The Palatka news and advertiser., 1915-09-10
POOR PALATKA POKES
ALONG CHARTERLESS
For Twenty-Seven Years lg-
norant of Dangers-Will
Seek Remedy.

The ordinance committee of the city
council, composed of Aldermen ]. V.
Walton, Howell A. Davis and City At.
torney H. E. Merryday have made an
important discovery. 1t is nothing
less than the fact that since 1888 the
city of Palatka has been living and
breathing and having its being with
out charter to rest on.
Had it not been for the fact that
this committee has been at work on a
codification of the city ordinances, it
is possible that we might have gone
on indefinitely and never realized it.
But the fates forbade.
At meeting of the city council on
Tuesday night Aid. Walton, chairman
of this committee disclosed our peril
in the following lucid report:
"Your special codifcation commit
tee named in the ordinance of July
9Th, 1915 respectfully reports that,
"In making a coditication of the or
dinances of the City of Palatka, we
found it indispensable to determine
what is the charter of the City of Pa.
latka. This required US to 20 back to
the original Act of 1852 when this
town government of Palatka was first
organized, and to follow the changes
and amendments and enlargement Of
our Charter powers though numerous
legislative acts to this date. This
was necessary in order for your COM
mittee to determine the legality Of
the various ordinances many of which
have been effected by the charter
changes.
"The Act of 1852 was passed at a
time when Palatka had only two or
three hundred inhabitants and when
conditions were very different from
the present and was soon found who'll
ly inadequate.
$50 in 1857 the legislature passed
new charter making complete pro-
vision for all phases of the city gov
ernment and wholly abolishing the
former charter. With this as basis
many subsequent acts have been pass
ed amending, enlarging or restricting
our powers as a municipality, but
none of which have attempted to
change the whole structure.
This left the city more or less de,
pendent on the charter of 1887, for
its grant of power in all matters eX-
cept those fully covered in subsequent
special acts.
"In our study, research and invesli-
cation the force, effect and meaning
of the various laws, which taken to-
gether constitute our charter, we
found that the Supreme Court Of Flor,
ida, in June 1888, held the act Of 1887
to be void and of no effect as a law.
I'VE think it proper to add thai IN
view Of The invalidity of the charter
Of 1857, your committee made n n oss
thorough and careful examination of
the effect of this decision on the pow
ers of the City of Palatka, and par
ticularly with regard to the assess
ment and collection of revenue and we
find that the special acts of the leg
islature passed since 1887, fully and
completely empower and authorize the
City of Palatka to assess and collect
| its taxes in the manner and form that
| has been and is now followed. How
ever, we are not so fortunate with
regard to many other powers neces-
sary to the city and granted in that
act.
Therefore your committee deem it
absolutely necessary that a new char.
| ter be obtained as soon as possible.
With the knowledge of this necessity
before US we examined chapter 694O
of the acts of 1915, authorizing cities
and towns to amend their charters
and to adopt charters for their gov
ernment. This law provides that char
ters or amendments thereof can only
be proposed by a charter board con-
sisting of a certain number of mem
bers depending upon the population of
the city, the number for Palatka being
five. This board must be elected and
the election must be called by the city
council therefore your committee have
prepared the necessary resolutions in
accordance with the requirements of
this law and herewith submit, the
same and recommend its adoption.
Respectfully submitted,
UuNNET DAVIS