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"THE voice OF THE SOUTHWEST MISSISSIPPI GULF COAST
Bay St. Louis - Wove/and - Diamondhead - Pass Christian
VOL. 85 NO. 102 THE SEA COAST ECHO BAY ST.; LOUIS, MISSISSIPPI, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 23, 1976 SINGLE COPY 1
Group asks
A new form of government for
Bay St. Louis?
A group of local citizens is currently circulating a petition calling for a change in the form of government in Bay St. Louis. The petition requests an election to decide whether to adopt a mayor-council government having a mayor, four aldermen elected by ward, and one elected at large.
A spokesman for the group of citizens offered the following comments on the advantages for the proposed new form of government.
Under the proposed form of government, the mayor is responsible for the administration of the city. He appoints department heads and members of any commissions - subject to the approval of the council. He may remove department heads at will. He may attend council meetings and take part in discussion, but has no vote. The mayor would, however, have veto power. A veto could be overturned by two-thirds of the council.
The council would hold the legislative
power of the city, setting policy, approving the budget, approving appointments made by the mayor, and passing ordinances. The day-to-day administration of the city is left to the mayor. Members of the council would serve on a part-time basis, and would be required to hold regular meetings at least twice monthly; special meetings could be called when necessary.
By law, the council would be required to conduct a complete audit of the city every year, and would have to make the results of this audit available to the public free of charge.
Under the mayor-council plan, the mayor is assigned the duties that are presently split up among two commissioners and the mayor. To free him from too many details the council could give the mayor an administrative officer who would be appointed by the mayor and approved by the council.
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; present government annot accept another
re concerned about the ernment. It is difficult lat it would cost at this salaries are to be le council. But some arisons are possible, budget shows that for D will be spent for yor’s office and the commissioners. This oth salaries and exgovernment, council d $200 per month (as nd the mayor were
given a salary of perhaps $12,000 year, total salaries for six city officii would come to $24,000. This would lea $23,000 for clerical, secretarial a office expenses - and the city would si be ahead on administrative cos Considering that the more efficie administration possible under t! mayor-council plan could save mom throughout the operation of the city, tl change makes a lot of sen; economically.
But economics isn’t the importai point. What is important is how tt people of Bay St. Louis want to gover themselves. The efforts currentl underway will give the voters of thi city a choice.
municipal government, and will have ,the power by ordinance, to revise,