The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1912-10-25

the corporate limits, or expiration
OF term OF ONCE. shall be filled by
the original board was created. and
said board shall always contain Its
full complement of members.
Any such charter or any amend
ment or revision thereof may pro-
vide for the commission form Of
government having legislative and
administrative powers, or 1T may
provide for mayor or chief mag's.
either one or. two houses and. If
of two houses. at least one of them
shall be elected by a general vote
OF the electors, or 1t may provide
for any other plan or system OF
that the plan or form of govern
ment so adopted shall not violate
the constitution of the state as
In submitting any such charter
or amendment thereto, or revision
thereof to the qualified voters of
sueh city or village, any alternative
secJion Or article, may be presented
for the choice Of the voters and may
be voted on separately without
prejudice to other articles or sec
tons of the charter, or any amend
ments thereto or revision thereof.
The legislature may provide gen.
eral laws relative to affairs OF
cities, the application of which may
be limited to cities of over nifty
thousand inhabitants. or to cities or
nifty thousand and not less than
twenty thousand inhabitants. or to
cities. of twenty thousand and not
less than ten thousand Inhabitants,
or to cities Of ten thousand in
ply equally to all cities Of either
class. or if so specified in the law,
to all cities In either such class not
having charters adopted pursuant
TO this amendment, but no general
law limited to one or more of said
classes of cities shall apply to any
city existing under q charter framed
under this section Of the consti,,
be made applicable to such city by
declaration, therein, naming the
city. Such laws shall be paramount
while in force to the provisions re.
IN the local charter herein provided
For
The legislature shall enact any
and all laws necessary or proper
of this amendment, and shall pre-
scribe by law the general limits
within which SUCH charter shall be
framed: No local charter, provision
or ordinance passed thereunder
shall supersede any general law. of
the state defining or Furnishing
crimes or misdemeanors."
PURPOSE AND EFFECT. The pur
pose and object of this amendment 4
to permit cities already incorporate
and villages desiring to be Incorporates
n cities to include In their charters
Of by amendment or revision thereof
q eOmmissi0n form of government hav
Ing legislative and administrative pow
FRS. The amendment sought enlarge
the power Of such municipalities II
their own charters, reservini
TO the legislature, however, the author
Ity to prescribe the general limit
within which the said charters shall b.
framed.
A e0mmissiOn form of city govern
ment IL generally understood to includ
the following characteristic features
I. A small governing board; 2. TIL
exercise of both Legislative and admin
st rative duties by this board; B. Tn
division among the members OF thu
board OF the administrative work of thu
,ity by departments over which a singh
of the governing board of thu
rity has controls, 4. The election of tn,
members of the governing board by al
" the vOters of the city and not b!
precincts or districts. 8. Thu
adoption of methods of direct pOpula
control over the action and the con
tinuance In office of the members of tn,
governing board.