The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1922-04-13
BOARD IN FAVOR
OF COMMISSION
MANAGER GOVT
Decision Reached At
Wednesday Mig h is
Conference To Make
This Type the Basis for
the Drafting of a New
City Charter

Nv unanimous vote, the nine men,
hers of the charter board of the city
of Lakeland went on record at the
Wednesday night meeting in favor
of using the ommission-manager form
of civic government as the basis on
which to build a new charter for the
CITY. This acceptance is in principle
only; the object of reaching this de-
cision developed through discussion
of the present charter and its short
comings and the charter board quick
" came to the conclusion that it would
be next to impossible to patch up the
old charter and make it conform to
the needs of Lakeland. With this
basis established. the board will not
proceed to consider and discuss some
form of charter which will provide
for the operation of the city by COM
mission of three or five members and
city manager
After the opening formalities the
following communication from Mayor
unhert G.. Petteway was read. re-
ceived with a vote of appreciation
and filed for future reference:
Lakeland. Fla. April II, 1922.
To the Charter Board OF the CITY OF
/ Lakeland, Lakeland, Florida:
| Gentlemen-You are now organized
for the purpose of drafting and SUBJ
hitting to the people for adoption
new charter or amendments to the
old charter and the nature of the
amendments or the nature OF the new
charter and its contents are. of course,
left entirely with the board. I have,
however, been in position for some
| time now to study the conditions OF
the CITY and to find some of the ham
dicaps bv way of charter provisions
which undoubtedly tend to seriously
hinder efficient operation of the city's
affairs.
Without making any reference there
fore to whether or not we should have
any changes in the form of city gov
ernment or. if so, what that change
should be. am simply going to offer
few detailed suggestions relative to
the few items which I would be glad
to have you especially consider be-
cause they are especially necessary.
1. I should so change the charter as
to let the budget and tax levy be at
tended to on the first of the year. In
| this way. the incoming board of COM
missioners will have the power to
fix their own assessment and budget
besides the other benefits to be de-
rived from this change.
: 9 would also recommend that the
/ section allowing jury trials in the
municipal court be abolished for the
reason that II is a process foreign
to municipal courts in general and is
cumbersome and undoubtedly is him
! drance to the efficient operating of the
municipal court. Besides it necessi-
I tates the expense of furnishing pros
ecuting attorney.
g I would recommend that section
Al of the old charter adopted in 1919
relative to the foreclosure of taxes
he amended so that redemption period
shall he six months from the date OF
sale instead of three years. Even six
months time makes tax collections a
little more difficult but it would give
considerable time and opportunity for
party to redeem his property and
the city could upon making the sale
/ dispose of the property subject to said
six months redemption or put the
property up as collateral and borrow
the money for six months so that its
operation would not be hindered by
waiting for the period of redemption
to mass.
5. I should also amend the penalty
clause of the tax collection provision
so that Immediately upon closing the
tax books the tax list of the delin-
nuents should be published and that
the costs of such publication should
be taxed as a penalty and he part of
the lien on the property together with
say $1,000 for each parcel for cost Of
preparing list.
6. With reference to the authority
of the city to borrow money. | should
add a clause to section 50 of the 1919
charter so that said section would
authorize the city to borrow money
with which to pay debts and should
change the city rate therein specified
from six per cent to eight per cent. I
make this suggestion for the reason
that you could not borrow money
from the banks at six per cent and
for the further reason that It is often
necessary 70 borrow funds temporar-
lily and under section SO you can only
borrow money for certain purposes
therein specified of which, payment
of debts. for some reason. Is not only
included the lack of this clause In
said section came very near causing
us to have to shut down the Light
and Water Plant because the banks
did not feel they could lend money
under same.
7. should further recommend that
section so and other sections relative
to public improvements be amended
so that the property owners on either
side shall pay onehalf Of the assesss
ments for the Improvement Instead
Of one-third. which leaves the city 20
pay one.third. This Is one Of the re1s.
ons for the present city indebtedness
might add that we have had p6<is
tions for the pavement Of many IA
the streets and the parties living 81
the streets have expressed their VIII
ineness to nay, the whole 0f TIE ob4l.
Ione'half 70 be dsaessk@ q M nft