The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-04-25
DRAFT OF NEW CHARTERS FOR
 BRIDGEPORT I Experts Offer Commission and City Manager Plan
 for Choice PROVIDES INITIATIVE, REFERENDUM, RECALL Committee Said to Be Re garding Those Safeguards
 With Aversion

The cosnmftteeA ori commission gov- ernment received a draft of modern charter, at it's meeting, last light. The charter was drawn by -tllea New York Bureau Of Municipa Research.
 The document contained many pages which the conn1nittee may select either the straight commission form of gov Iernlnerlt. or the city manager form
 The latter method diners from the former in that the actual executive duties in the nnanage1nent of Tnunieip-
 manager, employed by the commits sion, the latter having legislative func- tions. ss ssf sSss ts t s s5
 The city manager plan has been little tried. would be more difhcu1t to explain to the communitys and prob- ably will not be favored by the com 1nittee.
 The Bureau of Researeh, prelirnir- ary to drafting the Brid g6part char ter, anaIyzed the charters Of the ten
 most important cities having a. r1lini- cipai form of governemtn, and the charters of a number of less important cities.
 The commission charter proposes to lconstitute a nmissionN2of five men, to serve for four years at a. salary of
 $4,000 each. The Com lIssion will con- sist of a mayor and four commission
 
 1 The work of the city will be divide ed into four departments as follows. Department of Public Works. | Department of Finance f Department of Public Safety. Department of Public Welfare.
 The commissioaer who is to serve at the head or each commission will be ldesignated by the mayor.
 The danger that attaches to the com mission form in one Of which the American people havs always been
 fearful. the danger O. centralizing power.
 To offset this danger the charter igfves to the citizens the rights of in- i iitIative. referendum and recall The
 Initiative may be exercised through la ten per cent. petition But If the Il ordinance. or measure proposed, is to
 be submitted at a special election, a l25 per cent. petition is required. Tha referendum requiress ass25 spef tcent. petitzofas for snblsaissioI at eitf1-
 CT special or regular election. Of
 has adopted, and which is offered to ] the people for their approval or veto. I Provision for the recalBSof 5insatis- factory officers is also made. An unusuaa feature Of the charter icalIs for the election of a city audi laa1ditor ir a sense co-edual with the l comm ission, will make him serve as a check upon that body
 t Peculiar duties are also confided to the city attorney among which is the fduty to proceed in the name of the lefty against the eennnaission if he
 finds 1t doing. anything unlawful
 It is suggested that town ofdcke be lconsoiidated with city offices, sot that
 some city officer may be town clerk
 ex-ofHcto, and go on. a
 Offices like city clerk. collector and lso on, which are now elective would be filled by appofntmentg Provision Is made for a civil service and merit Esystem and civil service appointees lare required to refrain from activity in partisan politics
 I N Nominations Of those who desire to
 run for election as commissioner will be made by petition.
 F. The charter as recommended to the Icommittee is thoroughly modern and Esafeguards the people against cen ltralization, except perhaps in one or two minor particulars.
 4 Whether this charter in it's popu- lar form, will meet the approval of sfthe committee, is question. It is raid that some members are determ- lined not to include the initiative ref .Ierendum and recall or if it is ircii1d- led. in such form that t will. be 1ln- workable x ss