Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1915-03-23
new LAWS ARE WANTED
AMENDMENTS TO CHARTER
INITIATED BY COUNCIL.
Two Of the Measures Are Meritorious,
While Third Is Somewhat
Questionable.

The city council has initiated three
amendments to the charter OF Dallas
for the consideration of voters at the
approaching municipal election, two
of which may be characterized as
meritorious and worthy Of adoption,
while there is some question about the
advisability Of the third becoming eff
fective, it having once before been be-
fore the people and defeated by a
considerable majority. The alderman
ic body, however, evidently believes
that its adoption would augment to
the general good of the community,
otherwise it probably would not have
initiated it. We refer to the propos-
ed amendment with reference to i'm
provements, found in section sixty
six Of the charter, wherein the abutt
ing property is made responsible for
the construction of sidewalks and
curbs forming a part of street inter-
sections, including curbs around park
strips. Those opposed to the adop-
tion of the amendment hold that the
city should construct these in the
same manner as street intersections,
and regardless of its merits the very
fact that its approval by the people
means that an additional burden will
be imposed upon individual property
holders will have tendency to defeat
it. The proposed amendment follows:
Section 66. The council shall as
certain and determine as nearly as
possible the cost Of the proposed i'm
provement, and notice shall be given
by the auditor and police judge, by
order of the city council, by publica-
ton thereof in two successive issues
of some newspaper published in said
city, or by five days personal service
of such notice by the city marshal on
all property owners of property with
in the limits Of the improvements;
which notice shall contain the amount
of the estimated cost of the said i'm
provement; the street or part thereof
within the limits of such improve
ment; that the council will hold a
meeting, specifying the time and place
thereof, for the purpose of apportion-
ing the cost of such improvement and
assessing upon each lot or part there
of, or each tract of land liable there
for its proportionate share of such
cost. And each lot or part thereof or
tract of land within the limits of such
improvements shall be liable for the
full cost of making the same upon the
half of the street in front Of and
abutting thereon, and also the cost of
all that part of street intersections
covered by sidewalks and curbs, in
cluding curbs around park strips, in
the same manner and to the same eX
tent that the property is liable for
sidewalk improvement or street i'm
provement, which fronts or abuts or
is adjacent to such street or streets
where such improvements are ordered
to be made at the expense of the
property so abutting, fronting upon
or adjacent thereto; provided, that all
crosswalks and intersections of all
streets, except as otherwise herein
above provided, shall be improved at
the expense of the city of Dallas and
paid out of the general fund of said
city.
Bonding Proposition.
The proposed amendment giving the
council authority to issue bonds for
the construction of intersections on
hard surface improvements is simply
extending to the municipality the
same privilege now enjoyed by the in
dividual, and hence should have the