When elected.

Election.

Meetings of
Trustees.

Assessor and Treasurer. Said town shall be a body politic and corporate by the name and style of the "Town of Redwood City;" and by that name they and their successors shall be known in law, have perpetual succession, and may sue and be sued in all Courts and in all actions whatsoever, and may provide for the use and regulation of all the commons and property, both, real and personal, belonging to the town, by lease or otherwise.

SEC. 3. Said Trustees, Marshal, Assessor and Treasurer shall be elected by the qualified electors of said town on the first Monday in May, A. D. eighteen hundred and sixty-eight, and their successors on the first Monday in May each and every succeeding year thereafter, at an election to be held for that purpose by the legal voters resident in said town; and they shall hold their offices for one year, and until their successors are elected and qualified.

SEC. 4. For the first election held to fill offices created by this Act, the present Board of Trustees of said town shall appoint one Inspector and two Judges of Election, who, together with two Clerks to be appointed by them, shall take the oath of office prescribed by law for Inspector and Judges of State and county elections, to be held at a place to be designated by said Board of Trustees, declare the polls open, proceed to receive votes, and declare the result. No person shall be entitled to vote nor hold any office by this Act created unless he shall be a citizen of the United States and has been a resident of said town for thirty days, and is a qualified elector of the State. To entitle any person to vote at any election to be held under the provisions of this Act, it shall only be necessary for such person, at the time he offers his vote, to prove to the satisfaction of the Judges of such election that he is a citizen of the United States, has resided in said town thirty days prior thereto, and is an elector under the laws of this State. The oath of such person offering to vote shall be received as evidence of the facts necessary to entitle him to vote; and any person swearing falsely in order to vote at any such election shall be liable to all the pains and penalties attached to perjury. The person having a plurality of all the votes cast shall be declared elected. All returns of town elections shall be made out and signed by the officers of election and filed with the Town Clerk. The polls for all town elections shall be opened at one o'clock P. M. and continue open until seven o'clock P. M. of the same day. Vacancies to be filled as by law provided.

SEC. 5. The Board of Trustees shall assemble within ten days after receiving notice of their election, and choose a President from their number and some person as Clerk. They shall, by ordinance, fix the times and place of holding their stated meetings, and may be convened by the President at any time; and all meetings of the Board shall be held within the corporate limits of said town, and shall be public.

SEC. 6. At the meetings of the Board a majority of the Trustees shall constitute a quorum to do business. A smaller number may adjourn from day to day, and may compel the attendance of absent members in such manner and under such penalties as the Board previously by ordinance may have prescribed.

Board of

SEC. 7. The Board of Trustees shall judge of the qualifica- Duties and tion and of the election returns of their own members, and powers of determine contested elections of all town officers. They may Trustees. establish rules for their own proceedings, punish any member or other persons for disorderly behavior in their presence. They shall keep a journal of their proceedings, and at the desire of any member shall cause the yeas and nays to be taken on any question and entered on the journal.

SEC. 8. The Board of Trustees shall have power within said town:

First-To make by-laws and ordinances not repugnant to the Constitution and laws of this State.

Second-To construct and keep in repair pumps, aqueducts, reservoirs or other works necessary for duly supplying the town with water.

Third-To lay out, alter, open and keep open and repair the streets, sidewalks and alleys of the town, and to determine the width and grade of all sidewalks in the town.

Fourth-To provide such means as they may deem necessary to protect the town from injuries by fire.

Fifth-To levy and collect annually not to exceed one per cent. on the assessment valuation of all property, both real and personal, within the limits of the town.

Sixth-To impose and collect a poll tax of not exceeding one dollar per annum on every male inhabitant of the age of twentyone years and upwards.

Seventh-To impose and collect a tax of not to exceed five dollars per annum on every dog owned within the limits of the

town.

Eighth-To provide for the draining, the establishment of uniform grades, paving, improvement, repairs and lighting of the streets, and the construction of sidewalks, drains and sewers, and the keeping the same in repair, and the prevention and removal of obstructions on the sidewalks and on all the streets and public grounds of the town.

Ninth-To borrow money upon the faith and credit of the town; but no loan shall be made for a sum exceeding five thousand dollars, nor without the consent to such loan of the electors of the town, previously obtained as hereinafter provided.

Tenth-To pass all ordinances and by-laws necessary and proper for fully carrying into effect the foregoing powers.

SEC. 9. The Board of Trustees may by ordinance designate Violation of the fines to be imposed for the breach of their ordinances; but ordinances. no fine shall be imposed on any one person for any one breach of any ordinance of more than fifty dollars, which fine may be recovered before any Justice of the Peace having his office within the incorporate limits of the town, by suit in the name of the Town of Redwood City, and collected by execution or in such other manner as fines imposed by the laws of the State are collected; and persons living within the limits of the town shall be competent jurors and witnesses, if in other respects competent and qualified. All fines collected under this Act shall, by the officers collecting the same, be paid over to the Town Treasurer; and for any omission to do so, such officer may be proceeded against upon his official bond, in the name of the town, in the

Succession.

Sidewalks.

manner authorized by law on the failure of officers to pay over money collected when so required.

SEC. 10. The Board of Trustees shall have power to designate the fines and imprisonment to be imposed for any breach or violation of any town ordinance; but no fine shall be for a larger amount than fifty dollars, nor any imprisonment for more than thirty days, for any offence.

SEC. 11. The Trustees of the Town of Redwood City shall succeed to all the rights, liabilities, titles, interests, possessions, credits, immunities, debts and obligations, in law or in equity, that shall be enjoyed or owed by the Board of Trustees at the time of taking effect of this Act, or the goverment of said town since the first incorporation, with its rights, incidents and liabil ities. The said Trustees may purchase, hold and receive property, real and personal, within said town necessary for public purposes.

SEC. 12. If at any time the owners of a majority of the real estate fronting on one side of any street, between two given points on such street, shall petition the Board of Trustees to order to be constructed or repaired a sidewalk along said street and between said given points, then it shall be the duty of said Trustees to determine and draw up, or cause to be drawn up, plans and specifications of the character of the sidewalk to be constructed or repairs to be made, and shall order said improvements, as petitioned for, to be made in accordance with said plans and specifications, and shall make an assessment of the costs thereof to each of the persons owning the real estate between said given points, each of said persons to pay the cost of said improvement in front of his property; and the same shall constitute a lien upon such real estate until the assessment is paid or satisfied; provided, that each of said persons shall have the privilege of making such improvements in front of his property, in accordance with the specifications and within the time mentioned in the ordinance ordering the improvements to be made; but if not so made, then it shall be the duty of the Marshal forthwith to let out, in the manner provided by ordinance, the making of all improvements that remain unfinished; and if the owner or occupant of such real estate shall fail, neglect or refuse to pay for the cost of the same when completed, it shall be the duty of the Marshal, by order of the Board of Trustees, to institute suit in the name of the town against the owner for the recovery of said costs, and the judgment recovered thereon shall constitute a lien upon said real estate, and execution may be issued thereon and may be served as in other civil cases. The said Trustees may require said sidewalks, after such improvements have been made, to be kept in good repair by the owners of said real estate; and if not repaired when ordered, the Marshal may let out the making of said repairs, and collect the cost of the same in the same manner as in the case of the owners failing to make or pay for the cost of the improvement as aforesaid; provided, that the cost of the plans and specifications shall be paid out of the General Fund of the town; and provided further, that all street crossings for sidewalks shall be made at the expense of the owners of the quarter blocks adjacent to said crossing.

SEC. 13. If at any time the owners of more than one half street imin frontage of lots and lands fronting on any street between two provements. given points on such street, or their duly authorized agent, shall petition the Board of Trustees to order to be graded, macadamized or otherwise improved such street between said points, then it shall be the duty of said Board of Trustees to determine and draw up, or cause to be drawn up, plans and specifications of the character of the improvement to be made on such street, and shall order said improvement, as petitioned for, to be made in accordance with said plans and specifications, and may make an assessment of one half of the cost thereof to each of the persons owning the real estate fronting on said street between said points, each of said persons to pay one half of the cost of making said improvement in front of his property; or said Board of Trustees may assess less than one half of the cost of said improvement to each of the owners of the real estate fronting on said street, and may pay out of the town treasury such amount as may be necessary to complete said improvement. Whatever amount may be assessed against said real estate as aforesaid in this section by said Board of Trustees shall constitute a lien upon such real estate until the assessment is paid or satisfied; provided, that each of said persons shall have the privilege of making such improvement in front of his property, in accordance with the plans and specifications and within the time mentioned in the ordinance ordering the improvement to be made; but if not so made, then it shall be the duty of the Marshal forthwith to let out in the manner provided by ordinance the making of all improvements that remain unfinished; and if the owner or occupant of such real estate shall fail, neglect or refuse to pay for the cost of the same when completed, it shall be the duty of the Marshal, by order of the Board of Trustees, to institute suit in the name of the town against the owner for the recovery of said costs; and the judgment recovered thereon shall constitute a lien upon said real estate, and execution may be issued thereon and may be served as in other civil cases. The plans and specifications provided for in this section shall be paid for out of the Town Treasury.

SEC. 14. The assessments provided for in sections twelve and thirteen of this Act shall be made upon the lots and lands fronting upon the street to be improved, each lot or portion of lot being separately assessed, in proportion to its frontage, at such rate per front foot as the Board of Trustees may have agreed upon, not to exceed the one half of the cost of such improvement in front of such property.

SEC. 15. Whenever any street to be improved as provided in section thirteen of this Act shall cross any other street, then the expense of the improvement on such crossing shall be assessed by the Board of Trustees upon the four quarter blocks adjoining and cornering on the crossing; and each lot or part of a lot in such quarter block fronting on such street where the improvement is being or about to be made shall be separately assessed according to its proportion of frontage on such street to be improved; provided, that said Board of Trustees may assess less than the entire cost of said improvement on said four quarter blocks, and may pay the balance out of the Town

Annual taxes.

Loans.

Power to contract

Treasury. The Trustees shall fix by ordinance each year the amount of taxes to be levied and collected for current expenses; provided, that no tax to be levied for any one year shall exceed one per cent. on all the taxable property in said town.

SEC. 16. Whenever the Board of Trustees shall desire to effect a loan for any sum not exceeding five thousand ($5,000) dollars they shall submit a proposition for effecting such loan, stating the amount of such loan, to the electors of said town, at a special election to be held for the purpose, upon the Board of Trustees giving twenty days public notice of the same; and if a majority of the electors vote in favor of such proposition, the Board of Trustees shall have power to effect such loan, but not otherwise, and pledge the faith of the town for the payment of such loan; provided, that the aggregate amount of such loans shall not exceed the sum of five thousand dollars.

SEC. 17. Neither the Board of Trustees, nor any officer, offidebt limited. Cers or authority, shall have power to contract any debt against said town, except as provided in the preceding section; and no person or property therein shall ever be liable to be assessed or be subject to taxation in any form to provide for the payment of any debt hereafter contracted, except as provided in the preceding section, or of any claim against the town, except such legal and proper expenses thereof as shall accrue after the commencement of the year for which the tax shall be levied; aud no part of the moneys levied and collected by taxation for one year shall ever be applied toward the payment of any expenses, debt or liability incurred during any preceding year.

Ordinances.

Equalization

Official oaths and bonds.

Vacancies.

SEC. 18. Every ordinance passed by the Board of Trustees, in order to possess legal force, shall receive a majority vote of all the members elected.

SEC. 19. The Board of Trustees shall constitute a Board of Equalization, and shall, as soon as the Assessor shall have completed and handed to the Clerk his assessment, and after ten days notice, hold their meetings to hear and determine all complaints respecting the valuation of property as fixed by the Assessor, and shall have power to modify and change such valuation in any way they, or a majority of them, shall deem just and proper. Said meeting shall be held for such length of time as the Board of Trustees shall by ordinance fix.

SEC. 20. The Marshal, Treasurer, Assessor and Clerk, before entering upon the duties of their office, shall take the oath of office as prescribed by law, and shall also give a bond, with sureties to be approved by the Board of Trustees of said town, payable to the Town of Redwood City, in such penalty as may be prescribed by ordinance, conditioned for the faithful performance of the duties of their offices as required by law. Should the bond of any town officer become insufficient, he shall be required to give such additional security, within ten days, as the Board of Trustees may require, not exceeding the amount fixed by ordinance. Upon his failure to do so at the time fixed, his office shall be declared vacant; and such vacancy shall be filled by appointment of the Board of Trustees.

SEC. 21. If any vacancies shall occur in any of the offices created by this Act, they shall be filled by appointment of the Board of Trustees. Should any of the officers herein men