Press enter after choosing selection

The Proposed Charter Amendments

The Proposed Charter Amendments image
Parent Issue
Day
20
Month
January
Year
1871
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

■Ve learn on inquii-y, that Ihe Council propose fonr ameiidments to the city charter, BomethtDg as follows : lst. To give th Council power to ap point the Marshal anil remove hlm at pleasurs. It la nrged, and not without a show of reasou, tliat an elected Marshal, owinj? to his office, ld part at least, to thoje who have a poor opinión of the law and its peualtles, is notthe Independent and eflfectlve pólice oilicer that our city requlres; 8d. To proviile for one Street CommisBloner insteart of Ihree, the Council belng saUsfled that the Ifttter uuiober glvea too imich of a gooil thlDg. Tliis is a move in the riyhl tli'rection. With tliree ('ommis.sioners there can be no establlshed, uniform System, and beeldes It is an extravagance not to be aftbnled. Wc s:iy one (Jonimisslooer, duel hc not au Alrlermati. 3il. To increase the Balary of the Kccorder ftotn $100 to ?ü00. This lacrease is not unreaoaable, anl any man who Intelligently and "ai tlifull discharges the dot lea of that office, wlll aam the last cent of the proposed ïnm. Aoother amendmeat we venture to laggest in counecLion with ihis officor. lie Bhoald nvi be a member of the Cominon CODDotl. It U contrary to all precedent for the Clerk of a legislativo body to be a member of the same, and we do not think our example is followed by anotlur city in the State. Keither sliouid the Recorder be actlng Mayor In case of the absence ol that oflicer from the city Tiie Council should be requlred to elect a President we tem. wlio shoald preside at its meetings in the absence of tlie Mayor, anl also be ex offieio Mayor in the same emorgenclea whlcb now tlirovv that duty and dignity upou the Kccorder. 4th. To increase the amount which the Council may raise of its own motlon, 'it.liout vote of the elcctors, on account of the general fuiid, from $3,000 to$6,00Ü. It may I)l' that tliis increase, Itirijc ns it seems, s alsolutely nccessary, mul that some considerable increase is iieeded, we have no doubt. Shoulcl not tiie increase be cuuplcd wiih a limitatiou of the tax-payors' meetings and their powers, and also with a provis ion that if the Council over-rnn its appro prlatlona, the members shall be individually nsponslble for the exce8? Ii tbis is not thoogbt feaalble, some metbod shouid be contrived by future Councils to keep their expendlturea irltbln their meaus. If the charter allows au Insufficient sum, that i's nol the fault of the Council, but the duty of the Council shouid be, in bomely phrase, to "cut its garmeut accordlng to the cloth," and permit no exceases. These are all the amendments, as we understand, tliat the Oonnctl, as a body. h;is declarcd In favor of. We have twoor tliree of equal importaiice to suggest on our own houk. We WOOld do awav with three Collectors and make one eleelive City Treusurer. The Treasurer shouid be allowed a reasonablc salary.say oot exceedlng 200 for keeping the city accounts upon souie chissiiieil mul Intelligent system, and paying the war rants dravvn upon Iiiin. He shoukl nlso collect all the taxes BOW callected by the Collectors, for wliich service he shoukl receive tip to the lirst day of Janiuiry not to exceed one-half of one per cent., with the same per cent. thereafter as the charter now permits. Tliis change wonld be both a great convenience and a considerable saving to the tax-payers. As the Common Council is authori.ed to draw orders on the treiisury in advance of the collcction of fumls to meet tliem, the Treasurer shoald be reqalred to rccelre all such orders - at least to t!ie nmount of the city taxes - for laxes, at par. It is an outrage to give laboren orders payable six, nloe or twelve montlis trom date, and tlien pennit the Treasarer or Collector to sitare them wüen oflered In payment of taxes. The charter should also require of the Coancilanotherthtng, - it now bas the pow er but lacks tlie dlspoaltion or vim, - and that Is : before any more moiieys are thrown a-.vay 011 or streets, a gradfi should be made and est&bllsbed, with water covirses and ditches nrirked, aml n plan thereof deposited in the Recorctcr's office, and tliere after the Street CommlsslODer, whether lie uorks ten er Un lunulred rods of street, Bhould follow such plan, and have clone with this cverlasting un-doing one year what was done badly or " not accordlog to niv notions" the year before. A snrvcv wou'.d oí course cost somelliing, but the cost would bedoubly saved every year. We had lotended to suggest soine other iimcndments, but, perhaps, these will suffice for this time.

Article

Subjects
Old News
Michigan Argus