The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-02-22
Senator Smith Introduces
Measure for Commission
Form of Government.
BOARD OF FIVE MEM BERS
FOR FlRST-CLASS CITIES
SecOnd-C Class Cities to Be Given
Body of Three; Recall Is
Specified,

Two bills introduced IN the senate by
Benner X. Smith OF salt Lake Tuesday
afternoon provide for the Des Moines plan
OF municipal government for Salt Lake
and Ogden. The bills were referred 10
the committee on county and municipal
corporations OF which Senator George j.
Kelly OF Weber is chairman.
When tho measures were introduced
Senator Smith explained that while the
bills provided for The Des Moines plan
OF government with tho same provisions
for cities OF the first and second class.
they were drawn especially win View
IA providing the machinery for the COM
mission form of government in cities or
the first class and that tho provisions as
TO the number and salaries OF the com
missioners would not be applicable 10
said that bills We're being prepared pro-
vding for the commission form of gov
ernment for cities of the second class
and that they would DO introduced in
the senate soon.
For Nonpartisan Board.
Among the provisions OF the bill are
a bipartisan board of commissioners,
q primary election, a civil service COM
mission, the Initiative and referendum,
and the recall.
The bills arc similar in most respects
10 tho bills introduced two years ago by
Senator Smith These bills passed both
houses, but were vetoed bv the governor.
Tho bills provide for the government
OF the city by mayor and four COM
plSsloDcrS elected AT large and abolish
th" Offices of Councilmcn and other city
offices elective under the present SyS-
lem, with the exception of that of audi
Tor. The mayor and four commissioners
shall constitute the citv council, with
power to enact ordinances and provide
for their enforcement. All Of the time
OF the mayor and the four commissioners
snail be devoted TO the city, and they
shall receive salary of $500 a year.
The government Is divided into five
branches; Public affairs and finance.
water supply and watcrworks, public
safety. streets and public Improvements.
and parks and public propcrty. one OF
the five members OF tho governing body
Of the city shall have charge OF each of
these departments.
Appointment Of Employees.
The board of commissioners has the
power TO appoint the city attorney the
city recorder and the heads of the other
subordinate departments. Other en-
ployees are TO be nominated by a public
service. commission, which. after eX-
animation, shall recommend to the board
OF commissioners twice the number of
names there are positions to be filled,
and from this list the board shall choose
rhe employees OF the different depart
mcnts.
Primary elections are provided for the
nominations for mayor and the other
commissioners and the city auditor The
votes for tho office shall he declared to
he the nominees and shall be voted on
at the city election. No political tickets
arc 10 be placed In the field and tho
names are TO bo placed on the ballot
without party designation.
Elections for Franchises.
The initiative and referendum is pro-
vided for certain franchises and ordi-
nanCcs, which shall become effective only
after a majority OF the voters have ap-
proved them,
The recall provision OF the proposed
bill empowers 20 per cent of the voters
who east their ballot for mayor at the
last preceding election 10 petition the
board for recall election on any cleo
tive officer. If the board finds that the
petition Is signed by the requisite nuns
Der of qualified voters a recall election
shall be held. and II majority of the
electors vote for the removal from office
the official shall bo removed.
The bill being prepared by the Ogden
people for commission government for
cities OF the second class is similar to
the Smith bills, except that il provides
for a government by three commissioners
instead OF five.