appropriate money, so that the board
of public service could enter into con-
tract and pay for this work. which
money would then come back to the
city when collected as taxes. / con-
slider this one of the most important
matters before our legislative body,
and l would recommend that they es-
tablish a fund for this purpose.
/ would also recommend that your
honorable body appoint committee
or act as a whole, whichever YOU deem
best, to confer with the board OF