Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ben Hill County, Ga.) 1921-1964, 1925-07-30
PROTECTING FITZGERALD'S
INTERESTS

PROTECTING FITZGERALD'S
INTERESTS
The bill below is copy of the sub
stitute bill recommended by the SEN
ate committee in lieu of the general
act published in this paper two weeks
ago, which bill was drafted to change
the charters of the towns and cities
Of Georgia, whose citizens had in
corporated provisions against the Sale
of their publicly owned utilities in
Guiding the Water and Light plants
ofseveral communities Through the
energetic efforts and protest of Sem
ator j. B. Clements, by special re-
quests of number Of citizens and
the editor of The Leader, the Senate
committee adopted this substitute
and recommended that it pass in lieu
of the bill previously recommended
by a House committee. In reading
this bill our citizens will see how per-
fect1y it safeguards interests of our
Electric plant and the provision of
our charter, relating thereto.
A BILL
.: To Be Entitled
AN ACT
To provide for the sale, lease
or other disposition of municipal
corporations of the State of
Georgia, of any or all electric,
water, gas or municipality owned
public utility properties. and to
provide the terms, conditions
and safeguards respecting the
disposition of the same, and for
other purposes.
Be 1t Enacted by the General AS
sembly of the State of Georgia, and
It Is Hereby Enacted by Authority of
the Same:
Section 1. That municipalities OF
this State be and they are hereby
empowered and authorized, If they so
desire, to sell, lease. or otherwise dis
nose of any or all electric, water, gas,
or other municipality owned public
utility plants or properties on such
terms and conditions as to the mu-
nicipality seem proper. And SAID mu-
nicipaI corporations are empowered
and authorized to transfer title to
said public utility properties by war
rantv deed. bill of sale, contract or
lease, in the manner provided, how
ever, that nothing in this Act con-
tanned shall be held or construed to
affect the powers of any municipal
corporation in the charter of which
there is now contained any provis-
ion either authorizing the sale, lease
or other disposition of such proper
ties by the municipality, OR PRO-
HIBITINC THE SALE. LEASE, OR
OTHER DISPOSITION OF SUCH
PROPERTIES BY THE MUNICH
PALITY so LONG AS SUCH PRO-
VISION REMAINS IN THE CHAR
TER OF SUCH MUNICIPALITY.
Section 2. Notice of intention to
make such sale, lease, or other dis
position of water works, electric, or
gas plant, setting out the price and
other general terms and conditions
of such proposed sale, lease, or dis
position shall be given by publication,
once a week for three consecutive
weeks, in some newspaper published
in said municipality, and if no news
paper is published in said municipal
ty, then in some newspaper publish
ed in the county in which said munic-
ipality is located, and if no such
newspaper, then in some newspaper
having a genaral circulation in such
municipality and after ten days
from last publication such notice, the
plant may be disposed of, unless,
! within ten days after the last publ
catin fsuch notice, petition tigned
by not less than twenty per cent
go per cent? of the qualified voters
of such municipality be filed, object
ing to and protesting against such
sale, lease, or disposition. If such
petition, so signed, is filed the sale
shall not be made unless submitted
| to a special election ordered for the
purpose of determining whether a
majority of those voting in such cleo
ton shall vote for or against such
sale, lease, or other disposition; such
election shall be ordered by said mu-
nicipality, to be held not less than
fifty days after the date Of the filing
of said objecting petition with the
municipality. Such. election shall be
held in accordance with and IN all re-
spects be governed by the Acts of
the General Assembly in regard to
elections to determine whether mu-
inequalities shall issue bonds or not
The notice of such election shall state
its purpose.
Section g. The ballots provided
shall have plainly written or printed
thereon on the words "Shall the wat
err works, electric, or gas Gas the case
may be) plant, be sold, leased, or dis
posed of Gas the case may beg" and
below said words shall be suitably