The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1910-09-14
PETITION DEMANDS
CHARTER ELECTION
Stockton City Council Must
Submit Amendments to
Will of People
Especial Dispatch to The Call

STOCKTON, Sept. 13.-Attorney o. B.
Parkinson, representing the chamber
of commerce charter committee. last
tition signed by 73s bona fide voters
requesting the council to call an cleo
ton on Is proposed amendments to the
charter providing for the commission
plan of government the recall and the
initiative and referendum.
The chamber of commerce committee
has been working on the new charter
since February, 1909.
1t is mandatory upon the council to
call the election. The amended char
ter, If adopted, will go into effect next
year, the first election having been set
for the first Tuesday after the first
Monday in May. 1911.
The first amendment provides for
the election and nomination of the off,
Gals after the Berkeley plan. The
nominations are made by petition, the
number of signers having been fixed at
so. Each must be a bona fide elector
and each must be a. separate certificate.
SECOND ELECTION CLAUSE
In case a nominee secures clear
majority of votes he is declared elect
ed. second election is provided for
in case there is no clear majority, in
highest number of votes are the con-
testants.
The second elections must be held
three weeks after the first election,
which is to take place the first Tues
day after the first Monday in May,
1911
The officials to be elected consist
of a mayor and four councilmen to be
elected at large from the city For
the first term the mayor and two coun-
cilmen will serve four years and the
two other councilmen two years.
The salaries are fixed at $4,000 for
the mayor and $4,000 per year for each
councilman. Five men will actually
run the business, the same as the board
of directors of a corporation.
Section 80, consisting of So subdivi-
ions, has been incorporated in the
amendments tt relates to franchises,
changes having been made as to the
number of votes necessary to pass a
mea sure.
CREATIVE PROVISION
To the second amendment is added
a new section known as Section No
30iz. 1t is the gist of the whole new
government and provides that within
60 days the council shall create the
following departments:
Finance and revenue, public health
affairs.
1t defines the duties of each The
council as whole assigns each other
to the various departments of which
each member is the head This makes
it impossible for a candidate to promise
jobs in any department, as he does
not know where he will be assigned.
The council itself elects all other
officers, including the city assessor, city
f.
torney, city engineer, superintendent of
streets, health officer and such inspec
tors. deputies, clerks and employees a
in their judgment may be required for
the needs of the city.
The appointment of a park commits
sion, city service commission. board of
health is mandatory on the council i'm
mediately upon its organization. 1t is
given the power to create civil art
commission, a commission of public
charities, playground commission, and
to fix the terms of office and duties,
but can not pay salaries for the same.
RECALL PERCENTAGE
Twenty five per cent of the voters
who voted for the mayor are sufficient
for recall
The referendum provides for the same
per cent. This clause provides for
either the submission of an ordinance
TO the people or the passage of the
same. If general election is 80 days
distant the matter can be submitted
then; if not, special election must be
called
The initiative clause provides for a
petition containing the signatures of
Is per cent of the voters. 1t compels
the council TO either reconsider an
ordinance or present it to the people.
The educational department and
police and fire departments are left un-
disturbed.
The amendments make the city engi-
neer's records public property. The
superintendent of streets and city en-
gineer are under the board of public
works.