Springfield's First City Charter
From Directory of the City of Springfield
John W. Kees & Co., Springfield. 1852
CITY CHARTER
AN ACT TO INCORPORATE AND ESTABLISH
THE
CITY OF SPRINGFIELD
Sec. 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Ohio, That so much of the county of Clark in said State as is contained within the following boundaries, to wit: beginning at the east side of the Two-pole street, northeast corner of the new grave-yard; thence south to the old Columbus road; thence southwesterly to the point of intersection of Pearce's mill road and the Limestone road; thence due west to section line of section thirty-four; thence south with said section line to the corner of the section; thence west with the section line of section thirty-four and four, to the southwest corner of section four; thence north with the line of section four and five to Buck creek; thence up Buck creek, and on the north side thereof, to Charles Anthny's west line; thence north with said Charles Anthony's west line and Maffont's west line, to the north line of section five; thence east with north line of section five and thirty-five, to the Mad river and Lake Erie railroad; thence in a southeasterly direction with said railroad, to the point of intersection with Lagonda mill road; thence east to a point due north of the place of beginning; thence south to the place of beginning, shall be, and is hereby declared to be a city, and the inhabitants thereof are created a body corporate and politic, by the name and style of the city of Springfiled; and by that name shall be capable of contracting and being contracted with — of suing and being sued — pleading and being impleaded — answering and being answered in all courts and places, and in all matters whatsoever, with power to purchase, receive, hold, occupy and convey real and personal estate, and may use a corporate seal and change the name at pleasure; and shall be competent to have and exercise all the rights and privileges and be subject to all the duties and obligations appertaining to a municipal corporation; provided, that the corporate authorities of said city, shall not have power to assess or collect taxes for corporate purposes, on any land or farm houses within the corporate limits of said city, except such as have been or may hereafter be laid out into city lots or improved by the erection of buildings.
Sec. 2. That all the real and personal estate, which at the taking effect of this act, shall be vested in the President and Council of the town of Springfield, with all rights and privileges appertaining thereto; and all the funds, revenues, claims, debts, accounts and demands, to which the said President and Council may be entitled, shall by this act be vested in the said city of Springfield, to be held, owned, possessed, used, and enjoyed as the same are or may of right, be held, owned, used and enjoyed by the said President and Council of the town of Springfield; and all suits pending and judgments recovered in favor of or against the said President and Council of the town of Springfield, shall stand in full force in favor of or against the said city of Springfield; and the said city of Springfiled shall be bound for the fulfillment of all contracts, engagements and stipulations made by the said President and Council of the town of Springfield, and shall be liable for the payment of all just debts, claims and demands due from the said President and Council of the town of Springfield, at the taking effect of this act.
Sec. 3. That should the public convenience so require, the City Council are hereby authorized and empowered to divide said city into wards, the number and boundaries of which shall be determined and established by said City Council.
Sec. 4. That in all elections for city officers, it shall be the duty of the Mayor to issue a proclamation to the qualified voters of said city, setting forth the time of holding such election, the place of voting and the officers to be chosen, which proclamation shall be published in one or more newspapers printed in said city, at least ten days previous to such election. The regular annual city election shall be held on the first Monday of March, and shall be opened at the hour of nine o'clock, A.M., and continue open until four o'clock, P.M., and shall in all things be conducted agreeably to the laws for the time being, regulating township elections; and the judges of election shall, at or before the hour of ten o'clock, A.M., on the next day succeeding the election, make returns of such election to the City Recorder at the Council chamber; and the said returns shall then and there be opened by the President of the City Council, in presence of said Council and Recorder and canvassed, and an abstract thereof made by the City Recorder, who shall file the same and make a record thereof, and the person or persons having the highest number of votes for any office shall be declared duly elected; but if two or more have the same, and an equal number of votes for any office to which only one person is to be elected, the Council shall determine by lot which of said persons shall hold such office. The Recorder shall make out a list of the persons elected, and deliver the same to the City Marshal, who shall, on receipt of the same, notify each person on said list, of his election by personal notice or by leaving a written notice at the residence of the person elected; and each person so elected, shall, at or before the fifth day succeeding his election, appear before the Mayor or some other person qualified to administer oaths, and take an oath or affirmation to support the constitution of the United States, and of the State of Ohio respectively; and faithfully and impartially to perform the several duties of his office, and each officer so elected, (if the same is required by the Council,) shall give bond at the same time to the said city, with good and sufficient security, in such sum as may be required, for the faithful performance of his said duties; and each person elected at the annual city election, who shall have been qualified by taking the oath of office and by giving bond when the same is required, shall enter upon and hold his office from the time he is qualified, for the term for which he shall have been elected, and any person so chosen or elected, who shall not have been qualified, by taking the oath of office, and giving bond as aforesaid, by the time hereinbefore prescribed, shall be deemed and considered to have declined such office, and the same shall thereupon be considered and declared vacant, and shall be filled by the Council as any other vacancy may be filled under the authority of this act.
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