The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-09-25
CONSIDER CHANGE
IN CITY CHARTER
Special Committee to Hold Meet
ing to Make Up Recon-
mendations.
SUGGEST EXECUTIVE BOARD
Small Body Of Paid Men to Meet
Daily and Give Entire
Time TO Work.
SUGGEST EXECUTIVE BOARD

CHAIRMAN GILBERT Pollock will call
during this week a meeting of the
special Committee on Changes in the
Form of City Government. The COM
mittee. mad up of three Councilmen
and two Aldermen, has, under the au-
thority of the resolution by which It
was created, associated with itself
three we'll known citizens-L u. Nor
r!s, II. w. Rountree and Charles V.
Meredith-each OF whom has had large
experience in civic affairs. Mr.. Mere.
dith having been for many years City
Attorney. while Mr.. Rountree saw
long srvioe in the City Council. Mr..
Morris is a director of the Police
Benevolent Association. and has In
other substantial ways contributed to
civic progress.
At a meeting held early in the sum-
mer Mr.. Meredith submitted a care
fully prepared paper which defined the
exact limitations under which the
committee must work. He has ex-
pressed the opinion that the pending
amendment to the State Constitution,
approved by the last Legislature and
recently advertised In accordance with
law, will not effect the purposes for
which 1t was designed. Even II adopt
ed by the incoming Legislature and
ratified at the ensuing general cleo
ton by the people of the State, he
thinks the amendment will not author
ize cities to adopt outright a commits
sion form of government.
Want Charter Changes.
That being the case, the special COM
mittee has turned its attention to what
can be done in the way of simplih-
cation of the government by a legisla-
tive enactment, changing the city
charter-such enactment as could be
secured at the next session OF the
General Assembly and made to take
effect from the end OF the present
terms OF Councilmen.
Generally speaking the plan proposes
n continuation of the present two
reduced In size. and the creation of a
paid executive board of four or five
men who shall be charged with the
duty OF carrying out policies laid down
by the Council and as now perform
ed by Council committees and the
various municipal boards.
Besides the four boards there are at
present sixteen Joint standing COM
mitt ,es of the City Council, each
charged with the management of a
city department. such as streets, cleo
tricity. water, cemeteries. markets.
grounds and buildings, light, street
cleaning m relief of the poor.
Board to Hold Daily Sessions.
Under the plan under discussion. Ave
men from the city at large would be
charged with all these executive func-
tions. the auditing OF pay rolls and
bills, the. awarding of contracts and
supervision OF work, and the multitude
of details now handled In committees
The Counc would retain It's Commit
tee on Finance. as under the statute
all appropriations must he made by
the Council. The Council would re-
tain the right to levy and collect
taxes. fix salaries. adopt ordinances
and amendments to the City Code, ana
would also retain, as a Committee on
General Laws. the Committee on Or
dinance. Charter and Reform.
The executive board. made up of
men paid for their entire time, would
meet at the City Hall daily. having
certain public hours when all citizens
having business connected with street
improvements. sewers, light. water. or
any one OF the m~ultitudinous mat.
tiers now coming before Council COM
mittees or boards, could be heard.
and secure immediate disposition of
their petitions.
Insures Harmony.
~ pan. ~ y uI5eu, Npulu 40
away with one of the, greatest causes
OF complaint OF the present govern
ment-the lack OF harmony between
departments. AT present the Street
Committee improves a street only 10
have the Gas Works or the Water
Works come along and tear 1t to
pieces 10 lay pipes: the Light Com
mittee places a gas lamp at some
point already provided by the Com
. - 4. - ~ -.
while some other point goes neglected
by both At present there are in
Vulnerable meetings of different bodies.
a dozen Councilmen are called TO the
City Hall 10 pass the pay roll of a
few cemetery keepers. One committee
orders { sidewalk placed; another
fixes the assessment against the
property-owner for his share in the
: Improvement.
, II is generally agreed that the pres.
emit city government of Richmond is
: remarkably free from graft or undue
. influence from any source. Sarching
{ Investigations have been held agar
and again, and have developed littlc
in recent years that showed malfeas.
!. ance or misfeasance.
> Nevertheless, the most active men II
a both brat ches Of the Council-,he mer
I most familitr with city affairs-admi
that the present system leads to enor
7 nous waste and duplication. tn a lacl
Of a lack OF system. and :
: decided want Of any direct responsi,
billy In several instances whc-.
something has gone wrong. the com
mittee had slipped out, leaving tn
department head To bear the blame
although he had no authority, and "
some cases the committee ha take
the action over his protest.
Although authorized sin months agu
the Committed has held br a t.p
meetings, and fear is expressed tina
when its report H. submitted TO III.
Council. action will be delayed unti
! too late for the coming Legislature :,
act II no provision for a change /
effected before the April primaries.
now Cnmnn.l- ~ RlchnnnA N.Ll ~ ~,