Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 20, Number 34, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 December 1898 — Councils For Counties. [ARTICLE]

Councils For Counties.

Main Feature of Bill Prepared by Reform Committee. £ Advisory Board of Five for Each Township—Further Revisions To-Day. Indianapolis Journal: t The executive committee on county and township reform last evening listened to the report on the bill for county government, as submitted by J. E. McCullough, chairman of the subcommittee on that subject. The bill provides for the organization of a county council, to be known by the name of the county in which organized. One member is to be elected from each township, and the number elected at large is determined by population, or three in counties of 20,000 or less, six in counties of from 20,000 to 50,000 and nine in counties of more than 50,000. The salaries are, where there are three, $lO per annum each; where six, sls per annum each; where nine, S2O per annum each. A man holding another office is ineligible to the office of councilman. The terms shall begin in November, 1900, and the term of office shall be four years. The seventh section provides the qualifications for the office and that the proper oaths shall be taken on assuming the duties. Section 8 provides that the council shall meet in September of each year, and shall receive at that time the estimates of the expenditures for the year and shall fix the tax rate. It further provides for the organization of the council. The council shall also make the appropriations for the year, and shall give notice of the estimates furnished by posting and publication. Continued sessions shall be held, if necessary, and the auditor shall be the clerk. The bill also provides that the county sheriff must attend the sessions. In the September meeting a majority vote shall be required to make the appropriations, but in all other meetings a two-thirds vote will be required to make appropriations. The council has the right to expel members and to adopt rules for its own governing, and no member of the council can be interested in any contract with the county. The penalty provided for a violation of this section is SI,OOO fine or imprisonment for six months or both. Nor is any member of the council permitted to purchase any claim against the county. The rate of taxation shall be fixed only by the council, and the estimates for all expenditures shall be required to be filed with the auditor on a date yet to be determined. The estimates are to be submitted in accordance with .Section 18 of the bill, which specifies all things to be covered by the expenditures, and which requires that all things desired shall be explicitly specified and itemized. The auditor is required to fix the tax rate, subject to the approval of the board, and this must be posted and due notice given. The law governing townships was based on the same principle and was submitted by Mr. A. C. Harris. It provides for an advisory body of five, and the term is four years. In other features the principle governing the county board is embodied. Both bills provided that no member of either council should serve over four out of any eight years, but this was stricken out unanimously. So far as the other features are concerned, the discussion of them was informal, and for almpst every feature of the bills submitted a number of changes were suggested. These were not made as motions, but memorandums were made of them, and both bills were referred back to the committees to embody the

Suggestions they deemed most fitting. The bills as finally adopted will probably differ from those submitted last evening. The matter of public libraries for townships received a prolonged consideration, but it appeared to be deeided that if such institutions were maintained it should be by private subscription and not by townships. No formal action was taken on it, but the members seemed to think it should not be embodied injthe bill. What the final result will be will rest with the committee to which was referred back the bill.