Show COUNTY government THE NEW BILL PRO and the duties of the various county officers AN ACT to establish a uniform system of county government COUNTIES AS ITOW ORGANIZED OH MAY BE CREATED ARE BODIES POLITIC SEC 1 be it enacted by the governor and legislative assembly of the territory that tho several counties of this territory as they now exist and such other counties as may be hereafter organized according to law are bodies corporate and politic and as such have the powers specified in this act and such other powers as are necessarily implied HOW EXERCISED SEC 2 tho powers of a county can only be exercised exorcised by tho county court or by agents and officers acting under its authority or authority of law yaye SEC 3 the name of a county designated signa ted in the law creating it is its corporate name and it must bo designated thereby in all actions and proceedings ce touching its corporate rights property and duties POWERS SEC 4 it has power 1 to sue and bo sued 2 to purchase and hold land within its limits necessary and proper for county purposes 3 to make such contracts and purchase and hold such personal property as ma necessary to the ox arcise of powers 1 I I 1 image and dispose of its proper as the interests of its inhabitants may require 5 to levy and collect such taxes for purposes under its exclusive jurisdiction as are authorized by law restrictions SEC 5 no county shall in any manner give or loan its credit to or in aid of any person or corporation no county shall incur any indebtedness or liability in any manner or for any purpose to an amount exceeding in any year the total amount of its income and for tho two fiscal years immediately preceding the in burring of such indebtedness any indebtedness or liability incurred contrary to this provision shall be void CERTAIN CONTRACTS VOID SEC G all contracts authorizations allowances payments and liabilities bili ties to pay made or attempted to be made in violation of this act shall be absolutely void and shall never be tho foundation of a claim against such county PENALTY FOR ALLOWING CERTAIN CLAIMS SEC 7 any probate judge or selectman or any other officer who knowingly authorizes or aids to authorize anth orize or audits or allows any claim or demand upon or against the county or any fund thereof in violation of any of the provisions of this act snail be liable in person and upon their several official bonds to any person damaged by such illegal authorization to alie extent of his loss COUNTY SEATS SEC 8 the county seats of the respective spec tive counties of this territory as now fiad by law are here recognized as and declared to be the county scabs scats of the respective counties and may be removed as provided by law ELECTIONS SEC 9 at the general electious elec tiou to be held in the year 1888 and biennially thereafter one selectman shall be elected in each county of the territory whose term of office shall bo two years and until his successor shall be elected or appointed and qualified and at the general election to be held in the year 1889 and biennially thereafter two selectmen shall be elected in each county of this territory choso whoso terms of office shall bo two years and until their successors shall bo elected or appointed and qualified provided that the probate judges and selectmen now holding office in alio several counties in this territory continue in office and exorcise all the powers conferred by this act upon the county courts until the terms of office for which flioy are elected shall expire and their successors shall be elected or appointed and qualified except the selectmen terms of office would expire at the general election in the year 1890 and their terms of office are hereby shortened and shall expire at the general election to be held in the year 1889 COUNTY COURTS SEC 10 each county shall have a county court consisting of the probate judge of such county and three selectmen qualifications SEC 11 each member of the county court must be an elector of the county for which he is elected or appointed and mu shavo been such for at least one year immediately preceding his election VACANCY SOW FILLED 12 whenever a vacancy occurs in tho office of selectman the county court shall fill tho vacancy by appointment tho appointee to hold for the term in case there should not bo a majority of such court remaining in office then tho proper election officers who havo charge of tho conduct and managed ment of county elections in any such county ahall forthwith order a special election to fill vacancies and the parsons so elected shall enter upon ho iho i duties of their office immediately upon their election and qualification ald shall hold office for the un expired term SEC 13 tho probate judge ahall if present preside at all meetings of the county court and in case of his absence or inability to act the members present must select one of their number to preside temporarily any member of the court may administer oaths to any parson when necessary in the performance of their official duties A majority of the members shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business but no act of the court shall be valid or binding unless a majority of the members concur therein OF THE COUNTY COPET SEC 14 the clerk of the county court must 1 all the proceedings of the court 1 2 make full entries of all their resolutions end decisions or questions concerning the raising of money for and the allowance of accounts against iho county 3 record the vote of each member on any question upon which there is a division or at the request of any member present 4 immediately after the adjournment of each meeting of the court prepare and certify duplicate lists of all claims allowed and orders made for the payment of money giving the name of the claimant payee named in the claim or order the amount and date of each claim or order and the date of the allowance thereof which said lists shall be countersigned counter signed by the probate judge and thereafter said clerk shall deliver to and leave with the treasurer one of said lists and retain and file in his office the other list keep an accurate account of all receipts and expenditures of his county also of all debts payable to and by said county at the first session of the court held in each year the clerk shall submit to the said court a statement showing the total amount received from each source of revenue during ohp fiscal year ending on the thirty first day of december last preceding the balance if any in the treasury ac the close of the previous fiscal year the expenditures during the fiscal year just closed specifying separately the total amount paid to each officer and the total amount for each and every disbursement the balance on hand if any together with a statement of all the debts payable to and by said county he shall within thirty days after the auditing of such statement by the court transmit a certified copy thereof t the auditor of public accounts to bo filed by him and furnished the legislative assembly during the first two weeks of the next succeeding session ho shall also file and preserve the reports of the county treasurer of the receipts and disbursements of the county 6 preserve and filo all accounts acted upon by the court 7 preserve and file all petitions and applications and record the action of the court therein 8 authenticate with his signature and seal of the court the proceedings of the court whenever the same shall be ordered published 9 record all orders levying taxes and 10 perform all other duties required by law or any rule or order of the court DUTY OF THE COVET SEC 15 the court must cause to be kepi L A minute book in which must be recorded all orders and decisions made by them and the daily proceedings ce had at all regular and special meetings 2 an allowance book in which must bo recorded all orders for the allowance of money from the county treasury to whom made and on what account dating numbering and indexing the same through each year 3 A road book containing all proceedings ce and adjudications relating to the establishment maintenance change and discontinuance of roads and road districts 4 A warrant book to be kept by the clerk in which must be entered in the order of drawing all warrants drawn on the treasury with their number and reference to the order on tho minute book with the date amount on what account and name of payee REGULAR MEETINGS SEC 16 the county courts must bo held at their respective county seats on the first monday in march june september and december in each year and oftener if they deem it necessary SPECIAL MEETINGS sac 17 if at any time the business of tho county requires a meeting of the court a special meeting may bo ordered by the probate judge or by a majority of the court the order must be signed by the probate court or by the selectmen calling such meeting and must bo entered in the minutes of the court five days notice of such meeting must bo ivan by the clerk to the members not joining in the order the order must specify the business to be transacted at such special meeting and none other than that specified must be transacted at sudi special meeting ALL MEETINGS BE PUBLIC SEC 18 all meetings of the court must bo public and the books record and accounts must be kept at abo office of the clerk open at all times during business hours for public inspection free of charge GENERAL 03 COUST powers SEC 19 the their respective counties havo jurisdiction and power ander suca limitations and i restrictions as are prescribed by law SUPERVISE CONDUCT OF OFFICERS 1 to direct for de 2 to the official conduct of all county officers and officers of all districts and other subdivisions of the county except municipal corporations po rations charged with the assessing collecting safe keeping management or disbursement of the public revenues see that they faithfully perform their duties and when necessary require them to renew their official bonds to make reports and to present their blohs and accounts for inspection DIVIDE COUNTY 3 to divide the counties into school road and other districts re quiren by law change the same and create others as convenience requires ELECTION ETC 4 to establish abolish and change county election precincts but no such precinct shall be established or abolished or tho boundaries of any precinct changed within thirty days prior to any election PUBLIC 5 to lay out maintain control and manage public roads turnpikes ferries and bridges within the county INDIGENT SICE AND 6 to provide for the care and maintenance of the indigent sick or the otherwise dependent poor transients and residents of the county erect officer and maintain hospitals and poor housos in their discretion or otherwise provide for the same and for such purposes annually at the time appointed by law for the levying of taxes for county purposes to levy the necessary property tax provided the county court shall appoint not let to tue lowest bidder some suitable person or persons to take care of and maintain such hospitals and poorhouses poor houses and the court shall also appoint not let to the highest bidder some suitable graduate in medicine to attend such indigent sick or otherwise dependent poor 7 to provide a farm and work shops in connection with the county hospital or poorhouse sufficient to employ the inmates thereof and make rules and regulations for working the same COUNTY OFFICER 8 when there are no necessary county buildings to provide suitable rooms for county purposes AND CONTROL KEAL ESTATE 9 to purchase receive by donation or lease any real or personal pro party necessary for the use of the county and preserve take care of and manage and control the same JAIL AND HOSPITAL 10 to cause to bo erected or rebuilt and furnished a courthouse jail hospital anh such other public buildings as may bo necessary pro aided vided that none of the aforesaid buildings shall be erected or coni strutted ted until plans and specifications shall have been made and adopted by the court all such buildings must bo erected by contract let to the lowest responsible bidder after notice SELL CERTAIN PROPERTY OF THE COUNTY 11 to sell at public auction at the courthouse court honse door actor thirty davs previous notice given either boubli cation in a newspaper published in the county or by posting in five public places in the county and convey to the highest bidder for cash any property belonging to the county no longer required for public use payi ing the proceeds into the county treasury for the use of the county EXAMINE AND AUDIT ACCOUNTS 12 to examine and audit at least once a year the accounts of all officers having the care management collection or disbursement of moneys belonging to the county ed by law or otherwise for its use and benefit SAMS 13 to examine settle and allow all accounts legally chargeable against the county and order warrants to be drawn on the county treasurer LEVY 14 to levy taxes upon the taxable property of their respective counties for all county purposes and also upon the taxable property of any district for the construction and repairs of roads and highways and other district purposes provided that no tax shall levied upon any district jm til the proposition to levy the same has boon submitted to the qualified electors district and received two thirds of all tho legal votes casic upon such proposition maintaining PUBLIC POUNDS 15 to maintain gov em public pounds and appoint a who ahall bo paid out of the fines imposed and collected 0 o the owners of impounded ammala and from no other source EQUALIZE 16 to equalize assessments arith in their county for municipal purposes SUITS k 17 to direct and control the prosecution ana of all suits to which the coun tyis and when necessary to assist the prosecuting altomay of afe ufe county in conducting the same BUILDINGS 18 to insure the county buildings in the name and for the benfit of the county ax OP 19 the county after having advertised ifor bids for tho same fifthe price conn ty supplied job printing books and also theorice the price of all county advertising and the county court of each county shall procure such supplies and advertising ver at a price no greater than is so fixed and shall let the contract to the lowest responsible bidder and all bills thereof shall be certified to the county court ADOPT A SEAL 20 to adopt a seal for their court a description and impression thereof must be filed in the office of the clerk and of the secretary of the territory ENFORCE BULBS 21 to mae and enforce such rules and regulations for tho gorem ment of their body the preservation of order and the transaction of business as may be necessary ANNUAL 22 the court shall cause to be published an annual statement of the financial condition of the county fc howing in detail the receipts and expenditures tures authorized during the preceding year OF WILD ANIMALS ETC 23 to provide for the destruction of wild animals noxious weeds and insects injurious to fruit or fruit trees or vines or vegetables or plant life ESTABLISH FUNDS 24 to establish such county funds as they may deem necessary for the proper transaction of the business bu sineas of the county and to pay the salaries or compensation of public officers which the law contemplates or requires to be paid from the county treasury FILL VACANCIES 25 to fill by appointment all vacancies that may occur in any office filled by the appointment of the county court and elective county district or precinct offices the appointee to hold office for the term TO PROVIDE FOH THE preservation OF PUBLIC HEALTH 26 to adopt such provisions for the preservation of the health of their respective counties or any district therein or portion thereof except municipal corporations as they may doom necessary and to provide for paying the expenses thereof and when the expenses is incurred m a act or portion of a county or the particular benefit thereof the court may fix the |