The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1926-07-01

calIeQ upon TO consider several amend
ments to the City Charter at a spec
ial election set for Tuesday, July 6.
Just prior to the last city election
petition was submitted to the re-
Gently appointed Charter Commits
sion proposing change in the meth
cd of naming the members of the
Water, Light and Power Commission
of the City.
The old Charter Commission had
passed out of existence and Judges
of the District Court Roeser, Nye and
Parsons named the following free
holders of the city as members of a
new commission: John N. McGibbon,
G. Hillerud, F. S. Fischer, V. G..
Wedge, l.. l.. Kells, c.. D. Marshall,
Esther L. Sprague, Geo. R. Borg
mann, A. G. Salmond, BENZ. F. Du-
Bots, J. F. Cooper, P. Bertrum Han
son, Emma Moynihan, C. S. Bjone,
Asa M. Wallace.
The commission organized by elect
ing j. N. McGibbon president, Gun
Their Hillerud vice president, and Mrs.
Emma F. Moynihan secretary.
The change petitioned for called
for the election of the commission by
a direct vote of the people. Under
the present Charter the commission
of three members are appointed by
the judges of the District Court for
three year terms, one each year. The
senior member of the commission au-
tomatically becomes chairman of the
board.
A special committee of the men,
bers of the commission were appoint
ed to put the amendment in proper
form to be submitted to the voters
Under the law all vital parts of an
amendment petitioned for must re-
main in the amendment submitted to
the people at a general or special
election.
The following is the amendment to
Sec. "a of the Charter petitioned for
by the 1928 freeholders:
Section "a. Election Of Com.
such commission shall be elect
ed by a majority vote of the vot-
ers of the city. At the general
election of said city in 1928 there -
such commission to take the
place of the present member
whose term of office first ex-
p1res and at the 1929 general
so elected to take the AGA of
the member of said commission
whose term of office next ex-
pires and at the 1880 general city
election the last of the present
members shall be so replaced
through such an election. One
member of said commission shall
be elected at each general cleo
ton thereafter. The term of Of
fee of each member of said COM
mission shall be for three years
or until his successor is elected
and qualities. Notwithstanding
anything to the contrary. in this
charter, all vacancies in said
/ commission shall be filled by ap-
pointment by the Mayor of said
city by and with the consent OF
the City Council: to Al the I'M
Gated. Each commissioner shall
take the oath prescribed by law
before assuming the duties of
his office.
The Charter Commission drafting
the present Charter created the Wa
ter, Light and Power Commission was
created by the City Charter adopted
by the people in 1918. In providing
for the appointment of the members
of the commission by the judges of
the District Court the idea was to re-
move this important body as far from
municipal politics as possible.
The proposed amendment provides
for the election Of the members OF
the commission by majority vote
Of the voters of the city" There are
approximately 1000 voters in Sank
Centre, which would require that q
candidate to be elected must receive
over 600 votes. Under ordinary cir
cumstances scarcely 600 votes are
polled at a city election. The COM
mission recognized this defect in the
language of the amendment but they
were powerless to change it under the
law as it was one of the specific state
ments in the petition.
There are many citizens who are
opposed to citizens outside of Saul
Centre naming the commission, but
feel that better men can be secured
for this important branch of the
City government if they are appoint
ed by the City Council, and the Com
mission originated another amend
ment to Sec. "a which provides for
the Council to appoint. The pro-
posed amendment follows:
Section. a. The commission