Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1915-11-06
COMMISSION
FORM OF
GOVERNMENT
How The Commissioners Are
Expected To Pay Themselves
and Save Money.
NO OFFICERS In THE FUTURE
Six Departments, With Two
For Each CoOmmiS-
SiOner.
NO OFFICERS IN THE FUTURE

Now that it is known definitely
that the city of Hopkinsville will be
governed by the newly elected COM
missioners after Jan. 8, 1916, there
is much speculation as to what will
happen to change conditions.
Mayor F. K. Yost has two years
to serve as mayor under his appoint
ment by the retiring council, his du-
ties being to preside over the
council meetings and to appoint
the police force and his salary
being 5000. Under the new law
he holds over, but commissioners
must give all their time to the city
and maintain Offices in the ci y
building, their salaries being 1900.
1t is not yet clear whether the mayor
will serve as mayor or as commits
missioner performing the duties of
mayor. Under the new law he is d.
vested of the veto power and the ap-
pointment of the police. He is ex.
officio commissioner of Public At
fairs and Public Health.
There are four other departments,
Public Safely, including the control
of the police and fire departments
and Public Finance, including the
employment of agents to assist in as.
sessing the property. collecting the
taxes and to act as treasurer. The
salaries paid in this department have
heretofore been about $500 to as
sessor, collector and treasurer.
With one man doing this work big
saving will be made. The other two
departments are Public Works and
Public Property. The first controls
the streets and workhouse and the
other the cemetery, parks, public
buildings, etc.
The workhouse department last
year cost the city S4.9l5.51 as COM
pared with 3,2SS.03 the year before.
The street expenditures were 49,.
360.56, as compared with Sl4, 265.03
lin 1918. The figures for 1913 did
not include $7,S48.45 for sewers,
81, 1911 for permanent bitulithic
streets and S2,770.S4 warrants tenn
porarly cashed for the bitulithic
streets, making SIS, 5lS.4l for per-
manent Improvements. Taking
these two years as an average. the
street expenses are S15, 900 a year,
which coupled with So 600 workhouse
expenses makes a fine field for try
ing out the new system as money
saver.
The commissioner of Public Prop
erty will have no laborious duties but
will have better opportunities than
his colleagues to please the people
by identifying the city's parks, the
river snd the cemeteries. Other
property such as bridges, machinery
and equipments would properly
come under this head.
The present council of z members
elected under the fourth-class charter
were elected for terms expiring Dec.
/ 5. 1915. The council has never been
organized under the third-class
charter requiring IL members. Adj
ditional members were voted for
last year but not allowed TO qualify.
Ordinarily one set of officers would
hold over until their successors were
elected and qualified. but as these
offices were created for only one
term and the offices themselves have
been abolished by the legislature, ii
is doubtful if there will be any city
government except the mayor for
the interim of one month. How.
ever only one meeting would be held
ordinarily in that time and the city's
business need not suffer.
Under the new law there will be
no officers elected. All employees
will be agents while they serve and
may be changed at any time. They
will be named by the Board as a
board. two votes governing. The