The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1919-06-12
Return to Alderrnanic Form
Through Gre a tion of
Charter Board is Contem-
plated.
LEGAL STATUS OF
PLAN IS OUTLINED
It is Pointed Out That
Change Could Be Made in
240 Days From Time Pc
titions Presented.

That advocates OF the return OF
the city government to the aldermanic
form may launch the movement with
in the next few days and that they
may endeavor to bring about the
change by procuring provision first
for a charter board with a view to
facilitating the change, which is now
allowed under sections of the charter
that provide that commission govern
ment must be given a six years test,
has become known. The six years test
period ended during the early days
of the present month.
Those who have interested them
Selves in the legal status of the mat
ter have found that it would be possi-
BILE to return to the old democratic
instead of the existing so-caIIed "au-
tocratic'' form of government within
period of lao days under act of
June 4, 1915. The plan is outlined as
follows:
petition, or separate petitions,
asking that an election be called to
elect charter board should be ad-
dressed to the city commissioners, ans,
signed by 20 per cent of the qualifiei i
voters of the city. One of the signers
of each separate paper must make
oath that each signature to the paper
is the genuine signature of the person
whose name it purports to be- me
petitions are then presented to the
city commissioners, and the city clerk
compares the names on the petitions
with the registration books. This
comparison must be completed within
ten days.
If the number of names is found not
sufficient, the petitions are retained
by the clerk and 80 days additional
time is given in which to secure addi-
tional names. If the additional names
raise the number to 20 per cent The
commissioners must forthwith call an
election to be held in not less than
40 days nor more than 90 days to elect
a charter board, composed of fifteen
members, who shall, with 15 days
after their election, meet and organize
and within 80 days after organizing
must complete their work and finally
adjourn.
This charter board has power to
change the numbers. powers, duties,
compensation, terms of office, and the
! time and manner of election or APP
pointment of any anI all officers and
boards, to abolish any and
all offices and boards, and
to create such officers and boards as
may be deemed proper,
and to provide the manner of their
election or appointment
by amending its charter or adopting
a new charter"
The new charter or amendments
proposed by the charter board shall
be submitted to the voters at a time
to be designated by the board, which
shall be within so days after final ad-
journment. The new charter or pro-
posed amendments must be published
once each week for four consecutive
weeks before the election. If the
voters at the election ratify the new
charter or amendments, it or they
shall become effective at the time
designated therein, or, if no time IS
designated, then at the end of 80 days
after the election.
| II the members of the charter board
were elected on the definite under
standing that they would recommend
a return to the aldermanic form, and
would inject no other proposition In
| the new charter. and would fix the
time to elect new officers within 40
days after the vote On the charter.
then it would be possible to again be
| in operation under the aldermanic
plan within 140 days. If, however,
the city commissioners Tagged on the
job it might take 220 days.
If the petitioners proceed under
section 40 of the present city charter
and ask the city commissioners to call
an election to decide the question,
shall the city of Pensacola abandon
its organization under the provisions
of law providing a commission form
of government, and assume it's former
a1dermanic form of government ?''
| then. if the election results in the af-
| firmatiye, the aldermanic form will
not become effective Until the gem
| eral city election to be neld on June
1, 1920.
| One or more of the city commits
sioners could be recalled under section
IL of the city charter, but this would
merely have the effect of substitut-
| ing another commissioner for the one
recalled, and would leave the city still
operating under the commission form.