Municipal government in St. Joseph, Missouri

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to trace the growth and development of the governmental organization and powers of the City of St. Joseph, Missouri, and to describe them as they exist to-day. St. Joseph was chosen as the subject of this thesis because of the desire of the writer to become familiar with the organization of the government of his home city and because governmental organization in St. Joseph present s a peculiarly interesting and instructive study. In the brief fifty-nine years of its existence this city has grown from a mere frontier trading post to a city of about 113,000 inhabitants, passing through the stages of incorporated town and city with a special charter, and coming finally under the general law governing cities of the second class. Of course, along with the increase in population the scope of the municipal activities of St. Joseph has been greatly widened. The municipal activities of St. Joseph has been considered and will be taken up in a subsequent paper for it is these which by their expansion together with the experience both of the people of St. Joseph and of the General Assembly of State have brought about changes and increased the complexity of the city government.