USA > California > Alameda County > History of Alameda County, California. Volume I > Part 48
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(b) Expenditures for corresponding items for the last two fiscal years.
(c) Detailed objects of expenditures.
(d) Such other information as the Board of Supervisors may require.
Said budget also shall include an estimate of the probable amount required to be levied and raised by taxation.
Sec. 51: The Board of Supervisors upon receipt of the budget from the Auditor, shall proceed to the consideration thereof at public hearings, notice of which shall be given in the manner prescribed by the Board.
Sec. 52: The Board of Supervisors, on the first Tuesday in September of each year, shall finally pass the annual appropriation ordinance, which ordinance shall provide for the entire cost of the County government during the current fiscal year. Said ordinance shall take effect immediately upon its passage.
No salary or compensation of any appointive officer or employee shall be in- creased except by provision made therefor in the annual appropriation ordinance. The Board shall have power to create additional offices or positions to provide for urgent necessities.
Sec. 53: The Board of Supervisors may appropriate a sum each year for urgent necessities. No money shall be paid out of such appropriation unless author- ized by a four-fifths vote of the Board.
Sec. 54: No expenditures shall be made unless a specific appropriation shall
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have been made therefor in the annual appropriation ordinance, except as may be otherwise provided in this Charter.
Sec. 55: At the close of each fiscal year, the unexpended balance of each appropriation against which no salaries, contracts for work or supplies, or other commitments are outstanding, shall revert to the fund from which it has been appro- priated. Any money in the general fund otherwise unappropriated may be appro- priated by the Board of Supervisors at any time by ordinance.
Sec. 56: The Board of Supervisors shall authorize the disbursement of all public moneys except as otherwise specifically provided by law or by this Charter.
Sec. 57: The Board of Supervisors shall cause to be prepared a preliminary budget to cover all expenditures required between the first day of July in each year and the passage of the annual appropriation ordinance. No warrant shall be drawn except upon an unexhausted specific appropriation.
Annual Audit of Accounts
Sec. 58: At the beginning of each fiscal year the Board of Supervisors shall employ, at a stipulated compensation, a certified public accountant or accountants, who shall examine the books, records and reports for the preceding fiscal year, of all County and township officers and employees, and make duplicate reports of his or their findings thereon, one of which shall be filed with the Board of Supervisors and one with the Auditor. Such accountant or accountants shall have unlimited privilege of investigation, and the same powers with regard to compelling the attendance of witnesses, the production of books and papers, and the administering of oaths as are conferred on boards of supervisors. Every County and township officer and employee shall give all required assistance and information to such accountant or accountants, and submit to him or them, for examination, such books and papers of his office as may be requested, and failing to do so may be removed from office.
Appraisal of Property
Sec. 59: Within ninety days after this Charter takes effect, and thereafter at intervals of not more than five years, the Board of Supervisors shall provide for a re-appraisal of all the real property and improvements in the County by a com- petent expert or experts other than the Assessor. Such re-appraisal shall be made as of the first Monday in March of the fiscal year for which the re-appraisal is re- quired, and shall be submitted to the Assessor and the Board of Equalization for their guidance.
Municipal Functions
Sec. 60: The Board of Supervisors and all County officers shall assume and discharge municipal functions of cities and towns within the County whenever requested so to do by such cities or towns, upon such terms as may be agreed upon between the County of Alameda and the city or town requesting the performance of such functions. The compensation to be paid to the County for assuming and performing such municipal functions shall be such sums as may be agreed upon between the municipality and County, but not exceeding the amount now prescribed by general law.
Sec. 61: In every case where the County undertakes the collection of taxes for cities or towns, the tax rate certified by such cities and towns shall be added to the tax rate fixed by the Board of Supervisors in determining the total amount of taxes due on each assessment liable therefor, and it shall not be necessary to enter said city or town tax in a separate column.
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Recall
Sec. 62: Any elective or appointive county or township officer may be recalled by the electors at any time after he has held his office six months. Such recall shall be effected as follows: A petition demanding the election or appointment of a suc- cessor to the person sought to be recalled shall be filed with the County Clerk, which petition shall be signed by qualified electors equal in number to at least fifteen per cent of the entire vote cast within the County for all candidates for the office of Governor of the State at the last preceding election at which a Governor was elected (or at least twenty-five per cent of such vote cast within the district or township for which the officer sought to be recalled was elected or appointed in case of an official not elected by or appointed for the County), and shall contain a statement of the grounds on which the recall is sought. No insufficiency of form or substance in such statement shall affect the validity of the election and proceedings held thereunder.
The signatures to the petition need not all be appended to one paper. Each signer shall add to his signature his occupation and place of residence, giving street and number, or if no street or number exist, then such a designation of his resi- dence as will enable the location to be readily ascertained. To each separate paper of such petition shall be attached an affidavit made by a qualified elector of the County (or particular subdivision of the County as the case may be), stating that the affiant circulated that particular paper and saw written the signatures appended thereto, and that according to the information and belief of the affiant, each of said signatures is genuine and the signature of a qualified elector of the County, or particular subdivision thereof, as the case may be.
Within ten days from the filing of such petition the County Clerk shall, from the records of registration, determine whether or not said petition is signed by the requisite number of qualified electors, and he shall attach to said petition his certi- ficate showing such determination. If such certificate shows the petition to be in- sufficient it may be supplemented within ten days from the date of the certificate by the filing of additional papers, duplicates of the original petition, except as to the names signed. The County Clerk shall within ten days after such additional papers are filed, ascertain from the records of registration and certify whether or liot the names to such petition, including such additional papers, are still insuffi- cient, and if insufficient, no action shall be taken thereon ; but the petition shall remain on file as a public record. The failure to secure sufficient names shall not prejudice the filing later of an entirely new petition to the same effect. If required by the County Clerk, the Board of Supervisors shall authorize him to employ, and shall pro- vide for the compensation of persons necessary in the examination of said petition and supplementing petition, in addition to the persons regularly employed by him in his office. In case the County Clerk is the officer sought to be recalled, the duties in this Section provided to be performed by him, shall be performed by some other per- son designated by said Board of Supervisors for that purpose.
If the petition shall be found to be sufficient, the County Clerk shall submit the same to the Board of Supervisors without delay. whereupon the Board shall forthwith cause a special election to be held not less than thirty-five nor more than forty days after the date of the order calling such an election, to determine whether such officer shall be recalled ; provided, that if an election is to occur in the same territory within not less than thirty-five days or more than sixty days from the date of the order calling such recall election, the Board may in its discretion, postpone the holding of such recall election to such election.
If a vacancy occur in said office after a recall petition is filed, and the office is elective, the election shall nevertheless proceed as in this section provided. One petition is sufficient to propose the recall of one or more officials and the election of successors to such thereof as are elective.
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Nomination for any elective office under such recall election shall be made by petition in the manner prescribed by Section 1188 of the Political Code, except that no party affiliation of candidate, signer, or verification deputy shall be given, nor shall the participation in a primary election be a bar to signing such petition.
Upon the sample ballot there shall be printed in not more than two hundred words the grounds set forth in the recall petition for demanding the recall of the officer, and upon the same ballot in not more than two hundred words the officer may justify himself. There shall be printed on the recall ballot as to every officer whose recall is to be voted on, the following question: "Shall (name of person against whom the recall petition is filed), be recalled from the office of (title of office) ?" Following which question shall be the words "Yes" and "No" on separate lines, with a blank space at the right of each in which the voter shall by stamping a cross (X) indicate his vote for or against such recall. On such ballots under each question there shall also be printed, if the officer sought to be recalled be an elective officer, the names of those persons who shall have been nominated as candidates to succeed him in case he shall be recalled at such election, but no vote shall be counted for any candidate for said office unless the voter also voted on the question of the recall of the person sought to be recalled therefrom. The name of the person sought to be recalled shall not appear on the ballot as a candidate for the office.
If a majority of those voting on said question of the recall of any incumbent, shall vote "No," said incumbent shall continue in said office. If a majority shall vote "Yes," said incumbent shall thereupon be deemed removed from such office, upon the qualification of his successor. The canvassers shall canvass the votes for can- didates for said office and declare the result in like manner as in a general election. If the vote at any such recall election shall recall the officer, then the candidate who has received the highest number of votes for the office shall be thereby declared elected for the remainder of the term. In case the person who received the highest number of votes shall fail to qualify within ten days after receiving the certificate of election, the office shall be deemed vacant and shall be filled according to law. If the incumbent of an appointive office be recalled at such election, his successor shall be appointed immediately after the canvassing of the vote.
Before any petition can be filed under this section for the recall of any person in the classified service of the County, there shall be presented to and passed upon by the Civil Service Commission, a complaint in writing giving the grounds for and asking the removal of such person. Such complaint must be considered and be finally acted upon by the Commission within twenty days after such filing.
Miscellaneous
Sec. 63: Each County or township officer, Board or Commission shall appoint from the eligible civil service list, except as otherwise provided in this Charter, for either permanent or temporary service, all assistants, librarians, deputies, clerks, attaches, and other persons in the office or department of such officer, Board or Commission, as the number thereof is fixed, and from time to time changed by the Board of Supervisors ; provided, that appointments to the unclassified service in their respective offices and departments shall be made by such officers, Boards and Commissions without reference to such eligible list.
Sec. 64: No compensation for any position under the classified civil service, shall be increased or diminished without the consent of the Civil Service Com- mission specifically given thereto in writing.
Sec. 65 : All officers, assistants, deputies, clerks, attaches and employees shall be allowed their actual, necessary traveling expenses in the performance of official duties.
Sec. 66: No elective or appointive officer or employee who receives compen- sation as such shall hold any other public office of profit, except the office of notary
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public, or an office in the National Guard of the State of California, or an office in any reserve military or naval force of the United States Government. No officer or employee shall be interested directly or indirectly in any contract or transaction with the County, or become surety upon any bond given to the County. No officer or employee shall receive any commission, money, or thing of value, or derive any profit, benefit or advantage, directly or indirectly, from or by reason of any dealings with, or service for the County, by himself or otherwise, except his lawful compensation as such officer or employee. Any violation of the provisions of this section shall render the contract or transaction involved voidable at the option of the Board of Supervisors.
It shall be the duty of every officer and employee who shall have knowledge of any violation of the provisions of this section immediately to report such violation to the Board of Supervisors, and failing so to do may be removed from his office or employment.
Sec. 67: Nothing in this Charter is intended to affect, nor shall be construed as affecting, the tenure of office of any of the elective officers of the County or of any district, township or division thereof in office at the time this Charter goes into effect, and such officers shall continue to hold their respective offices until the expiration of the term for which they shall have been elected, unless sooner removed in the manner provided by law; nor shall anything in this Charter be construed as changing or affecting the compensation of any such officer during the term for which he shall have been elected, but the successors of each and all such officers shall be elected or appointed as in this Charter provided, and not otherwise.
Sec. 68: In the purchase of property by the County, price and quality being equal, preference shall be given to Alameda County products.
Sec. 69: Every contract entered into with the County shall contain a provision that, price and quality being equal, preference shall be given by the contractor to Alameda County products.
Sec. 70: Nothing contained in this Charter shall affect or be construed as affecting the offices or courts of the City Justices of the Peace of the various cities in the County of Alameda as said offices or courts now exist, or as may be hereafter provided by law, or with the duties and powers of the County Clerk pertaining to preparing and supplying ballots, sample ballots and the index of the Great Register of the County.
Sec. 71: If any section, sub-section, sentence, clause, or phrase of this Charter is, for any reason, held to be invalid or unconstitutional, such invalidity or uncon- stitutionality shall not affect the validity or constitutionality of the remaining por- tions of this Charter. It being hereby expressly declared that this Charter, and each section, sub-section, sentence, clause and phrase thereof would have been prepared and proposed, adopted, approved and ratified irrespective of the fact that any one or more other sections, sub-sections, sentences, clauses or phrases be declared in- valid or unconstitutional.
Sec. 72: This Charter shall take effect immediately upon its approval by the Legislature.
CHARTER BECOMES OPERATIVE
On January 14, 1927, the state senate, without a dissenting vote, passed the resolution ratifying the charter introduced by Senator Arthur H. Breed. The vote in the assembly took place on January 18, and county officials were notified by telegraph that at 11:17 A. M. the charter had become operative. A special session of the board of
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supervisors was immediately called for the purpose of passing an ordi- nance creating all county positions under the charter, appointing all county employes, and fixing salaries. This required about two hours, and during that period Alameda County was, to a great extent, without legal machinery to carry on public affairs. The board immediately ap- pointed the members of the new civil service board, naming E. C. Lyon, Leon Clark and O. D. Hamlin, Jr. Lyon drew the two-year term; Clark the four-year term; and Hamlin the long term of six years. The board had under its control some seven hundred and sixty- one positions, exclusive of about two hundred part-time jobs. The supervisors also named William W. Shea to fill the new office of pub- lic defender which was created by the charter. They set his salary at $4,000 per year, and also allowed him one stenographer, but no deputy. Shea had been clerk of the Appellate Court in San Francisco for the two years previous to his new appointment, and had practiced law since 1914.
Three additional deputies were created under the jurisdiction of the district attorney, and salary raises were made by the supervisors amounting to $9,240 yearly. Ralph Hoyt was named chief assistant district attorney at a salary of $4,800 yearly, an increase of $100 per month. J. Paul St. Sure and J. Frank Coakley, as chief criminal assistants, were given a salary fixed at $4,200 per year, an increase of approximately $900. Other changes in the office included James Walsh and Walter Eliassen at $3,300 per year; six assistants, Miss Agnes Polsdorfer, Harry E. Styles, Frank Ogden, R. H. Chamberlain, M. J. Bleuel and Robert M. Ford at $250 per month instead of $200 and $225; James H. Oakley and Charles D. Mehr at $225 per month, a raise of $25; four deputies, Milton W. Sevier, F. L. Donahue, Leon J. Meltzer and Theodore A. Westphal, Jr., at $2,400 per year; and Stanley C. Smallwood, newly appointed, at $2,160 per year. A new stenographer at $135 per month was assigned to the office for the at- torney acting as adviser for the public administrator, a new arrange- ment under the charter. Four new deputies, two at $2,700 per annum; and two at $2,400 per annum, were allowed the assessor's office; and the tax collector was given an additional stenographer at $1,800 per year. The office of sealer of weights lost $600 in its salary list, which then included seven deputies and one stenographer. The salary of the inspector of live stock was doubled. The total salary list of the county, excepting employes of county institutions, was brought to a yearly sum of $777,275, with the $26,760 new additions included.
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George Posey, county engineer, was given added responsibilities and duties under the new charter. "All roads, highways and bridges, other than state controlled highways, passed from the control of the county supervisors to the engineer.
CHAPTER XVIII
THE YEAR 1927
BUILDING OPERATIONS IN THE EAST BAY DURING 1927-NEW LIGHT- ING SYSTEM INSTALLED-SUMMARY OF AIRPORT ACTIVITIES AND OTHER UNDERTAKINGS-PROGRESS ON WATER SUPPLY-NEWS EVENTS OF THE YEAR-POLITICAL CHANGES-THE ANNUAL NEW INDUSTRIES LUNCHEON-AIRPORT COMMITTEE APPOINTED-COM- MUNITY CHEST DRIVE-HOLY REDEEMER COLLEGE DEDICATED-NEW SCHOOL BUILDINGS DEDICATED-CAPWELL COMPANY MERGES WITH EMPORIUM-THE "TRIBUNE" EXTENDS ITS HOLDINGS-AIRPORT ASSURED,' PORT COMMISSION NAMED-THE CARQUINEZ BRIDGE DEDICATED-THE WHITNEY CASE REAPPEARS-COURT CLEARS WAY FOR WAR MEMORIAL-CORNERSTONE OF SCOTTISH RITE TEMPLE LAID-MANY CHANGES IN OAKLAND'S OFFICIAL FAMILY-PIONEERS DIE-TRAFFIC COMMITTEE GIVES RECOMMENDATIONS-ALAMEDA'S NEW HOTEL OPENED- TAX LEVIES FIXED-FOURTEENTH STREET WHARF COMPLETED-WATER BONDS CARRY-AGRICULTURAL SUR- VEY OF THE YEAR
BUILDING OPERATIONS IN EAST BAY DURING 1927
The cities and towns of Alameda County experienced a steady growth and advancement during the year 1927. Despite a slump in building which was felt throughout the nation following the big records of the few previous years, the East Bay cities reached marks which would have been considered remarkable in the early twenties. Building permits in Oakland totaled $20,794,669, with June and August the banner months, each exceeding the two million-dollar mark. Berkeley's building operations started during the year amounted to $6,687,233. Building permits aggregating $1,331,620 were issued in Piedmont, for 294 new buildings. With the exception of $12,146, the cost of the new Highland Piedmont Branch of the American Trust Company, the Pied- mont investments were for new residences. Several new residences
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CITY HALL, OAKLAND
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costing from twenty-five to thirty-five thousand dollars were erected in this exclusive residential section of the East Bay. Emeryville's per- mits reached a third of a million dollars. Albany and Alameda were about even in the erection of new buildings. Permits in the former city reached $1,511,661, for 360 buildings; in the latter $1,537,424 for 792 buildings. San Leandro's record just exceeded the million mark, with 310 permits issued. Hayward's 125 permits almost reached six hundred thousand dollars. County expenditures were also heavy dur- ing the twelve months for permanent improvements. New construction at the Fairmont Hospital required $60,695.05; at the Highland Hos- pital $558,263.40; and at the Del Valle Farm at Livermore, $19,680.68. The Oakland-Alameda estuary subway payments during the year amounted to $1,955,161.61 ; and a total of $3,476,630.72 were spent on school improvements and new buildings.
Oakland's assessed valuation for the year 1927-28 was placed at $250,049,652. These figures compared to the ones for 1907-08, when the valuation was $100,434,412, can readily convey to the mind of any- one the remarkable growth of the city in the past twenty years. The year saw 125 new industries establish themselves in the industrial sec- tions of the East Bay, bringing the total number of wage earners over the 100,000-mark for the thousand industries situated between Liver- more on the south and Albany at the north end of the county. More than a thundred thousand acres of splendid farm land were cultivated in 1927, yielding a total revenue in excess of twenty million dollars. Commercial transactions in Oakland were active during 1927, a fact attested by the bank transactions, which totaled $3,245,435,057. This was a gain of more than $397,000,000 over 1926. Clearings for the year were over $969,000,000. Tonnage in exports and imports showed increases.
During the year initial construction of large water-front projects was carried out under the $9,960,000 bond issue of 1925. The first project was in the Oakland outer harbor, and at the end of the year $527,325, exclusive of the value of the land, had been spent on the Fourteenth Street Wharf. This wharf is 1,020 feet long and 224 feet wide, with three railroad tracks in its rear and two in front of it. In connection with this improvement, including the new Parr Terminal and the Union Construction Company's facilities, there has been com- pleted a dredged channel 800 feet wide and which has a low water depth of 32 feet. The second project started during 1927 was the Grove Street Pier, in the inner harbor. This is a double pier, 600 feet
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long and 420 feet wide. These two improvements have added five addi- tional berths for the largest vessels. The Board of Port Commissioners have also under consideration the construction of a large barge and river steamer terminal between Franklin and Webster streets in the inner harbor, to cost $300,000; and is also taking steps to build a modern pier in the Brooklyn Basin.
NEW LIGHTING SYSTEM INSTALLED
During September the new lighting system for the down-town business district was completed, and the famous Colonel Lindberg touched a button at Sacramento upon his memorable visit to this part of California to turn on the lights for the first time. This improvement is the result of the combined efforts of the Down-town Property Owners' Association, the Up-town Association, the Twelfth Street Association, and the Harrison Street Development Association. The system was installed upon the following streets: Eleventh Street be- tween Franklin and Clay; Twelfth Street between Fallon and Clay; Thirteenth Street between Franklin and Clay; Fourteenth Street be- tween Franklin and Jefferson; Harrison Street between Twelfth and Twentieth; Broadway between Seventh and Twenty-fourth; Telegraph Avenue between Sixteenth and Twentieth; Washington Street between Tenth and Fifteenth; and Grand Avenue between Broadway and Web- ster. The decorative designs were selected by a committee composed of F. M. Ray, S. B. Swan, Arthur W. Moore, E. C. Lyon, I. H. Spiro, C. H. J. Truman, C. N. Cooper, R. W. Cozzens, and Frank Colbourn. The design adopted is distinctive of Oakland, with its oak leaves and California poppies appearing in decorative details, with the principal motif in the design patterned after some of the decorations on the ex- terior of the city hall. It was installed under the direction of Carl E. Hardy, superintendent of the city electrical department, assisted by George V. Tudhope and George S. Johnson. The Best Steel Casting Company manufactured the standards from patterns made by the American Pattern Works; and the entire system was installed from locally made products.
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