Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1911-01-23
Second Class Cities May Ad-
opt Commission Govern
ment if They Desire.
YAKIMA BILL DESCRIBED
No Change in Existing Laws
Other Than Form of
Government.

The Herald, through the courtesy
of Representative Locke, is in re-
ceipt of a copy of the bill introduced
in the senate providing for the ON
plan of government in cities
having population of 5000 and not
more than 100000 and cursory ex-
animation fails to discover anything
in it that should not be ac .eptable
to Aberdeen. Briefly, the bill pro-
vides:
That a petition signed by - per
cent of the votes cast for mayor at
the last election will require the call
ing of special election on lne ques-
tion of the adoption of the system.
If majority favor the plan, the city
shall proceed to elect mayor and
two commissioners, which election
must be held within sixty days after
the adoption of the proposition.
All existing laws governing cities
of the second class or applicable
thereto, not inconsistent with the
provisions of this act, shall apply to
and govern such cities, and all ordi-
nances and resolutions in force in the
city shall remain SO until altered or re-
pealed. 1t makes no change in the
city's boundaries, rights or liabilities.
Any vacancy that occurs on the CON-
mission is filled by the remaining
members.
Officers and Elections.
All regular elections are to be held
triennially on the first Monday in
April. when mayor and two COM
missioners are elected to serve three
years. The first commission shall
serve until the third Monday in April
of the third year after the election,
and the terms of office of the mayor
and councilmen of the former organ
ization shall expire when the term of
the commission begins. and those Of
the other officials as soon as the
commission shall so declare.
All commissioners shall be nomi.
mated and elected at large, and each
commissioner shall give bonds in five
times the sum of his annual salary,
which bond must be approved by the
judge of the superior court, for the
faithful performance of his duty The
primary elections will take place two
weeks before the municipal election
Candidates for mayor or commits.
sioner at the primaries, must file
petition signed by at least one hun
dred voters requesting his candidacy,
which petition must be verified. The
primary ballots are to be blanket
form. all candidates being upon the
same ballot, and each voter may vote
for two. The two candidates for
mayor and the four candidates for
commissioners receiving the highest
number of votes are the nominees at
the municipal election, when the
three are elected.
Powers and Duties.
The executive and administrative
powers and duties are to be distrib-
uted into three departments: Pub
lie safety, finance and accounting and
streets and public improvements. The
mayor shall be superintendent of the
department of public safety, and each
shall have charge Of
one of the other departments, subject
to change when desirable.
The commission will appoint all
other officials of the city, none of
whom may be related to any member
Of the commission, either by blood or
within the fourth degree,
and any commissioner may, without
additional compensation, perform the
duties of any Of the appointive Off.
ces. They will have power to create,
fill or discontinue offices and employ
ments according to their judgement
Of the needs of the city, and remove
or change the compensation of any
official or employe
Salaries Of Commissioners.
The salaries provided for cities of
the population of Aberdeen are:
mayor, s2,400; commissioners, $4,000