History of Oakland County Michigan a narrative account of its historic progress, its people, its principal interests / compiled from the official records of the county, the newspapers and data of personal interviews, under the editorial supervision of Thaddeus D. Seeley.

310 HISTORY OF OAKLAND COUNTY
sponsibility has been centered in a few officials, who are paid to devote
their entire time to municipal affairs.
The charter further provides that the commission shall appoint the
city clerk, city treasurer and board of review; the mayor to appoint the
city attorney, chief of fire department, chief of police and health officer.
The appointment of the city engineer is left to the two commissioners,
while the selection of the employees necessary to conduct the several
departments is vested in the commissioners having special charge of
such.
The Recall and Initiative and Referendum are both in force. The
former provision provides that a petition signed by at least twenty per
cent of the voters of the city shall be sufficient to warrant the commission in calling a special election on the question of removing the official
whose fitness is called in question. Any proposed ordinance may also
be submitted to the commission by the same proportion of citizens; whereupon the commission must pass the ordinance without alteration, or
submit it to vote at a special election called within thirty days, unless a
municipal election is to be held within ninety days from the date of
submission.
These are the most striking features of the city government which
is now in force; for the details the reader must go to the charter itself.
Under its provisions the first commission consisted of Robert J.
Lounsbury, mayor; Richard (Dick) Dewey, commissioner for three years;
William H. Osmun, commissioner for one year. Mayor Lounsbury went
into office by a majority of 659 over Daniel Thomas.
On April 29, I9II, the commission passed an ordinance fixing the
salaries of the appointive officers, and appointed J. K. Judd, ex-sheriff,
as chief of police; John B. Austin, chief of the fire department; P. B.
Bromley, city attorney; Dr. D. G. Castell, health officer; Rollin W. Clark,
water collector; Charles L. Grosebeck, city clerk; George C. Johnston,
city treasurer; W. J. Fisher, city engineer.
EARLY MEASURES PASSED
At the meeting of the commission of April 17, I9II, an ordinance
was placed on file regulating and granting saloon licenses, limiting the
number to twelve within the city limits.
An estimate as to the money required to pay the general indebtedness of the new city until June i, I9II, was made as follows:
General fund..................... $52,649.08
Bonds and interest......................... 4,374.14
W ater fund............................... 9,395.oo
Sewer fund................................. I4,093.43
Other general.............................. 3,678.00
Total..........................$94,I89.65
To meet the situation on April 25, I9II, the commission passed an
ordinance providing for the bonding of the city for $Ioo,ooo. The commission made its report for the nine months ending January I, I912,