Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1915-04-03
Amendments to
City Charter
City Commission Recommend
Its Adoption.

following article, explaining the objects
of the proposed city charter amend
ments, was prepared by our City Com
missioners. We suggest that every
citizen of our city carefully read this
article, that they may fully understand
the objects of the proposed changes
Ed.
AT the election to be held in the city
of East Jordan next Monday there is to
be submitted to the electors of the city
two amendments to the city charter. 1t
has been suggested that the purpose
of them be explained.
One amendment pertains to the
registration of electors and the nomina-
ton and election of candidates. At the
time of the adoption of our charter the
state law fixed Saturday preceding
elections as registration days. Our
charter followed the state law in this
respect. Afterward the state law was
changed so as to fix registration days
on the second Saturday proceeding
L
changed it is now necessary to have
two registration days before every
spring election where other than city
officers are to be elected. This is an
unnecessary and useless expense. The
amendment, if adopted will do away
with this and registration days will be
as fixed by state law and if the state
law should be again changed no further
amendment will be required to our
charter.
AS to the nomination and election of
candidates the amendment aims to fol-
low the state primary law as far as
practicable, and at the same time our
primary system will not be affected by
any changes the legislature may make
in the state law. AS our city primary
is merely process of eliminating the
candidates TO two for each office it is
apparent that where only two can
didates file petitions for any one office
there is no necessity for holding pri-
mary election as to such candidates;
and if only two candidates file petitions
for each and all offices to be filled
there is no necessity for the primary to
be held at all as far as the nomination
OF city candidates is concerned. The
amendment, will impose upon the
clerk the duty to certify the nomina-
tlons in all cases where there are only
two candidates for any one office, and
where there are only two candidates
for each and every office to be filled
certificates OF nomination will be issued
to all candidates and the primary will
not be held except when necessary to
nominate county and state officers. 1t
will be seen that the aim of the amend
ment is to simplify matters and reduce
expenses.
The other amendment pertains to tax
alton. AS to Sec. "a. the purpose is to
make the several supervisors members
Of the board of review instead of hav-
ing such board appointed by the City
Commission. The supervisors will thus
be required to familiarize themselves
with the tax roll and tax conditions
generally before the meeting of the
board of supervisors in October and be
better prepared to represent the city
on the board of supervisors.
The rest of the amendment pertains
to the collection and return of the tax.
Our charter contains an innovation in
this respect and has caused great deal
Of trouble, not only to our city assessor
} and treasurer, but to the county treas
urer as well, bringing about a general
confusion. 1t is aimed to correct this
by returning to the old established
method of collecting taxes as nearly as
possible. The purpose of the collec-
tion fee is to pay the expense of levy
ing and collecting the tax, burden
which all should share. BY making
the penalty one per cent a month ii
reaches eight per cent by the time the
taxes are returned to the county
treasurer, where the usual charges are
again added This is unfair to those
who are so unfortunate as to be unable
to pay taxes promptly and its legality
has been seriously questioned.
The amendment provides for fee of
, one per cent the first month and four
, per cent thereafter, exactly as in town
, ships and as in East Jordan before the
, adoption of our present charter. II
, not paid by October 1st the tax roll is
closed, settlement is had with the city
treasurer and all taxes not collected
are listed and the city assessor enters
such unpaid taxes on his winter roll in
: appropriate columns. When the
= treasurer collects the winter tax he
will have before him beside the winter