The Belding banner-news. (Belding, Mich.) 1918-1973, 1918-10-23
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PROPOSED MEN AIR1eR

Editor Banner-News:
| L notice in q receny issue OF the
Banner News that the charter COM
mission had completed their labors In
revising the city charter and the same
was given out for publication in full.
| A careful and conservative reading
Of It with view to becoming CONVEX
SAINT with its fundamental provisions
as a basis for well Organized munich
pal activities in accordance with law
and systematized business, should
convince any person that it ought to
be adopted by the voters at the coming
election and place our city In the
rank and class it is entitled to among
other cities Of the state and nation.
The old charter under which we have
been working for the past % years,
has become absolutely obsolete in
many Of its provisions; it was loosely
drawn and in the natural trend of adj
vanced business methods, new laws
governing the same and demand for
better police regulations to meet the
requirements, our city council and
law makers have been for the past ten
years in their work of trying to give
the city, needed Improvements called
for by the people at large, confronted
WIN tCNAhllSai pm 0oCc 0ii<km ~ ~ sioitAto
in the old charter which have retarded
their work and been very expensive
indeed. The members of the charter
commission were elected by the city
at large and every voter had voice
in composing it; they have done their
work we'll; they have eliminated a
whole lot of frills and back number
provisions contained in the old charter
and formulated new one along pro-
gressive lines in keeping with the
spirit of the age. The charter and
the systematic business form Of gov
eminent it proposes should by all
means be-adopted fer the best inter-
ests of all the people of the city and
also in the interest of economy.
1t may not be generally known but
it is a fact that the cost to the tax
payers of the city for running its bus
mess under the old charter approaches
very close to $4,000 every year; this
amount would be clipped at least one
third under the proposed new way
and with it's business affairs and city
needs systematized and punched into
competent hands, shorn of "red tape"
procedure in order to get quick ac-
ton and effective results is an ex-
cellent remedy for the expensive and
r0und-about-Way now necessary 10 De
gone through with to meet and ac-
complish demands of up-to-date meth
DDS.
By the initiative, referendum and
recall provision which the charter
commission has wisely provided for,
it absolutely places the commission
form of government in the hands of
the people and if an officer proves in
competent the people may "put him
on the shelf" at once.
r. No ordinances can be adopted, or
franchises granted or bonds issued
without their sanction and the bonded
indebtedness can never exceed per
cent of the assessed valuation of the
city or the tax rate higher than one
and four-tenths per cent.
In short the city under the commits
sion form of government is simply
stock company in which every citizen
is a stakeholder and assists in secur-
ing a good man and his needed
workmen in managing the enterprise
and pushing along it's activities in, a
business way.
r r Tanhau1