Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-03-17
Amendment Made in Senate
RatlfieS Present instrument,
Declares Supporters of Com
mission Form.

/
buquerque safe for the commission
manager government. At least that
! is the opinion of staunch supporters
of that form who pointed to an
amendment, added to the bill in the
| senate as the cause of their conf
| dence
| The amendment, they said, insures
| against the return of the council
manic regime even If the charter in
cluded in the act is rejected, explain
ing that they had legal opinion that
! 1t would legalize the present charter
in the event that the new one failed
of adoption. 1t gave the legislature $
ratification to the old charter, which
| the supreme court intimated to be
invalid they said.
The anendment reads:
But If said qualified voters shall
| not so elect to be governed accord
| ing to the terms of this act then said
| cities shall continue to exist and be
| governed under the form of govern
ment actually existing at the date of
| this act"
II was believed that this would re-
move one of the chief weapons of
the pro-aldermanic facton--if there
Is any since the passage of the act
| and would prevent their starting
| fight in court, based on the supreme
courts inference, to Gust the commits
sion in the event that ii tried to re-
| tain office If the new charter Is de-
feated.
The time for the test of the new
charter will be set by the commits
sioners, If Governor Larrazolo APP
proves the act. 1t was said that the
governor is favorable to the commits
sion plan and probably would sign it,
The act has nothing to say about the
time for the holding of the election
except that it requires the commas
sioners to give not less than two
weeks notice of the date. The prob
ability is that they will set an early
date, so as to complete the reorgani-
zatipn of the administration as quick
~ as they can. The emergency
clause was attached
/. the new charter is adopted, an
othe election then will be called for
the election of two commissioners,
since the act provides for a commits
sion Of five members instead of three
the number fixed in the old charter.
This election must be held within
ninety days after the adoption.
The two commissioners elected at
that time will hold office "until a
date which shall be fixed in the fifth
year thereafter by the governing
body" This means that they will
serve until 1924, two years after the
retirement of the three commission
ers, now in office, have retired. 1t
was intended to provide by this sec
ton for overlapping terms, so that
there would ,be on the commission at
all times men experienced in the con-
duct of city affairs
Under the new charter the three
present commissioners will remain
and will not be subject to election
again until the four-year terms for
which they were elected, have eX-
plred.
The reorganization of the commits
sion will be simple. All that is re-
CURED Is the selection of q mayor
from the commissioners who will act
for two years. He will have all the
powers and duties of the office of
commissioner including the right to
cast vote upon all questions consd-
cred by the commission. He shall be
recognized as the official head of the
city for all ceremonial purposes, by
courts for the purpose of civil process,
and by the governor for military pur-
poses
There shall be employed by the
commission chief administrative
officer to be known as the city man
ager, He shall be employed for an
indefinite term and shall hold office
until a vacancy is created by death,
resignation or removal by the govern
ing body of the city. The manager
shall be chosen solely upon the basis
of administrative qualifications. The
choice shall not be limited by reason
of former residence. The manager
shall receive an adequate salary to be
fixed by the commission.
1.-THE manager shall he responsible
to the governing body of the city for
the proper administration of all af-
Mrs of the city; all persons en-
gagged in the administrative service of
the city shall be employed and dis
charged by him, and shall be charged
with the enforcement and carrying
out of all ordinances, rules and regu-
lations passed and enacted by the
governing body on all matters con-
corning the welfare of the city, and in
all cases except when clearly undesir-
able or unnecessary 1t shall be the
duty of the governing body to request
the opinion of the manager on any
proposed measure. The manager
shall have a seat at every meeting of
the governing body"
The commissioners will be elected
from the city at large, as they are
under the present charter, but they
are to be nominated from districts.
Five districts will be created by the
commissioners. The drawing of the
boundary lines is left entirely in their
hands, but they must be compact in
area and adjoin each other district
and be nearly of the same territorial
size.
The method of nomination Is the
same as that under the present city
charter. Any voter can become al
candidate by filing statement of his
candidacy with the city clerk, accom-
panied by two affdavts that he is
qualified under the law
The recall, initiative and referen-
dunn are features of the new charter
as they are at present.
The new charter also provides that
all meetings shall be open to the pub
lic unless special consideration of a.
peculiar nature demand that meet
ing be secret, when 1t can be SO de-
clared by majority of the commits
sion"