A community organized to comply with the foregoing requirements—­divided into wards, having a council made up of aldermen from those wards, having a council authorized to levy taxes at its discretion, having a municipal court, having regularly employed police acting under the direction of the mayor—­is a city, as the term is generally used in the United States.

Another reason for establishing a city government is frequently potent, although unmentioned.  The pride of the community can be thereby indulged, and more citizens can have their ambition to hold public office gratified.

How Organized.—­A city may be organized under general law or special charter from the legislature.  Large cities, and small ones with great expectations, usually work under a charter.  But the custom is growing of organizing cities at first under general law.  Then if a city outgrows the general law, grows so that it needs powers and privileges not granted therein, it may properly ask the legislature for a special charter.

As a type, the principal provisions of the general law of Minnesota are here given, as follows: 

“Whenever the legal voters residing within the limits of a territory comprising not less than two thousand inhabitants, and not more than fifteen thousand, and which territory they wish to have incorporated as a city, shall sign and have presented to the judge of probate of the county in which such territory is situated, a petition setting forth the metes and bounds of said city, and of the several wards thereof, and praying that said city shall be incorporated under such name as may therein be designated, the judge of probate shall issue an order declaring such territory duly incorporated as a city, and shall designate the metes, bounds, wards, and name thereof, as in said petition described.”  And the judge of probate designates the time and places of holding the first election, giving due notice thereof.  He also appoints three persons in each ward, of which there shall be not less than two nor more than five, to act as judges of election.  The corporation is established upon the presentation of the petition, and the organization is completed by the election of officers.

The usual elective officers of a city are a mayor, a treasurer, a recorder, one justice of the peace for each ward, styled “city justice,” all of whom shall be qualified voters of the city, and one or more aldermen for each ward, who shall be “qualified voters therein.”  All other city officers are appointed.

The term of mayor, city justices and aldermen is in most states two years; that of the other officers, one year.

Any officer of the city may be removed from office by vote of two-thirds of the whole number of aldermen.  But an elective officer must be given “an opportunity to be heard in his own defense.”

A vacancy in the office of mayor or alderman is filled by a new election.  A vacancy in any other office is filled by appointment.  The person elected or appointed serves for the unexpired term.