Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 37, Number 4, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 January 1905 — CITIES ALL SHOOK UP [ARTICLE]

CITIES ALL SHOOK UP

By the New Bill for the Codification of City and Town Government Laws The,bid prepared by the com miltee on oedifioaiion of the law for oity and town governments in this state has been introduced and will doubtless be adopted. The Dill makes some pretty radios! changes in these govern incut*. Cities are divided into five olasses the one which will inolude Rensse. laer being the Fifth class, and in eluded all cities of less than 10,000 population. Under its provisions all oity officers will be elected new, next November, ani evary four years thereafter, their terms beginning the following January, and lasting four years, and no two terms in succession.

The city offic.-rs are about the same as now, except that in oities like Renesalaer wh’ch are oounty seats, the oity treasurer is abolished and the oounty trersmer handles the oity’s funds. Counoilmen are to be one from each ward, and a varying number for the oity at large; iu Rensselaer it wculd be two. Every oity is to have a health board, of three members, and the head of whioh is to be the oity sanitarian. Every oity is also to have a ‘p«.lioe matron,” and a “humane officer.” Mayors and town clerks are no longer to be magistrates; that business in small plaoes going to the justices of the peace, and in large plaoes to a oity judge. A<l oities have power to elevate or deprtss railroad truoka and to bay water aud light works. Aiou the right to exolude saloons residence distriots. pruvoAseessmeuts for street im ouy meats etc , and not based stri uo on frontage, bnt comparative be fits mpy alto be considered.