Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-06-30

election. and ten per cent for a special
election.
All elective officers may be recalled.
! If the recall petition is signed by 20
! Per cent of the registered voters, so
/ distributed as TO include 30 per cent
! OF the voters from two-thirds of the
wards OF the city. The recall cannot
! be invoked against an elective officer
in the first SIX months OF his term or
| in the last six months; and At the re
call election no opposition candidates
| shall be voted on.
Sweeping control over franchises is
vested in the city under the terms of
the proposed new charter. 1t is speci-
fed that al franchises shall be sub
Iect to amendment OF repeal. and TO
forfeiture for misuse: that they always
shall be subject to the city authority
as to rates and service and subject 10
the right of the city at the end of 10
years and every five years thereafter
TO acquire the public utility. In the
event of city purchase of a public utE-
ity the franchise value is not TO be
counted in the price. No franchise
shall be granted for more than fifty
years.
The mayor, who is to receive $4,000
year. is given the power to appoint
ment and removal OF all non-elective
officers, except those in the classified
service. This appointing power in
cludes practically all heads of depart !
ments and city court judges. The !
mayor also has veto over city ordi- !
nances, but the aldermen may over I
ride the veto by a two-third vote. 4
The minor city employees are to be in /
the classified civil service and under
the supervision OF an efficiency board.
This board has many Of the powers of
civil service commission in other
cities
The work of the city Is to be admin
istered through five great departments
under the general direction of a board
of public service. This board is to be
composed OF a president, the director
OF public utilities, the director of
streets and sewers. the director of
public welfare and the director OF pub
lie safety. This board will grant per ,
mits for the use Of streets, established
grades. and control all engineering z
and construction work. ,
]
the board OF public service are to be Y
he department OF the president, which
shall have charge OF all public work I
N improvements; the department OF !
public utilities. which shall have gen I
sral supervision over all public ser
,ice corporations and of all city
,wned utilities; the department of
treets and sewers; the Department.
# public welfare. which shall include
Iivision OF health. the division OF ]
,arks and recreations. the division OF
direction: the department OF public
afety. which shall include the diyis-
On of police Of the police should be
emoved from state cCntroD the divis-
N OF excise Of the excise department al
removed from state CONTROL. the di- 81
ision OF fire and fire prevention, the T
Vision of weights and measures and OF
he division OF building and inspec- Ia
on.
Under the proposed charter the an IN
ual budget is 10 be drafted by a m
GARD OF estimate and apportionment oil
impose. OF the mayor. the comptro.- nc
:. and the president OF the board of dr
dermen. The budget is TO be sub ho
lifted to the aldermen for approval
he board OF aldermen Is given author ~
y 10 reduce any item in the annual 10 10
ldgets. but not to increase any item u
10 insert new items. ~