The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1909-06-18
PUTS WAGE At $500.
AMOUNT FIXED FOR MAYOR BY
CHARTER TRAINERS.
Aldermen Are to Receive Six Hundred
Per Year, and 1t Was Decided
That the Assessor Should Be Elec-
ted by the People; New Laws Will
Take Effect Three Months After
They Are Adopted.

From Tuesdays Daily.
The charter commission held meet
ing last night, and made considerable
progress toward completing the charter.
The only unfinished features were
closed up. The main point was the
matter of the salaries to be paid to
the mayor and aldermen and each mem
Der the charter commission wrote his
idea on this subject on a slip of paper
and the result was averaged. The aver
age salary for the mayor footed up to
1890 and for the councilmen to $642,
and the commission finally decided to
fix the salaries at 5000 for the mayor
and 5000 for the councilmen. This
may seem large to some, and to others
small. The mayor and councilmen are
not required to give their entire time
to city affairs, but will be expected to
to give much more of it than has been
the practice in the past. Several hours
day may be required of them, and
aside from this there will be greatly
added responsibilities, and the mayor
is to give bond for $4,000 to faith
fully discharge his duties, and each of
the councilmen is to give bond for
$1,000. 1t is figured that these salar-
les will only increase the monthly pay
roll $50, and that on the other hand
the system will result in saving the
city several times that sum.
Elect Assessor BY People.
no han no
ted by vote of the people or by the
commission another point that was de-
cded by a ballot. Six favored having
the commission appoint the assessor,
and four favored having the people
elect him. 1t was stated by those
who favored the latter plan that many
people are decidedly opposed to the
present plan of electing the assessor,
but the other commissioners thought
that the mayor and councilmen, being
all elected by the votes of all of the
people. would be in the best position
to make a good selection. The most
capable men might not run for the
office if it was elective, and the best
vote getter would be chosen. The com
sion, on the other hand, could seek the
man who would best fill the place. The
assessor completes his duties in three
or four months, and if elected would
be idle the rest of the time.
If chosen by the commission, he
could be set at other work when not
employed as assessor, and in this way
the salary of some other official could
be saved
When Charter Takes Effect.
The new charter, if adopted is to
take effect three months after its
adoption, and a special election will be
neld to choose a mayor and four
counclmen to serve until the spring
election in 1911. The present city Off
Gals of all kinds would cease to hold
office as soon as the newly elected
mayor and councilmen qualified
About one fourth of the new charter
was read over for final correction, and
some verbal changes made in it. 1t
was decided to meet again this even
ing at 1880 o'clock to proceed with
the reading, and probably another
meeting will be held Friday afternoon
to complete the work. Then the
charter will have to be rewritten and
signed up and submitted to the city
council. 1t is hoped to complete the
charter this week.