Early Springfield Ordinances
From Directory of the City of Springfield
John W. Kees & Co., Springfield. 1852
AN ORDINANCE
To provide for the appointment of supervisors, and to prescribe their duties, and for other purposes.
Sec. 1. Be it ordained by the city council of Springfield, That the said city council shall, on the 1st Monday of April annually, or as soon thereafter as they conveniently can, appoint a suitable number of persons to the office of supervisors of roads and highways for said city, one for each road, district, or for each subdivision of a road district, who shall hold his office for one year unless removed by the said city council.
Sec. 2. That every supervisor so appointed shall within ten days after his said appointment, take an oath or affirmation, fully and impartially to discharge the duties of his said office, and shall give bond with security in any sum not exceeding three hundred dollars to the acceptance of said city council, conditioned upon the faithful and honest discharge of his duties as such supervisor, and to account for all moneys by him received as such supervisor aforesaid.
Sec. 3. That it shall be the duty of said city council to meet at the council chamber immediately after the county auditor shall have made out the list of road tax for the city and township of Springfield, and certified the same to the city recorder, and there apportion the road tax for said city in a fair, just and equitable manner, as said city council shall deem most conducive to the general interests and welfare of the city, and said council shall cause a correct list of said apportionment of road tax to be made and delivered to the several supervisors of each of said road districts or subdivisions of districts within said city; provided, that no road tax shall be made out to any one individual in more than one district or subdivision of a district, nor shall any road tax be worked out, or labor in lieu thereof be performed, in any other district or subdivision, than that to which the city council so apportions the same.
Sec. 4. That all persons between the ages of twenty-one and sixty years, residents of said city, and who have resided three months in this state, and who are not a township charge, and are not exempt by the laws of this state, shall be liable yearly and every year to do and perform three days' work on the public road, under the directions of the supervisor, within whose district or subdivision they may respectively reside.
Sec. 5. That any or all persons coming under the provisions of the above section, after having been duly notified three days previous to the day they are required to do work by the supervisor, of the time and place where such labor is to be performed, and failing to perform such labor, or refusing to do so, or shall fail to pay to such supervisor the sum of seventy-five cents per day, for each and every day so delinquent, it shall be the duty of said supervisor to institute suit against such delinquent in the name of the city of Springfield, before the mayor, and upon conviction thereof, he shall forfeit and pay a fine of one dollar per day for each and every day so delinquent, with costs of suit, and in default of payment of said fine and costs, every such person shall be imprisoned in the jail of the county not less than one day nor more than ten days.
Sec. 6. That it shall be the duty of said city council at their annual April meeting, to apopint of their own body a committee of two members, to be called a committee upon roads and highways, the duties of which said committee shall be to determine and direct what particular street, road or highway, or streets, roads or highways, shall be opened in said district, improved or repaired, and the manner in which the same shall be done, together with the improvements or repairs of the bridges therein.
Sec. 7. That said city council shall, annually, in the month of March, determine whether any alterations of the road districts shall be made or not, and if so made, shall cause a record thereof to be made by the city recorder.
Sec. 8. That it shall be the duty of said committee on roads and highways from time to time to prescribe the time and number of days each of said supervisors shall attend and superintend and oversee the working of roads and highways in his district or subdivision according to the provisions of this ordinance.
Sec. 9. That it shall be the duty of each supervisor, annually, in the month of April, to make an alphabetical list of all persons liable to perform labor in his district or subdivision, a copy of which he shall return to the city recorder on or before the first Monday in June, annually. It shall also be the duty of said supervisor to add to his list all persons liable to perform labor in his district at any time before the first Monday in December, annually.
Sec. 10. That at the annual settlement of the said supervisors with the city council, as hereinafter provided for, it shall be their duty to make return of said alphabetical list to said city council wiht the amount of labor performed by each person on said list, or the reason why said labor was not performed, inserted opposite the name of such person who has failed to perform labor as aforesaid, which list so returned shall be verified as to its truth, to the best of the knowledge and belief of each supervisor, under his oath or affirmation.
Sec. 11. That it shall be the duty of each supervisor so appointed under the provisions of this ordinance, to keep a regular daily legible account of each day he shall actually and necessarily be engaged in taking and making said lists, and in the actual and necessary supervision and superintendance of the working of the roads and highways, in his district or subdivision; said account shall also charge himself with the whole number of persons liable to perform labor at the rate of seventy-five cents per day; said account shall charge him with moneys, by him actually received as each supervisor, in lieu of either labor or road tax, or both, and from whom received, and in no case shall he receive any less sum, than at the rate of seventy-five cents per day, nor any less sum, as road tax, than the amount actually charged. Said account shall also charge him with all moneys received as dog tax heretofore provided for by ordinance. Such account shall also credit such supervisor with all moneys by him expended, as such, for the amount actually paid, and to whom paid, all of which said accounts shall be fairly and regularly made out and duly sworn or affirmed to by each supervisor.
Sec. 12. That each supervisor aforesaid shall, on the first Monday of December in each year, produce said lists and accounts so regularly made out and sworn to as aforesaid, to the city council, who shall adjust and settle the same according to the provisions of law now, or that may be hereafter in force for the settlement of the accounts of supervisors by trustees of townships.
Sec. 13. The city council aforesaid shall, at all times, have the power and authority to fill all vacancies, and remove any of said supervisors from office.
Sec. 14. That any supervisor violating any of the provisions of this ordinance, shall, upon conviction thereof before the mayor, be fined in any sum not exceeding twenty-five dollars, and be, moreover, liable to the said city of Springfield upon his official bond.
Sec. 15. That each and every supervisor appointed under this ordinance, shall receive for his services as aforesaid, the sum of one dollar per day for each and every day actually engaged as aforesaid.
This ordninace to take effect and be in force from and after the publication thereof.
JAMES M. HUNT
Mayor of the city of Springfield
SAMUEL PARSONS,
City Clerk
Passed April 14, 1852.