12 of 1915 - A resolution entering protest against the passage by the State Legislature of Senate Bills Nos. 60 a REMARKS:
Resolution Ni. 12
By Commissioner Park
Entering protest against
the passage by the State Legis4,
lature of Senate Bills Nos. 601L
and 61, and 41, and House
Bill So. 24.
FiEAO AND ADOPTED
\A of-Jc,
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ROLL CALL
VOTING Yes� No 1 Salt Lake City,Utan,....Mar.oh--4, 195
irrnan •
I move that resolution No 12 .,..b r......_..Park . _:._
le — he adopted. 4.1W64
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RESOLUTION .
WHEREAS, It has come to the knowledge of the Board of Commis-
sioners of Salt Lake City thEt there is pendin; bofore the
Legislature now in session one bill, Senate Bill No. 61, creating
a firemens' pension fund for cities of the first and second class,
and one bill, Senate Bill No. 60, creating a police pension Tiuzd
for cities of the first acid second class, both of which bills pro-
vide for the levy of F. tax of not less than one-twentieth, and not
more than one-tenth of a mill upon the assessed valuation of the
property in the cities; also Senate Bill No. 41, the same being an
act to place police and fire departments under a civil service
commission; also House Bill No. 24, increasing the tax to be
levied for public libraries; and
WHEREAS, If said bills are passed and become laws, it will
entail upon the city the levy of a much larger tax than has been
levied heretofore; and
WHEREAS, The Board of Commissioners of this city have in the
past levied a tax not exceeding thirteen mills for all municipal
purposes, which amount of tax seems to be the limit warranted by
the concensus of opinion by the people of this city; and
WHEREAS. The Prohibition Bill having passed both Houses of the
Legislature, and which if approved by the Governor, and shall
become a law, will deprive the city of about yp250,000.00 annual
revenue, which money has been used mostly for making public
improvements, and if public improvements are to be continued, the
amount of revenue lost by the prohibition bill will have to be
made up by increased taxation; and
WHEREAS, In the opinion of the Board of Commissioners it is
not neoessar3; or proper under the present condition of finances in
this country and the burden of taxation now being borne by the
people, to either increase the amount of tax for public library
purposes, or levy a tax to maintain a policemens' or firemens'
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pension fund, or to provide for carrying out the act in relation to
civil service for firemen and policemen; and
Vd{EREAS, By the laws of this State, this city has the right to
levy a tax of two-thirds of one mill on the dollar for library
purposes, and must levy a tax of one-third of one mill on the
dollar for such purposes, which latter amount has been levied for
those purposes, and which amount, in the opinion of the Board of
Commissioners, is a sufficient sum to levy for such library
purposes; and
WHEREAS, In the opinion of the Board of Commissioners it is
unnecessary, and will be contrary to good a•overnment to place the
i'olice and Fire Departments of this city under a civil service
commission, as provided in Senate Bill iTo. 41, for thc, reason that
it is absolutely necessary in the case of these two departments
that the Board of Commissioners shall have the right to appoint
and remove for cause, or for the good of the service, a fireman or
a policeman. Under the bill mentioned the Board of Commissioners
will be unable to select the men they desire for positions in
these departments, and will be unable to dispense with their
services, except after the matters are passed upon by a board of
civil service commissioners, and before such board of civil service
commissioners can hear the evidence and act upon the removal of a
policeman or a firemen, the discipline of the whole department may
be disorganized by the person desired to be removed, and in case
of dissatisfaction by a number of policemen or firemen leading to
their resignation, either department may be crippled in its
efficiency before competent men can be secured, or men made com-
petent. Furthermore, having these departments under a commission
has been tried in this city in the past, and found to be a ailure,
and the laws was repealed in 1898. It seems to us that the legis-
lature which created the commission form of government, and placed
the power of appointment and removal of policemen and firemen in
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the Board of Commis. ioner.s, in vies; of the experience had with the
commission above stated, were riht in placing the ;ones of
appointment and removal where it did. hurther, if said bills are
passed and approved, the Chief of fotice en_d Chief of the hire
Department cannot be held responsible for the members of their
departments, or the conduct of their departments. Neither eon the
Board of Conm ssioners of this City or Ogden be held responsible
for the proper management of these departments if the management of
them is practically taken from them; and
';:IIEREAS, In regard to the levy of the tax to maintain a fire-
meno' and poli_cement' pension fund, in the opinion of this Board
the people of this city, taking into account the general taxes and
taxes for special improvements, license and occupation taxes, etc. ,
are burdened with all the taxes that should be imposed upon them:
NOW HER:L 'ORE, 3E IT _tESOLVTh , That the Board of Commissioners
of Salt Luke City respectfully protest against the passage or
approval of Senate Dill No. 60, erecting a police remsiEn fund for
cities of th.e first and second class, or Senate Bill No. 61, creat-
ing a firemens' pension fund for cities of the first and second
class, and Senate Dill Ito. 41, to place the police and fire
departments under civil service commission, and House Bill No. 24,
requiring cities of the first class to levy an additional tax for
the support and maintenance of public libraries.
DE IT lUNT-. E :;LSODVED, That a copy of this resolution be
presented to each member of the Senate and House of .ttenresentutives
of the Legislature now in session, and also to the Govornor of this
State.
Bossed by the Board of Commissione ' Solt LLkeeCity iarch , 1915.
Ha o r .
City Recorder.
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