Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 19, Number 49, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 February 1898 — The City Question in Monticello. [ARTICLE]

The City Question in Monticello.

Monticello has again counted its numbers and found that it has 2,100 people, or enough to incorporate as a city. Well, Rensselaer is a city, and if Monticello wants an example they can find it here. Simply liaviqg the legal title of city instead of town, gratifies local pride to some extent, but is of no solid advantage. A city however,bds powers which a town board has not, and iivsomo cases this is a great advantage. In Rensselaer, for instance, it is very doubtful if the town could have secured combined municipal waterworks and electric lights, for many years, while with a city government, it has been very promptly done. A city can, also, rush through sewer, sidewalk and street improvements, which a town government could not touch. But a city government is much more costly than a town, and as Monticello has good waterworks and good sidewalks, it looks at this distance as though they had better let well enough alone, and let city government wait until their need for it is greater.