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Mayor Manly's Opinion Of City Affairs

Mayor Manly's Opinion Of City Affairs image
Parent Issue
Day
18
Month
February
Year
1891
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

Mu. Editor : - Will you please give the following communication place in the columns of your valuable paper. For many years past the affairs of the city of Ann Arbor was carried on under the direct management of the Council, all improvements were under the management of the alderman of the ward in which the city work was to be done. Under this systein very little prominent mprovements were made, large amounts of inoney were expended on our streets each year, with very little to show for it. The Mayor, Mr. Beakes, and the council of two years ago believed that the city had reached that time in its its life when the charter proved inadequate to meet the requirement and demands of the new enterprises that wereday by day being added to our city. Electrie lights and vater-works had come into use to stay. Provisión must be made to meet these extra expenses. Before a sufficientamountof funds could be raised to meet the demand for more money, caused by these new and valuable improvemente, amendments to the charter must be made. Through the labor of these gentlemen the present charter was drafted and by the grace of the legislatura is now the charter of this city. JIow wi.se and judicial were the acts of these men remains yet to be seen. There is one thing eertain ; while there were uo Tüden's, Blaines, Thurraan's Chases or Cleveland's on the council, there were sufficient brains to give to use a charter, vastly superior to the old one, which has been clearly demonstrated in the first two vears of its existence under the management of the board of public works. There has been more permanent improvements added to our city in the last two years thau under the old charter in 20 years. I believe the frauie-work of the charter is good with a few amendments, the best that could be drafted. It ought to be so ainended that the mayor sliould have a voice in the council without the right to vote. He sliould also have police jurisdicción before whom could be tried the offenders, against any provisión of the charter. A provisión should be added whereby suitable salaries could be paid to aíl its offieers for any and all labors actually rendered by them. Why should the city offieers give their time to the city of Ann Arbor free any more than to a private individual ? It is said by your correspondent "are there not enough men, and good men, seeking all those offices now without any salary attached?" I say no. Ido not believe that any one of the present executive offieers of this city wanted or asked a single delégate to vote for him or them at the city convention. When once nominated they dislike very uiuch to be defeated, therefore worked all day for their election, and each morning for the balance of the year called themselves long-eared quadrupeds for accepting the nomination. As far back as I can remember, both of the great parties have been obliged to force the nomination of mayor and alderman upon some unlucky Citizen. At every charter election there are. ten candidates or more for every position. These are not the men the parties want, and if nominated would be rejected at the polls. I believe it would be beneiiiial to the city to pay a reasonable compenaation to its Officers. I know that bctter tulent can and would be called to the executive chair and council chambers if uitable salarios worp paid, and the city tho gainer thereby. The mayor sliould receive five hundred dollars, the president and aldermen each one hundred dollars, with a fine of five dollars for every night absent, froin which there should be no excuse. I hope the Council will prepare the necessary amendments to the charter, including among them suitable salaries, to be paid the incoming officers. This is a question that we are all interested in, the small as well ïis the large tax-payers, and, by the way, Mr. Editor, would it not be well to remember, when speaking of the tax-payer, that the word taxes implies a hardship and upon whom does it fall the heaviest, upoa the man who pays his ten dollar tax, being l) per cent. on the full value of his worldly goods, or the man who pays his $100.00 tax, being one tenth of one percent, of his worth. Would it not be well the next time it becomes necessary to publish a list to show who are the largest tax-payers, that you also publish the real value of thei'r taxable property that we may when considering these questions know upon which of these parties is the greatest hardship imposed. The article published in your last issue signed D. W. G., can have but little weight with a thinking people. It smacks too strong of personal feeling against the Council. We are aware of ïhe fact that there are no Websters, 3'Connors, Gladstones, Demosthenes or D. W. G.'s connected with our city governrnent the salaries will not demand such men. And vet, notwithstanding .he difficulty under which we labor on ■hat account we are doing all we can in the interest of the city in the discharge of our duties as officers, we are to quite an extent sacrificing our business. We ask no pay for ourselves, but ask and do recommend a fair compensation for the ervices of those who shall relieve us.

Article

Subjects
Old News
Ann Arbor Courier