1945-04-09 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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~ ~ ~i The Mayor declared J.N. Johnson, T. F. Smith and Jesse J. Roark eleoted t• serve as Aldermen for the City •f ~. I~;' ~ Porte far two years. The aew11 eleoted •ffieers were sworn in axd administered the vatli •f •ffice by Mayor Ruff. Motion by Burgin, second by Benson, that the meeting ad~oura. Carried. The new City Council was called t• •rder by Mayor Ruff with the following Aldermen and City Officials present: Ald. J. N, Johnson, P. L, Benson, J. J. Roark, T. F. Smithi Geo. F. Norris, City Atty. Kiibler, City Secretary Sharp. Mayor Ruff addressed the members •f the Council, advocatin a change in the farm •f the governing body •f the City •f Porte. The following is a copy •f the address made by the Mayor: Ror the past several years I, as well as ether membbrs •f the City Goverxmeat and ether citizens, have advoeated a ohange is the form •f the governing body •f the City •f La Porte. I personally favor a farm •f government whereby the aembers oP the City Council •r geveraiag body will be reduced to three members and whereby one individual will be employed om a full ~~' time basis for a reasonable aompensatioa, t• attend t• the ie- '~!"~ tailed affairs •f the City, with the governing body noting as an advisory board, with power amd authority t• employ or appoint all other City •ffioials and employees. Our present farm •f government, with a Council composed •f sin men who are engaged in earning their living elsewhere and who serge without due compensation axd at an expense out of thedr own packets, has, in ~sy opinion, proved unsatisfactory. As I understand the laws applicable to towns •f the sizo and popu- lation •f La Porte, the most feasible form, without necessity •f an enactment by the Legislature of the State, would be a commission Porn •f government. Our govermment can be s• changed by an election •f the people after proper petition and other procedure. The governing body would consist •f a Mayor and two C~mmissioaers, who would have the power and duty t• appoint and employ a City Clerk, with all the duties of City Secretary, City Treasurer, Assessor and Collector, to appoint all ether •ffioials and employees •f the City. The Commission would fin the compensation •f all •f such •fficiale and em- ployees~and would h,we p~rwer to disohar~e say axd employ ethers. The compensation •f the Mayor sad Commissioners would be Pined by the City Csamissioa themselves. 'Tho Nayorts ecs+~ssation is a town the size •f La Porte could be as high as X1,200.00 per year sad the salaries •f the Coms-issioaers vould be as high as ~6EiO.t~0 pa~sh per year. At the election which ohaxges the form •f government would be eleoted tyro Commissioners, who would serve until the first Tuesday •f the following April sad thereafter be eleoted every two years for a term •f two years. The present Mayor would hold over and serve out his unexpired term and thereafter be eleoted for a