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DEBATERS' HANDBOOK SERIES
CITY MANAGER PLAN OF
GOVERNMENT
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Debaters* Handbook Series
SELECTED ARTICLES
ON THE
CITY MANAGER PLAN OF
GOVERNMENT
COMPILED BY
EDWARD CHARLES MABIE. A.M.
THE H. W. WILSON COMPANY
NEW YORK
1918
Published May, 1918
EXPLANATORY NOTE
Since the commission-manager plan was put into operation in
Sumter, S. C, in 1913, there has been an increasing interest in
this form of municipal government, and a constantly-growing
number of cities have adopted the plan. This handbook, true to
the purpose of the series, presents a brief, a selected bibliog-
raphy, and reprints of important articles, setting forth the
theory and principles of the new plan, arguments and experience
both in favor and against it, illustrative charts, and extracts
from city manager charters and statutes. The bulk of the
material was selected in 1917 but publication was unavoidably
delayed, and the volume has been brought down to date by the
addition of references to recent articles to the bibliography, and
the inclusion of additional reprints which will be found in the
appendix.
E. M. P.
April 22, 1918.
CONTENTS
Brief
Introduction xi
Affirmative xi
Negative xiii
Bibliography
Bibliographies xv
Texts and Digests of City Manager Charters xv
City Manager Statutes xvi
City Managers' Reports xvii
General References xix
Affirmative References xxiii
Negative References xxviii
Introduction i
Definitions of the City Manager Plan 7
Cities and Towns in the United States under City
Manager Government (map) lo
Municipalities Operating under City Manager Chart-
ers AND Statutes (table) 1 1
Municipalities Operating under a Modified Form of
City Manager Plan (table) 12
City Manager Statutes
Digest of New York City Manager Statute 13
Digest of Virginia City Manager Statute 15
City Manager Charters
Excerpts from a Model City Manager Charter I7
Typical City Manager Charter of Springfield, Ohio 22
Digest of the Charter of Dayton, Ohio 55
Upson, Lent D. Comment on the Dayton Charter
National Municipal Review 58
General Discussion
Toulmin, Harry Aubrey. The City Manager, Qualifica-
ions, Powers and Duties w
Childs, Richard S. The Theory of the New Controlled
Executive Plan National Municipal Review n
viii CONTENTS
Childs, Richard S., Waite, Henry M. and others. Profes-
sional Standards and Professional Ethics in the New-
Profession of City Manager
National Municipal Review 84
First Advertisement for a City Manager, Sumter, S. C.
104
The First County Manager: A Model County Govern-
ment Short Ballot Bulletin 105
Affirmative Discussion
Bradford, Ernest S. Coming of the City Manager Plan. . 107
Childs, Richard S. How the Commission-Manager Plan
Is Getting Along National Municipal Review iii
Childs, Richard S. How the Commission-Manager Plan
Is Getting Along National Municipal Review 123
Certain Weaknesses in the Commission Plan of Muncipal
Government. Why the Commission-Manager Plan
Is Better 128
Waite, Henry M. The Commission-Manager Plan
National Municipal Review 131
Upson, Lent D. The City-Manager Plan of Government
for Dayton National Municipal Review 137
Organization of an American Business Organization
(chart) 142
The Principles of Business Organization AppHed to City
Government (chart) 143
Springfield's Present Organization 144
Results Accomplished in City-Manager Cities.
Hardin, M. H. Amarillo, Texas 145
How One City Manager Succeeded
Short Ballot Bulletin 146
Otis, Harrison G. First Annual Report of the City Coun-
cil and City Manager to the Citizens of Beaufort,
South Carolina 148
Manager Principle Applied to Beaufort (chart) 151
Carr, O. E. Cadillac, Michigan 152
City Managers' Report for 1916
Cadillac Evening News 154
Wilson, T. A. Clarinda, Iowa 156
Upson, Lent D. One Year of City Management in Day-
ton, Ohio Real Estate Magazine 158
CONTENTS ix
Waite, H M. Dayton, Ohio Annual Report 164
Ekey, J. S. Grove City, Pennsylvania 176
Cornwell, S. C. How the City Manager Plan Works in
Hickory, North Carolina 177
Iowa Falls, lov^^a 179
Cummin, Gaylord C. Results Accomplished in Jackson,
Michigan 181
Cummin, Gaylord C. Jackson, Michigan
Report of 1915 182
First Year Under Plan C Government in Newburgh,
N. Y Newburgh Daily News 186
Newburgh, New York Newburgh Daily News 187
Bingham, C. A. Norwood, Massachusetts 191
Barnwell, W. G. Rock Hill, South Carolina 192
Miller, W. L. St. Augustine, Florida 193
The Sandusky Stuation 196
Reed, Thomas H. The City Manager Plan in San Jose
Pacific Municipalities 197
Mitchell, Karl. Sherman, Texas 203
Ashburner, C. E. Springfield, Ohio 206
Negative Discussion
Bradford, Ernest S. The Coming of the City Manager
Plan 209
Foulke, William Dudley. Some Cautions About the City
Manager Plan 210
McBain, Howard L. The Evolution of Types of City
Government in the United States
National Municipal Review 212
James, Herman G. Defects in the Dayton Charter
National Municipal Review 215
Fitzpatrick, F Stuart. Experience of Sandusky, Ohio . . .
National Municipal Review 218
Hatton, A. R. Ashtabula's Experiences
National Municipal Review 220
Williams, E. T. One Editor's Opinion of the City Man-
ager Plan in Niagara Falls, N. Y 221
Arguments Against the Adoption of the City Manager
Plan in Pasadena, California 223
Five Reasons Why the Citizen's Committee Opposed
the Adoption of the City Manager Plan in Pasadena,
California Pasadena Star-News. 227
X CONTENTS
Emslie, C. C. Argument Against the Adoption of the
City Manager Plan in Berkeley, California 229
Arguments Against the Adoption of the City Manager
Plan in Springfield, Massachusetts
The Springfield Union 231
Kansas City Defeats Manager Plan
Municipal Journal 233
Commission Form Loses Municipal Journal 234
City Manager Plan Defeated Municipal Journal 234
County Manager Charter Defeated. .. .Municipal Journal 234
Another County Charter Defeated. .. .Municipal Journal 235
Iowa City Managers Resign Municipal Journal 236
Appendix
Muncipalities Under the City Manager Plan, March i,
1918 237
Proposed Aplication of the Manager Idea to the Gov-
ernment of Chicago Equity 238
BRIEF
INTRODUCTION
I. Definition :
The city manager plan of municipal government means gov-
ernment by a single elective council or commission representa-
tive, supervisory, and legislative in function ; and a chief execu-
tive called a "city manager" appointed by the commission solely
by reason of his knowledge of municipal affairs and administra-
tive ability, to have control of the work of administrative depart-
ments.
Cf. H. A. Toulmin's "The City Manager," pp. 76 and 225. National
Short Ballot Organization, "Commission Government With a City Manager."
II. History:
Staunton, Va., in 1908 originated the city manager idea.
The "Lockport Proposal" to the New York legislature in 191 1
combined the city manager idea with the commission plan.
Sumter, S. C, adopted the first commission manager charter
in June, 1912.
Dayton, Ohio, adopted the plan in 1913. Forty-five cities have
since accepted city manager charters and many others have ap-
plied the manager idea to municipal affairs without charter re-
vision. Several states have adopted city manager statutes.
The City Manager's Association was formed in 1914 and has
held three conventions.
City manager proposals are now before charter revision
committees in many cities, and the new profession of city man-
agership is rapidly being established.
Cf. H. A. Toulmin's "The City Manager," Chapters II-VI. H. S.
Gilbertson, "Sketch of the Movement," in "Commission Government With a
City Manager," by National Short Ballot Organization.
AFFIRMATIVE
I. The city manager plan gives the people better control over
the government, for
A. The organization of the government is simple, and all
advantages of the short ballot are realized.
di BRIEF
B. All powers are unified in a single, small elective com-
mission and responsibility is unmistakably fixed.
C. It enables the people to elect for considerations of
representation only, for
1. It abandons all attempts to choose good administra-
tors by election.
2. The technical work of administration is performed
by appointive officials not by the commissioners.
D. The people's representatives, the commissioners, have
power to remove the manager at any time if he is
incompetent or insubordinate.
E. Men of ability will be attracted to the position of
commissioner, for
I. Commissioners' positions offer opportunities of
great usefulness without interference with pri-
vate business.
F. It abolishes one-man power, for
1. The manager is subject at all times to the com-
mission.
2. No one member of the commission can exercise
authority over the city administration, except as
a voting member of the group of commissioners.
II. The city manager plan provides efficiency and expert mu-
nicipal administration, for
A. It creates a simple administrative organization with a
single executive head.
B. The city manager is appointed solely because of his
knowledge and experience in municipal affairs and
his executive ability.
C. Subordinate administrative officers are appointed by
the city manager solely because of their training
for the post to which they are assigned, and in large
cities are subject to civil service provisions.
D. There is continuity of policy and stability in adminis-
tration, for
I. The tenure of the city manager is comparatively
permanent.
E. There is a basis for good discipline and harmony in
administration, for
BRIEF xiii
1. The manager cannot safely be at odds with the
commission.
2. Subordinate administrative officers are accountable
to the manager,
F. It promotes the establishment of the profession of mu-
nicipal administration in the United States, for
1. Tenure of the city manager, being dependent upon
his efficiency alone, makes it worth while for men
to seek training in municipal affairs.
2. The individual manager may migrate from city to
city, advancing from a small to a large city as the
results of his work merit.
3. Schools and colleges, and civic associations are
placing increased emphasis on training for public
service as a result of the new opportunities
opened for careers as city managers.
4. The City Managers' Association has been formed
to promote the city manager plan and to provide
a clearing house for exchange of ideas and ex-
perience among members of the new profession.
III. The city manager plan is in successful operation in many
American cities, for
A. It has produced results in the large cities in which it
is in operation, namely Dayton, Ohio, Springfield,
Ohio, Jackson, Mich., Newburgh, N. Y. and San
Jose, California.
B. It has increased the efficiency of the administration of
small cities in which it is in operation, namely
Sumter, S. C, Hickory, N. C, Cadillac, Mich., Sher-
man, Texas and St. Augustine, Fla.
NEGATIVE
I. The city manager plan centralizes power in the hands of
too few men, for
A. Centralization of power increases the opportunity to
play politics on an intensive scale, for
I. Politics interfered with the administration under
the city manager plan in Phoenix, Ariz., S^r\r
dusky, Ohio and Ashtabula, Ohio.
xiv BRIEF
2. The city manager plan is too new and adventurous
for most American cities.
II. The city manager plan would result in government not
responsive to the people's wishes, for
A. A commission of five business men cannot represent
all classes and divisions of the city.
B. Administrative officials are several steps removed from
control by the people whom they serve.
C. The city manager plan assumes that the employment
of experts obviates the need of educating the elec-
torate.
III. Expert administration is not guaranteed by the city
manager plan, for
A. The commission is unlimited in its choice of a man-
ager and may choose an untrained and incom-
petent man.
IV. The city manager plan has produced questionable results
in several cities in which it has been in operation, namely,
Ashtabula, Ohio, and Sandusky, Ohio.
V. The city manager plan has been in operation too short a
time to warrant its general adoption in American cities.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
BIBLIOGRAPHIES
Beard, Charles A. Digest of short ballot charters. The Na-
tional Short Ballot Organization, 383 Fourth Ave., New York
City.
City Manager Plan : Comprehensive list of references. 37p. Cleve-
land Miniicipal Reference Library. Jan. 191 7.
Obtainable only in typewritten form through the Public Affairs Infor-
mation Service, $1.85.
Independent. 86:40. Ap. 3, '16. City manager plan debate. Ref-
erences. R. S. Fulton.
Munro, William Bennett. Bibliography of municipal govern-
ment. Harvard University Press. Cambridge, Mass. 1915.
National Municipal Review. A bibliography of recent publica-
tions dealing with municipal problems is included in each
issue of the National Municipal Review. Publications dealing
with the city manager plan are listed currently. North Amer-
ican Bldg. Philadelphia, Pa.
Public Affairs Information Service. Bulletin for 1915. p. 174,
180-3. Contains also notes regarding progress of city man-
ager plan. H. W. Wilson. See later annuals also.
Toulmin, Harry, A., Jr. The city manager. Appendix E. Apple-
ton, 1915.
University Debaters' Annual, 1915-1916. p. 175-8. H. W. Wilson.
1916.
United States. Library of Congress. List of references on the
City manager plan. N. 28, '14. Typewritten copy 15c.
TEXTS AND DIGESTS OF CITY MANAGER CHARTERS
Model city charter and municipal home rule. Final Edition, Mar.
15, 1916. Published by National Alunicipal League, North
American Bldg. Philadelphia.
Albion, Mich. Charter adopted Nov. 9, 1915.
Amarillo, Texas. Charter adopted Nov. 18, 1913.
Ashtabula, Ohio. Text of the novel features of the charter re-
lating to proportional representation. Ashtabula Chamber of
Commerce, Ashtabula, Ohio.
xvi BIBLIOGRAPHY
Brownsville, Texas. Charter adopted Oct. 25, '15.
Cadillac, Mich. Charter adopted Dec. 9, '13. City Clerk, Cadillac,
Mich.
Collinsville, Okla. Adopted Jan. 9, 1914. City Clerk, Collinsville.
Dayton, Ohio. Charter adopted Aug. 12, 1913. Published by the
Bureau of Research. Schwind Bldg., Dayton, Ohio.
Durango, Colo. Proposed amendments to the city charter, 1915.
Commissioner of records and seal. Durango, Colo.
East Cleveland, Ohio. Proposed charter and statement by the
charter commission adopted June 6, 1916. In effect Jan. 1918.
G. J. Provo, Secretary, East Cleveland, Ohio.
Montrose, Colo. Charter adopted Jan. 12, 1914. S. V. Hobough,
City Clerk, Montrose, Colo.
Phoenix, Ariz. Amended Charter. Published by order of the
commission of the city of Phoenix, 1915.
Petoskey, Mich. Charter adopted Feb. 14, 1916.
Saint Augustine, Fla. Charter adopted June 7, 1915. Published
with a statement in favor of the charter by the Saint Augus-
tine Chamber of Commerce.
San Jose, Calif. Charter adopted July i, 1916. City Manager,
San Jose, Calif.
Sherman, Texas. Proposed charter reported by charter com-
mission. Jan. 21, 1915. City Clerk, Sherman, Texas.
This charter provides for a council of sixteen members. From their
own number the councilmen select two, who may be recalled by them at
any time, to act with the mayor as city commission. This commission
chooses and removes the city manager.
Springfield, Ohio. Charter in effect Aug. 26, 1913.
Taylor, Texas. Charter in effect. Apr. 1914.
Wheeling, W. Va. Greater Wheeling charter. Adopted by 660
vote, to be in effect July i, 1917.
Digests of city manager charters of the following cities will be found in
Beard's "Digest of Short Ballot Charters," and reprinted in "The Com-
mission-Manager Plan of Municipal Government," published by the National
Short Ballot Organization, 383 P"ourth Ave., New York, N. Y.; Dayton, O.;
Springfield, O.; Hickory, N. C. ; Sumter, S. C. ; Amanllo, Texas; Cadillac,
Mich.; Jackson, Mich.; Sherman, Texas; Phoenix, Ariz.; Manistee, Mich.;
Montrose, Colo.; Taylor, Texas; Collinsville, Okla.; Sandusky, O.; Ashta-
bula, O.; Bakersfield, Cal.; La Grande, Ore.
CITY MANAGER STATUTES
Iowa. City manager statute. Approved, 1914.
Idaho. Commission-manager statute. Approved, 1917. Cf. Na-
tional Municipal Review, p. 417. May, 1917.
Kansas. City manager statute. Approved February 17, 191 7.
BIBLIOGRAPHY xvii
Massachusetts. City manager statute. Chapter 267, General
Acts of 1915 entitled "An Act to SimpHfy the Revision of
City Charters." Part V, Plan D, Mayor, city council and
city manager.
Montana. City manager statute. Approved, 1917. Cf. National
Municipal Review, p. 417, May, 1917.
New York. City manager statute. Chapter 444, Laws of New
York, 1914. Approved April 16, 1914, entitled "An Act to
Authorize a City of the Second or Third Class to Adopt a
Simplified Form of Government." Plan C, outlined in Article
V, is called a "government by limited council with appointive
city manager."
A summary of the provisions of this statute and an outline of Plan C
will be found m Beard's "Digest of Short Ballot Charters."
North Carolina. City manager statute. Approved March 6, 191 7.
Plan D of optional city charter law provides for commission
manager. Cf. National Municipal Review, p. 417. May, 1917.
Ohio. City manager statute. Laws of 1913, p. 767 et. seq., entitled
"An Act to Provide Optional Plans of Government for Mu-
nicipalities and Permitting the Adoption Thereof by Popular
Vote in Accordance with Article XVIII, Section 2, of the
Constitution of Ohio." The City manager plan is outlined in
Article IV.
A brief digest of city manager provisions of the Ohio law will be found
in Beard's "Digest of Short Ballot Charters."
South Dakota. Lyon city manager act. Passed in 191 7. Cf. Mu-
nicipal Journal, p. 420,. March 22, 1917.
Virginia. City manager statute. Ch. 94, Acts to Assembly, 1914,
entitled "An Act to Provide for a Change in the Form of
Government of Cities Having a Population of less than 100,000
and of Towns and to Provide in What manner Such Cities
and Towns May Adopt Such Form of Government." Ap-
proved March 13, 1914.
Section 6 c provides for the City Manager Plan.
City manager bills in 191 7 Legislatures.
Bills permitting cities to adopt the city manager plan were introduced in
the legislatures of New Jersey, Nebraska, and Indiana in 19 17. The Indiana
bill died in the Senate committee.
CITY MANAGERS' REPORTS
Alhambra, Calif. First annual report of the city manager, July i,
1916. Charles E. Hewes, City Manager.
xviii BIBLIOGRAPHY
Beaufort, S.C. First annual report of the city council under the
commission manager plan to the citizens. May i, 1916. - Har-
rison G. Otis, City Manager.
Reprinted. See p. 148 of this volume.
Dayton, Ohio. City Manager's report. Jan. i-June 30, 1914.
H. M. Waite, City Manager. Dayton Bureau of Research.
613 Schwind Bldg.
Dayton, Ohio. First annual report of the city commission to the
people. Jan. i, 1915. Published by the citizens committee, 604
Commercial Bldg., Dayton, Ohio.
Dayton, Ohio. Annual report of the city of Dayton for the year
1915. Published by the city commission June, 1916. Dayton
Bureau of Research. 613 Schwind Bldg.
Excerpts reprinted. See p. 164 of this volume.
Dayton, Ohio. Budget of the City of Dayton, 1916. Dayton
Bureau of Research, 613 Schwind Bldg.
Hickory, N.C. Annual report of the city manager for the fiscal
year ending April 30, 1915; ibid April 30, 1916. S. C. Corn-
well, City Manager.
Jackson, Mich. Report of the city manager to the city commis-
sion, 1915. G. C. Cummins, City Manager.
Reprinted. See p. 182 of this volume.
Montrose, Colo. Semi-annual reports of the city manager. Mar.
13 to June 30, 1914; ibid July i, to Dec. 31, 1914. P. W.
Pinkerton, City Manager.
Montrose, Colo. Annual report of city manager, Dec. 31, 1915;
ibid 1916. J. E. McDaniel, City Manager.
Newburgh, N.Y. First annual report of city manager to the
city commission, financial statement and budget for the year,
1916. Henry Wilson, City Manager.
Excerpts reprinted. See p. 187 of this volume.
San Jose, Cal. Report of progress, July i to November 30, 1916,
submitted to the city council by city manager, Thomas H.
Reed.
Springfield, Ohio. Annual report of the city of Springfield, Ohio,
1914; ibid 1915. C. E. A. Ashburnei", City Manager.
Westerville, Ohio. First annual report for the year, 1916. Ray S.
Blinn, City Manager.
Winnetka, 111. First annual report for the year ending Mar. 31,
1916. R. L. Fitzgerald, Business Manager.
BIBLIOGRAPHY xix
GENERAL REFERENCES
Academy of Political Science. 5 : 263-341. Ja. '15. Home rule for
cities. H. L. McBain, L. A. Tanzer, M. H. Glynn, J. P.
Mitchell, D. F. Wilcox and others.
Alabama Municipal League. Proceedings, Tuscaloosa, Ala., Dec.
3-4, 1914. City manager plan of government discussion.
American City. 12:499-514. Je. '15. City manager plan in forty-
five cities.
Information regarding city managers who are now holding office in the
United States, including portraits and biographical data.
American City. 14:513. Mj'. '16. Provisions of a model city
charter. C. R. Woodruff.
American City. 15 : 380-1. O. '16. City manager plan in a boy
city. R. D. Leigh.
American City. 15:413-22. O. '16. Some city manager portraits
and biographies.
American City. 17:533-48. D. '17. Advance of the city manager
movement.
American Municipalities. 27: 51. My. '14. Montrose, Colo., adopts
city manager plan.
American Political Science Review. 7:653-5. N. '13. Progress.
A. M. Holden.
American Political Science Review^. 8:602-13. N. '14. The city
manager plan, the latest in American city government. H. G.
James.
American Political Science Review. 9:561-3. Ag. '15. Develop-
ments relating to the commission and city manager form of
municpal government. A. M. Holden.
Annals of American Academy. Vol 41. May. '12. Efficiency in
city government.
Annals of American Academy. 62 : 163-75. N. '16. Budgetary pro-
cedure under the manager form of city government. Arch
M. Mandel.
Ashtabula. Chamber of Commerce. The Ashtabula plan of mu-
nicipal government, the commission form with proportional
representation. Ashtabula, Ohio.
Baxter, Sylvester. Berlin : A study of municipal government in
Germany. Salem Press Publishing and Printing Co. 1889.
Beard, Charles A. Digest of short ballot charters. National
Short Ballot Organization. 191 1.
Excerpts reprinted. See pp. 7, 13, 55 of this volume.
XX BIBLIOGRAPHY
Berkeley. California City Club. Civic Bulletin, April 15, 1914.
The city manager plan for Berkeley.
Bluefield, W.Va. The city manager plan — some phases in 60
cities, data compiled in 1916, by W. L. Shafer.
Bradford, Ernest S. Commission government in American cities.
Macmillan. 191 1.
Bruere, Henry. The new city government. Appleton. 1912.
California Outlook. O. 25, '13. The commission form and the
city manager plan. E. M. Wilder. Commissioner, Sacramento.
City Manager's Association. Third Annual Report : Proceed-
ings of the Third Annual Meeting held at Springfield, Mass.,
November 20-23, 1916. 88 pages, paper. 25c.
For copies apply to W. L. Miller, Secretary of the Association, St.
Augustine, Florida.
Dayton. Bureau of Municpal Research. Some types of city
government : — a discussion before the Economic Club of
Indianapolis, Feb. 25, 1915. L. D. Upson, 613 Schwind bldg.,
Dayton, Ohio.
Engineering News-Record. 80:398-9. F. 28, '18. Commission-
manager form of city government does not eliminate politics.
T. V. Stephens.
Equity. 20:11-16. Ja. '18. The proposed application of the man-
ager idea to the government of Chicago.
Reprinted. See page 238 of this volume.
Equity. 20:42-6. Ja. '18. Salient features of the Norfolk
charter.
Goodnow, F. J. The principles of the administrative law of the
United States. Putnam's. New York. 1905.
Book III, Chapter IV, contains a brief sketch of the changes in "Mu-
nicipal organization in the United States."
Hamilton, J. J. Government by commission or the dethrone-
ment of the city boss. Funk. 191 1.
Independent. 92:135. O. 20, '17. The proportional manager.
William E. Boynton.
Journal. Western Society of Engineers. 21 :565-87. S. '16. A new
opportunity for engineers. G. C. Cummin.
Kansas. University. Bulletin Vol. 15, No. 18. p. 26-7. S. '14. City
manager plan.
League of American Municipalities. Proceedings. Detroit, 191 1.
Literary Digest. 47 : 308. Ag. 30, '13. Dayton's unique charter.
Literary Digest. 54:399. F. 17, '17. More city managers?
BIBLIOGRAPHY xxi
VIcBain, H. L. Law and practice of municipal home rule. Co-
lumbia University Press. 1915.
Municipal Journal. 44:257-9. Mr. 30, '18. City managers and
their salaries.
Contains an up-to-date list of city manager towns and cities with names
vi managers, dates, salaries, etc.
Munro, William Bennett. The government of American cities.
Macmillan. 1913.
Munro, William Bennett. The government of European cities.
Macmillan. 1914.
Munro, William Bennett. Principles and methods of municipal
administration. Macmillan. 1916.
National Conference on Universities and Public Service. Pro-
ceedings. 1914 : 89-94, 274-9.
Contains city managership, a new career in public service, by H. S.
Cilbertson; City manager, a new career in public service, by F. W. Blackmar.
National Municipal Review. 2:76-81. Ja. '13. The theory of the
new controlled executive plan. Richard S. Childs.
Reprinted. See p. 77 of this volume.
National Municipal Review. 2:416-26. Jl. '13. The vital points in
charter making from a socialist point of view. C. D. Thomp-
son.
National Municipal Review. 2:679. O. '13. Village manager for
Chicago suburb, River Forest, 111.
National Municipal Review. 2:681. O. '13. Springfield, Ohio,
charter.
National Municipal Review. 3:44-8. Ja. '14. Coming of the city
manager plan.
National Municipal Review. 4:266-72. Ag. '15. Comment on the
Dayton charter. Lent D. Upson.
Reprinted. See p. 58 of this volume.
National Municipal Review. 4: 659. O. '15. Grand Rapids to have
commission-manager form.
National Municipal Review. 5:56-65. Ja. '16. The Ashtabula
plan the latest step in municipal organization. A. R. Hatton.
National Municipal Review. 5:195-210. '16. Professional stand-
ards and professional ethics in the new profession of city
manager. R. S. Childs, H. M. Waites, and others.
Reprinted. See p. 84 of this volume.
National Municipal Review. 5 : 325-6. Ap. '16. Notes on the meet-
ing of the city managers' associationj 1915. O. E. Carr.
xxii BIBLIOGRAPHY
National Municipal Review. 5 ^.A,^t-^]. Jl. 'i6. A city manager
charter for East Cleveland, Ohio. Mayo Fesler.
National Municipal Review. 6:84-7. Ja. '17. Proposed new char-
ter of Alameda. William J. Locke.
National Municipal Review. 6:105. Ja. '17. Alameda County
manager charter.
National Municipal Review. 6:277-8. Mr. '17. San Diego County
manager charter.
National Municipal Review. 7:45-8. Ja '18. City managers' asso-
ciation. Ossian E. Carr.
National Municipal Review. 7:158-63. Mr. '18. City managers in
conclave assembled. Harrison Gray Otis.
National Short Ballot Organization. The Short Ballot Bulletin.
383 Fourth Ave., New York City.
National Short Ballot Organization. The Commission-manager
plan of municipal government. 3rd edition. Reprints from
Loose-leaf Digest of Short Ballot Charters. 383 Fourth Ave.,
New York City.
Newark, N. J. The Newark News. F. 4, '15. Sketch of city
manager plan for charter revision committee of that city.
New RepubHc. 8: 135-7. S. 9, '16. New profession of city man-
ager. R. S. Childs.
Norwood, Mass. Town manager statute. Chap. 197, Acts of
(Massachusetts) 1914, approved March 18, 1914.
Public. 16:604-5. Je. "^.T, '13. The municipal business manager.
Review of Reviews. 47:599-602. My. '13. Public administration,
a new profession. H. S. Gilbertson.
Ryan, Oswald. Municipal freedom. Doubleday, 1915.
Shaw, Albert. Municipal government in England. Johns Hop-
kins University, 1888.
Short Ballot Bulletin. Vol. IV, No. i, F. '17. The First County
manager, San Diego county, California. National Short Bal-
lot Organization. 383 Fourth Ave., New York.
Excerpt reprinted. See p. 105 of this volume.
Short Ballot Bulletin. 4:7. O. '17. Commission-manager cities.
Corrected to November 7, 1917.
Survey. 36:225. My. 27, '16. New model for city charters.
Surve3^ 36:454. Jl. 29, '16. Proposed Grand Rapids charter.
B. P. Merrick.
BIBLIOGRAPHY xxiii
Texas Municipalities. 2:49-53. Ap. '15. Origin and theory of the
city manager plan. H. G. James.
Paper read at second annual convention of the League of Texas Mu-
nicipalities, Houston, November 10, 19:4.
Texas Municipalities. 2 : 69-76. Jl. '15. Sherman charter. R. L.
Hall and F. M. Stewart.
Texas University Bulletin. (Municipal research series No. 6.)
F. 20, '15. What is the city manager plan? H. G. James.
Upson, Lent D. A charter primer. Dayton Bureau of Research.
1914.
Woodruff, Clinton Rogers. City government by commission.
Appleton, 191 1.
World Almanac and Encyclopedia, 1918. p. 766. Commission-
manager plan. 1917.
List of cities revised to November 15, 1917.
Yale Review. 4:750-65. Jl. '15. Home rule for American cities.
H. H. Curran.
Zueblin, Charles. American Municipal Progress. Macmillan,
1916.
AFFIRMATIVE REFERENCES
American City. 4:285-7. Je. '11. The Lockport proposal, a city
that wants to improve commission government. R. S. Childs.
American City. 8:373-80. Ap. '13. The representative council
plan of city government ; the city manager plan improved by
the application of proportional representation to the election
of the Council. C. G. Hoag.
American City. 9:25-7. Jl. '13. How a little city is progressing
under a city commissioner, Fredericksburg, Va. A. T. Em-
brey.
American City. 10:39-40. Ja. '14. City manager plan no novelty.
H. S. Gilbertson.
American City. 11 : 11-13. Jl. '14. City manager plan; the appli-
cation of business methods to municipal government.
American City. 13 : 538-9. D. '15. Dayton's exhibit of city man-
ager government. L. D. Upson.
American City. 14 : 494-5. Aly. '16. Council-manager government
at Niagara Falls. O. S. Carr.
American City. 15:675-9. D. '16. Year of commission-manager
administration. R. A. Craig.
American City. (T. and C. edition) 16:26-30. Ja. '17. Borough
manager plan in Edgeworth, Pa. E. A. Beck.
xxiv BIBLIOGRAPHY
American City. 16:66. Ja. '17. Lower interest rate on bonds of
Grinnell, Iowa.
American City. 16:257-62. Mr. '17. Centralized government for
counties and cities. Edward W. Williams.
American City. 16:267-8. Mr. '17. Street improvement with ex-
ceptional economy in Fredericksburg, Va. R. S. Royer.
American Municipalities. 26: 1 13-14. Ja. '14. City manager plan.
American Municipalities. 27:58-60. My. '14. City manager plan
for Iowa. Charles P. Chase.
American Municipalities. 27:93. Je. '14. City manager plan suc-
cessful in Clarinda, Iowa.
American Political Science Review. 9:496-506. Ag. '15. City
manager plan in Ohio. L. D. Upson.
American Proportional Representation League. Representative
council plan of city government; the city manager plan im-
proved by the application of proportional representation to
the election of the council. C. G. Hoag. Ap. 1913. Haver-
ford, Pa.
Annals of American Academy. Vol. 38. N. '11.
As revised 1914, entitled "Commission government and the city manager
plan," contains the following articles: The principles underlying the city
manager plan, by R. S. Childs; The proposal for a school of municipal ad-
ministration at the University of Texas, by H. G. James; Objections to
commission government, by Walter G. Cooper; The city manager charter
for Dayton, by L. D. Upson; Adoption of the city manager plan, by
Ernest E. Bradford; The city manager plan and expert city management, by
H. S. Gilbertson; Municipal government administered by a central manager
— the Staunton plan, by John Crosby; The Lockport proposal, by F. D,
Silvernail.
Cadillac Evening News. Cadillac, Mich. F. 23, '17. Annual report
of manager, history of city for year — considerable saving to
city has resulted through wise handling of finances.
Reprinted. See p. 154 of this volume.
Case and Comment. Vol. xxiii, No. 5. O. '16. The city manager.
H. A. Toulmin, Jr.
City Manager Association. Proceedings. 1914 conference at
Springfield, Ohio. 1915 conference at Dayton, Ohio. 1916
conference at Springfield, Mass. W. L. Miller, secretary, St.
Augustine, Fla.
Civil Service Reform League. Proceedings. 1913 : 127-38. The
city manager plan, its contribution to the growth of non-
political and efficient personnel in municipal administration.
H. S. Gilbertson. ,
BIBLIOGRAPHY xxv
Collier's Weekly. 52:5-6. Ja. 3, '14. Business managing a city.
J. F. Marcosson.
Commonwealth Club of California. Transactions. 10 : 507-46. D.
'15. The city manager plan in California. T. H. Reed.
Dayton Bureau of Municipal Research. Shall we change our
city government. 1913. 613 Schwind Bldg., Dayton, Ohio.
Dayton, (Ohio) Journal. F. i, '14. A Day with Dayton's new
city manager.
Engineering and Contracting. 39: 565-6. My. 21, '13. The growth
of the city manager plan of municipal government.
Engineering and Contracting. 40:729. D. 31, '13. Further comment
on the possibilities of the city manager plan in municipal
government.
Engineering and Contracting. 42:503-4. N. 25, '14. Results in
Abilene, Kan. in sixteen months under commission-manager
government.
Engineering News. 71 : 831-2. Ap. 16, '14. The manager plan of
municipal government. Kenyon Riddle.
Engineering Record. 69:279-80. Mr. 17, '14. Business manage-
ment for cities. H. M. Waite.
Illinois Municipal League, Proceedings. 1915 : 28-33. City man-
ager plan. L. D. Upson.
Independent. 86 : 40. Ap. 3, '16. City manager plan debate. R. S.
Fulton.
Independent. 88:300. N. 20, '16. Waite, master of efficiency.
Kansas City Star (Kansas City, Mo.). Ja. 23, '15. Year made
Dayton over — comparisons between 1913 with its hit-or-miss-
management and 1914 under efficiency in city government.
Lawrence, Kan. Municipal reference bureau. Commission man-
ager plan of city government. C. A. Dykstra.
Literary Digest. 48:147-8. Ja. 24, '13. Driving politics out of
Dayton.
Los Angeles Times. D. l, '14. How city manager plan works out
in practice — impartial statements from Da>i:on, Ohio and
Phoenix, Ariz.
Minnesota, League of, Municipalities. Proceedings of second
annual convention at Mankato, Minn. Oct. 21-22, 1914. City
manager plan in Morris, Minn. S. O. Siverts.
Municipal Engineering. 47:15-18. Jl. '14. The city manager.
Paul E. Kressly.
xxvi BIBLIOGRAPHY
Municipal Engineering. 49:52-6. Ag. '15. Report of a special
committee sent by the chamber of commerce of Norfolk, Va.,
to study the forms of government in operation in Des Moines
and Memphis and in Dayton and Springfield, Ohio. Contains
a very clear and condensed account of the advantages and
disadvantages in the four cities named.
Municipal Journal. 26:822-3. Je. 4, '14. The city manager plan;
how it operates in Dayton, Ohio. H. M. Waite.
Municipal Journal and Engineer. 35 : 379-80. S. 18, '13. Spring-
field's new government. G. L. Rinkliff.
Municipal Journal. 36:278-9. F. 26, '14. City manager govern-
ment, its origin in Staunton, Va., the Staunton ordinance;
arguments in its favor. C. E. Ashburner.
Municipal Journal. 37:11. Jl. 2, '14. Commission manager plan.
R. S. Childs.
Municipal Journal. ^4:112. F. 9, '18. Believes in city manager
government.
Municipal Journal and Engineer. Ag. 21, '13. Dayton's new gov-
ernment.
Municipal World. 24:84. Ap. '14. City managers, Dayton, Ohio
and Springfield, Ohio.
National Municipal League. The Commission plan and the com-
mission-manager plan of municipal government; an analytical
study by a committee of the League. Majority report. North
American Bldg., Philadelphia. 1914.
Reprinted. See p. 107 of this volume.
National Municipal Review. 2:472. Jl. '13. The city manager
plan. H. S. Gilbertson.
National Municipal Review. 2:639-44. O. '13. The city-manager
plan of government for Dayton. L. D. Upson.
Reprinted. See p. 137 of this volume.
National Municipal Review. 3:115-16. Ja. '14. Government and
administration, the city manager plan. H. S. Gilbertson.
National Municipal Review. 4 : 40-9. Ja. '15. The commission
manager plan. H. M. "VVaite.
Reprinted. See p. 131 of this volume.
National Municipal Review. 4:371-82. Jl. '15. How the commission
manager plan is getting along. R. S. Childs.
Reprinted. See p. iii of this volume.
National Municipal Review. 5:320-1. Ap. '16. The 'Sandusky
situation.
Reprinted. See p. 196 of this volume.
BIBLIOGRAPHY xxvii
National Municipal Review. 5:660. O '16. Sherrill, N. Y. City
manager.
National Municipal Review. 6:69-73. Ja- 'i7- How the commission
manager plan is getting along. R. S. Childs.
Reprinted. See p. 123 of this volume.
National Municipal Review. 6:242. Mr. '17. City manager prog-
ress during 1916.
National Municipal Review. 6:238. Mr. '17. Commission man-
ager plan in San Jose. Robert C. Brooks.
National Short Ballot Organization. Certain weakness in the
commission plan of municipal government ; why the commis-
sion manager plan is better. 383 Fourth Ave., New York City.
Reprinted. See p. 128 of this volume.
National Short Ballot Organization. Commission government
with a city manager. 383 Fourth Ave., New York City.
National Short Ballot Organization. Tangible results in Dayton.
383 Fourth Ave., New York City.
Newburgh Daily News. Newburgh, N.Y. Ja. 9, '17. Manager's
report a record of achievement.
Reprinted. See p. 187 of this volume.
Outlook. 104:50-1. My. 10, '13. The practical short ballot in
Sumter.
Outlook. 104:887-9. Ag. 23, '13. The city manager.
Outlook. 113:805-8. Ag. 2, '16. How the gem city plan worked.
H. F. Sherwood.
Pacific Municipalities. 30:452-72. N '16. The city manager
plan in San Jose. T. H. Reed.
Reprinted. See p. 197 of this volume.
Review of Reviews. 49: 144-5. F- 'i4- Progress of the city man-
ager plan.
Review of Reviews. 49: 714-17. Je. '14. How Dayton's city man-
ager plan is working. L. D. Upson.
San Jose Mercury Herald. San Jose, Calif. D. 15, '16. Ordi-
nance committee of the council upholds city manager in policy
of appointments — city manager makes report of five months
of accomplishment.
Sumter, City manager plan of municipal government. Published
by the Cham.ber of Commerce, Sumter, S.C. F. '13.
Texas Municipalities. 2: 10-17. Je. '14. New city government, the
city manager plan in Texas. H. G. James.
Toulmin, H. A., Jr. The city manager. Appleton, 1915.
Excerpts reprinted. See p. 6^ of this volume.
xxvHi BIBLIOGRAPHY
Town Development. Je. '13. The Sumter city manager plan.
Town Development. Jl. '13. The commission manager plan in
Dayton.
Washington League of Municipalities. Proceedings of meeting
in Spokane, Nov. 19-22, 1903. p. 157-75- H. A. Brauer, secre-
tary, University of Washington. "Effective features of com-
mission and city manager forms of municipal government."
World's Work. 26:236-7. Je. '13. Progress of simpler municipal
government.
World's Work. 26:614. O '13. Dayton's step forward in city
government.
NEGATIVE REFERENCES
American City. 9:523-5. D. '13. The town manager as city engi-
neer. Kenyon Riddle.
American City. 10 : 37-8. Ja. '14. Commission form vs. city man-
ager plan : a word of caution. E. S. Bradford.
Dayton Bureau of Municipal Research. Shall we change our
city government. Negative arguments, page 15.
Engineering News. 75 : 379. F. 24, '16. The city manager's ex-
perience with the government of Abilene, Kan.
Independent. 86:40. Ap. 3, '16. City manager plan debate. R. S.
Fulton.
Municipal Engineering. 49:52-6. Ag. '15. Report of a special
committee sent by the Chamber of Commerce of Norfolk, Va.
Disadvantages of the plan in Dayton and Springfield, Ohio.
Municipal Journal. 42:383. Mr. '15, '17. County manager char-
ter defeated in Napa, Cal.
Excerpts reprinted. See pp. 233 and 234 of this volume.
Municipal Journal. 43:421. Mr. 22, '17. Iowa city managers re-
sign.
Excerpts reprinted. See pp. 234, 235, and 236 of this volume.
Munro, William Bennett. Principles and methods of municipal
administration. Macmillan, 1916. Chap. I. The quest for effi-
ciency.
National Municipal League. The commission plan and the com-
mission manager plan of municipal government, an analytical
study by a committee of the League. Minority report. North
American Bldg., Philadelphia, 1914. -
Excerpt reprinted. See p. 209 of this vplmne,
BIBLIOGRAPHY xxix
National Municipal Review. 3:95-7. Ja. '14. Defects in the Day-
ton charter. H. G. James.
Reprinted. See p. 215 of this volume.
National Municipal Review. 4:371. Jl. '15. How the commission
manager plan is getting along. R. S. Childs.
National Municipal Review. 5 : 380. Jl. '16. Some recent uses of
the recall. F. Stuart Fitzpatrick.
Reprinted. See p. 218 of this volume.
National Municipal Review. 5 : 660-2. O. '16. Ashtabula's experi-
ences. A. R. Hatton.
Reprinted. See p. 220 of this volume.
National Municipal Review. 6:19-30. Ja. '17. The evolution of
types of city government in the United States. Howard Lee
McBain.
Excerpt reprinted. See p. 212 of this volume.
National Municipal Review. 6:69. Ja. '17. How the commission
manager plan is getting along. R. S. Childs.
National Municipal Review. 6:115. Ja. '17. Suggested recall of
City Manager Reed.
Pasadena Star News. (Pasadena, Cal.) Views of prominent citi-
zens on the proposed manager amendment — arguments against
city manager plan, issues Nov. 15-20, 1917.
Excerpts reprinted. See pp. 223 and 227 of this volume.
Springfield Union (Springfield, Mass.). Arguments in opposi-
tion to the proposed city manager and federal charters issued
prior to Nov. 7, 1916.
Excerpts reprinted from issues of December 3 and 6, 19 16. See
p. 231 of this volume.
Technical World. 21 : 13-19. Mr. '14. Democracy chooses an
autocrat. W. W. Renwick.
Toulmin, H. A., Jr. The city manager. Appleton, 1915. Chap.
XIV. Disadvantages.
SELECTED ARTICLES ON THE CITY
MANAGER PLAN OF GOVERNMENT
INTRODUCTION
The city manager plan, sometimes called the commission-
manager plan, of municipal government provides for a single
elective commission or council, having legislative and super-
visory powers and contributing the element of popular repre-
sentation to the city's government. The distinguishing feature
of the plan is the city manager, an expert in municipal adminis-
tration appointed by the commission and holding office at its
pleasure. The manager is the executive head of a centralized
and simplified administrative organization and controls the ap-
pointment and removal of all subordinates, subject to civil ser-
vice restrictions. The position of city manager is open to non-
residents and the salary is fixed by the commission at an amount
which will enable the city to command the services of men of
training and executive ability.
The germ of the American city manager idea was first
developed in Staunton, Va., in 1908. The Virginia state consti-
tution made the adoption of the commission plan impossible, but
under the authority of Section 1038 of the Virginia Code, the
city council passed an ordinance creating the office of general
manager. This general manager was given power to take entire
charge of the administration of the city departments, except
those reserved to school, finance and auditing committees.
Staunton's general manager has supervision of highways, parks,
lights, water and corrections. He is the purchasing agent and
financial advisor to the council. The police and fire departments
are, however, under the control of the mayor. The general
manager plan has been a distinct improvement and is now well
established in Staunton, so well in fact that the editor of the
Staunton Daily Leader wrote recently, in reply to an inquiry
2 CITY MANAGER PLAN
regarding local opposition to the city manager plan : "The city
manager plan has been in operation here so long, that we have
forgotten about it. Why, years ago, we even ceased to protest
when some fake writer arose and claimed to be the originator of
the city manager idea. The last answer to one of these impos-
tors appeared in the Leader three years ago."
In 191 1, a bill was introduced in the New York legislature
which received much publicity. This bill set forth the, so-called,
"Lockport plan" to combine the single elective board feature of
the commission plan with the appointive manager idea of Staun-
ton, Va. The resulting organization was similar to that of a
private business corporation with its board of directors and
general manager. The council consisted of four members and
a mayor elected by the people. The council appointed the man-
ager. The manager appointed and removed administrative offi-
cers not otherwise provided for in the charter. The Lockport
plan embodied the initiative, referendum, and recall. Power to
pass ordinances, demand reports of the city manager, and to
exercise limited supervision over departments was conferred
upon the council. The city manager's powers and duties made
him administrative head of the city, his tenure of office was at
the pleasure of the council, he was to execute law and ordi-
nances of the council, he was to appoint and direct the work of
all subordinate administrative officers, make reports and recom-
mendations to the council. This, the first complete commission-
manager proposal did not pass the legislature, but it gave con-
siderable publicity to the city manager idea.
On June 12, 1912, the people of Sumter, S. C, voted on an
option between the commission plan and the city manager plan,
adopting the manager plan by a majority of three to one. The
plan put into operation the following year was the first complete
commission-manager system in the United States. Hickory,
N. C, and Morgantown, N. C, became interested in the city man-
ager plan and charters were drafted which varied slightly from
the Lockport proposal. Both plans went into eflfect in May, 1913.
The spread of the city manager movement was rapid. Dayton,
Ohio, had been through a long siege of wasteful administration.
The Chamber of Commerce, and the Bureau of Municipal Re-
search urged the city manager idea. Their work, well under
way, was interrupted by the flood. When the first board of
OF GOVERNMENT 3
charter commissioners was elected, the ticket nominated by the
citizens committee and pledged to the city manager plan was
elected. The commission drafted the Dayton city manager
charter which was adopted on August 12, 1913.
Springfield, Ohio, adopted a charter following closely the
Dayton model, on August 26, 1913. In October, 1913, the com-
mission-manager plan was adopted in La Grande, Ore., and
Phoenix, Ariz. On November 18, 1913, Amarillo, Texas,
abandoned the commission plan for the city manager plan. In
December, 1913, city manager charters were adopted in La
Grande, Ore., and Phoenix, Ariz., and in January of the next
year, Montrose, Colo., and Collinsville, Okla., followed, making
seven cities in which city manager plan went into effect during
that month. During the last three years approximately forty-five
cities have adopted city-manager charters and as many other
cities and towns have created the position of general manager
by ordinance and brought about as much centralization of powers
and reorganization of administrative departments as is possible
without special legislation or constitutional amendment. Grand
Rapids, Mich., population 112,000, is the largest city except Day-
ton, to adopt the plan, which goes into effect there in July, 191 7.
At present the city manager movement is occupying the atten-
tion of charter revision committees in a large number of cities.
Optional charter laws permitting cities to adopt by popular
vote the city manager plan as an option to other simplified forms
of government have been passed in many states. The Ohio
optional charter law was passed in 1913, giving cities the option
of the federal, commission, and commission-manager plans.
Similar laws were passed in 1914 in New York and Virginia and
in 1915 in Iowa and Massachusetts. City manager bills were
introduced in several state legislatures in 1917, and have been
passed in Kansas, Montana, South Dakota, North Carolina, and
Idaho. The Indiana bill died in the senate committee, and bills
are pending in New Jersey and Nebraska.
However, not all campaigns for the adoption of cit}^ manager
charter have been successful. At least a dozen cities have re-
fused for one reason or another to accept the new manager
principle. Among these are Berkeley and Pasadena, California,
where the issue was between the retention of a commission form
which had proved fairly successful and the adoption of the man-
4 CITY MANAGER PLAN
ager amendment. In Springfield, Mass., the federal plan was
preferred to the city manager plan on Nov. 7, 1916. The existing
government, which has been in operation for sixty years, is the
unwieldy bicameral type, but the issue was not drawn between
this and the city manager plan. Kansas City, Mo., defeated a
proposed city manager charter on March 6, 1917. The charter
was opposed by the saloon organization, by a minority of the
members of the board of freeholders which drafted the charter,
and also by the mayor and his organization. The mayor has
promised to appoint a new charter board. Other cities which
have defeated city manager proposals are Iowa City, Iowa, Ar-
kansas City, Kan., Norman, Okla., Ypsilanti, Mich., Visalia, Cal.,
Durham, Charlotte and Wilmington, N. C, and Tiffin, Ohio.
A few small municipalities which had created the post of city
manager by ordinance have found the arrangement unsatisfac-
tory. River Forest, 111., discontinued the manager's office in
1916. Titusville, Pa., employed a manager for two years, then
discontinued the office and resumed the commission plan. Tuc-
son, Ariz., operating under the old charter, without specific law
employed a manager at a salary of $4,000 during the years 1915
and 1916, but discontinued the office in January, 191 7. No city
which has adopted a complete city manager charter has yet
abandoned it.
The recent proposal of county-manager charters for San
Diego and Napa counties in California is an interesting exten-
sion of the city manager principle. Both charters were defeated,
but the fact that such progressive proposals were made brightens
the outlook for simplified and efficient county government. The
government of the county under the proposed San Diego charter
was to be vested in a board of nine supervisors, nominated from
districts, but elected at large for terms of four years, five elected
one year and four two years later. The county manager was to
be chosen by the supervisors from a list submitted by the civil
service commission. In the manager was centralized the admin-
istration of county affairs. He was to act as purchasing agent,
road commissioner and surveyor. The appointing power of the
manager would have been large, inasmuch as appointments were
for the most part to be made by the supervisors. But for most
purposes the manager would have had actual control pf the ad-
ministration. The county manager plan is included in the pro-
OF GOVERNMENT 5
gram of the government associations of Alameda, Cal., and of
New York state.
Cases involving the constitutionality of city manager charters
have been twice decided upon, both decisions being in favor of
the new plan. In Kopczynski v. Schriber (i6i N. W., 238) the
validity of the charter of Grand Rapids, Mich., was brought into
question on the ground that after creating the office of mayor, it
conferred certain powers on the city manager in conflict with
those of the mayor. The court decided that the charter in so
far as it provided for the election by the council of one of their
own members as mayor, did not conflict with the home rule act
requiring the election of a mayor, since the word election is not
limited in its meaning simply to a vote of the people. They
decided that the city charter did not conflict with the constitu-
tion and was not invalid in its entirety. The supreme court of
Kansas affirmed the constitutionality of the recent city manager
law of that state in State v. Bentley.
The City Managers' Association has already held three con-
ventions. The first held in Springfield, Ohio, December 2, 3 and
4, 1914, was small but enthusiastic. The association was or-
ganized with ten charter members. The second convention was
held in Dayton, Ohio, November 15-17, 1915, and the third in
Springfield, Mass., November 20-23, 1916. The proceedings of
these conventions have been published and are interesting as
showing the spirit of public service which characterizes the new
city manager's profession. The president of the City Managers'
Association is O. E. Carr, city manager of Niagara Falls, N. Y.,
and the secretary is W. L. Miller, City Manager of St. Augus-
tine, Fla.
The spread of the city manager plan has given a great impetus
to the efforts being put forth by colleges and universities to
train men for the public service. The University of Michigan
has outlined a course of study and field work leading to the
master's degree in municipal administration. Columbia Univer-
sity, the University of Texas and others are likewise enlarging
opportunities in this field. Not only have opportunities for study
of municipal science increased, but the new city manager's pro-
fession is gradually acquiring standards and ethics of its own.
The practice of importing managers from out of town, and of
transferring of managers from one city to another are established
6 CITY MANAGER PLAN
facts which tend to promote the growth of the new profession.
In this handbook are gathered together extracts from city
manager charters and statutes, discussions of the theory and
principles of the new plan, arguments favorable to the plan, a
resume of high spots of accomplishment as told by city man-
agers' reports, arguments in opposition to the plan and the sto-
ries of cities in which the adoption of the plan has been accom-
panied by less favorable results.
E, C. Mabie.
DEFINITIONS OF THE CITY MANAGER PLAN
I.
A single elective board (commission) representative, super-
visory and legislative in function, the members giving only part
time to municipal work and receiving nominal salaries or none.
An appointive chief executive (city manager) hired by the board
from anywhere in the country and holding office at the pleasure
of the board. The manager appoints and controls the remain-
ing city employes, subject to adequate civil service provisions. —
By National Municipal League's Committee on Commission
Form of Government.
II.
The city manager is an appointive officer selected, by reason
of his peculiar knowledge of municipal affairs and because of
his administrative ability to fill the position of chief executive of
a vast public corporation, with little restriction upon his power,
and with only one command — produce results. — H. A. Toulmin,
Jr., in "The City Manager."
III.
Any person who is the administrative head of a municipality
appointed by its legislative body." — Constitution of The City
Managers' Association.
IV.
J . Unification of Powers.
All corporate powers to be vested in a single group of elec-
tive officers, constituting a council or commission.
The unification of powers is essential in order to avoid confusion of
responsibility. There should be no other elected officers in the city gov-
ernment. Every power of the city should be possessed by the council.
This makes it impossible for the council to lay the blame on any other
officer if things go wrong. If there is no one who can hinder the council
in its work the council is robbed of every possible excuse and is obliged to
"face the music" in times of public criticism.
Unification of powers is a basic merit of the commission plan and must
not be departed from in the city manager plan.
8 CITY MANAGER PLAN
2. The Short Ballot.
The council to be elected in one of the following ways :
(a) at large (if the number of members to be chosen at
any one time is five or less).
(b) by wards.
(c) by proportional representation.
The need for the short ballot is based on the familiar psychological
difficulty which the average voter will have in remembering more than a
short list of candidates. Experience with non-partisan ballots and party
primary elections has demonstrated that when the number of offices is five
or less, each voter will pick out his own ticket to suit himself and thus
express a genuine personal opinion with every mark of his pencil. On the
other hand, if the number to be chosen exceeds five, the average voter will
accept some ready made ticket devised for him by a civic club or a party
machine, which has been promoted and advertised en bloc. The real selec-
tion and control of public officers then shifts from the voters to the makers
of the tickets, who thus acquire an influence that is capable of great abuse.
In a large city of upwards of 150,000, the mere size of the electoral
unit acts as a discouragement to independent candidates of moderate means
and gives advantage to organized standing political organizations, inasmuch
as the task of improvising an equally effective impromptu vote-getting or-
ganization is too much for the resources of the individual candidate. In
large cities, therefore, ward election or proportional representation is
advised, as a genuinely free and open competition for office is more likely
to ensue.
Ward elections have a bad name in this country, yet they are highly
successful in England, the difference being that ward offices in this country
have been characteristically unimportant and obscure. In the city manager
plan, however, a member of council elected from the ward will be an ex-
ceedingly important officer, one of the supreme directors of the city, in
fact, and not overshadowed by a mayor or any other city officer in the
campaign. A ward election under these circumstances will be a different
matter than in the past.
Proportional representation on the so-called Hare plan is in successful
operation abroad, although it is as yet unfamiliar to Americans. It is
undoubtedly the most scientific method for electing a truly representative
board. A city which under the ordinary system might elect a board of nine
Republicans would, under proportional representation, elect a board of four
Republicans, two Democrats, two Progressives and one Socialist, each party
securing the election of its favorite candidates in the order of their strength
with their party voters, each party having just the proportion of members
that it is entitled to.
The advantage of proportional representation is its fairness to all hands
and the stability which it gives to the city government by preventing sharp
changes in control due to mere fluctuating majorities. Proportional repre-
sentation is impracticable in the commission plan, but the city manager
plan which makes the council a representative body opens the' way for it
in America. It is a favorite proposal of the Socialists, who see that under
this system they would poll their fullest strength without losing the support
OF GOVERNMENT 9
of those sympathizers who now hate to waste their vote on a party that
now has no immediate chance of victory.
J. Executive Organisation.
Non-political executive functions delegated to an official ap-
pointed by the commission to serve during their pleasure, to be
known as the "city manager" or by other appropriate title ;
position of city manager to be open to non-residents ; salary of
city manager to be determined by the council and variable from
time to time ; the city manager's executive pow^ers to include
appointment and removal and general control of all subordinates,
subject to such restrictions (e.g., civil service regulation and
audit) as may be necessary to prevent abuses of power without
diffusing responsibility.
The city manager must be strictly the servant of the council, with no
independence. The council must have absolute control of him and not be
able to say "it is the city manager's fault and we can't overrule him."
The city manager must not have any fixed tenure or any protection against
swift removal, save possibly the right to an explanation of the reasons for
his discharge and an opportunity to present his defense.
While the manager will be expected to make all the subordinate ap-
pointments, there is no safe way of preventing the council from having and
exercising an opinion regarding appointments. On the other hand, in the
hope of keeping questions of patronage away from the council, it would be
advisable not to require confirmation of appointments by the council, or in
fact demand in the charter any specific action by the council in such matters.
The feature of the Dayton plan which provides that the manager may be
recalled by the people is of dubious value, since it interferes with the
accountability of the council and gives opportunity for public hostility to
be directed at the manager rather than at the elected board. The council
should not be given this opportunity to let the manager be the scapegoat.
Neither should the council be given this opportunity to justify their reten-
tion of an unsatisfactory manager by saying that the people must have
approved this attitude, since they did not recall the manager.
■ — R. S. Childs in Beard's "Digest of Short Ballot Charters:."
CITY MANAGER PLAN
%is>^
^5
Al»l
OF GOVERNMENT i
MUNICIPALITIES OPERATING UNDER CITY
MANAGER CHARTERS AND STATUTES*
City Population
Alameda, Cal 23.383
Albion, Mich S.833
Alpena, Mich 13,181
Amarillo, Texas 17,366
Ashtabula, Ohio 20,988
Bakersfield, Cal 12,727
Big Rapids, Mich S,200
Brownsville, Texas . . 12,736
Cadillac, Mich 9,673
Collinsville, Okla 1.324
Dayton, Ohio 140,000
Denton, Texas 6,500
Durango, Colo 6,000
East Cleveland, Ohio 12,564
Elizabeth City, N. C. 9,501
Grand Rapids, Mich.. 125,759
Hickory, N. C S.200
Hot Springs, Ark 14,434
Jackson, Mich 34.370
La Grande, Ore 4,843
Lakeland, Fla 3,719
Manistee, Mich 12,381
Montrose, Colo 3,252
Morgantown, N. C. . . 2,713
Newburgh, N. Y 29,313
Niagara Falls, N. Y.. 36,240
Petoskey, Mich 4.778
Phoenix, Ariz 17,798
Portsmouth, Va 38,610
San Angelo, Texas... 10,321
Sandusky, Ohio 20,160
San Jose, Cal 37.994
Santa Barbara, Cal... 11,659
Sherman, Texas 13,488
Springfield, Ohio.... 50,804
St. Augustine, Fla.. 5,494
Sumter, S. C 9,39^1
Taylor, Texas S,3i4
Tyler, Texas 11,629
Watertown, N. Y 29,384
Webster City, Iowa.. 5,834
Westerville, Ohio . . . 1,903
Wheeling, W. Va 43,097
Wichita, Kan 67,847
Yoakum, Texas 4.657
Date in
Effect
Mr., 1917
Nov., 1915
Apr., 191b
Nov., 1913
Jan., igi6
Apr., 191S
Mlay, 1914
Oct., 1915
Mar., 1914
Feb., 1914
Jan., 1914
Apr., 19 14
Mr., 1915
Jan., 191S
Apr., 191S
Mr., 1917
May, 1913
May, 1917
Jan., 191S
Jan., 1914
May, 1914
May, 1914
Jan., 1914
May, 1913
Jan., 1916
Jan., 1916
Apr., 1916
Apr., 1914
Jan., 1917
Apr., 1916
Jan., 1916
July, 1916
Jan., 1918
Apr., 1915
June, 1914
July, 191S
Jan., 1913
Apr., 1914
Apr., Z91S
Jan., 1918
Oct., 191S
Jan., 1916
July, 1917
July, 1917
Manager
Manager's
Salary
Roland Remley . . . $3,000
H. G. Roby 2,500
M. H. Hardin 3,000
J. W. Prine 2,500
Wallace M. Morgan 3,000
Walter Willets .... 1,200
F. H. Williams.... 3,000
T. V. Stephens.... 2,500
Qaude Thorpe 1,500
H. M. Waite 12,500
S. G. Gary 2,000
A. F. Hood 1,800
J. C. Commander.. 1,800
G. C. Cummin
J. W. Bellew 1,500
A. D. M. Hall
Fred Currey 2,400
D. F. McLeod 2,100
C. E. Ruger 2,000
J. E. McDaniel . . . . 1,800
C. T. Cain 1,200
Henry Wilson . 5,000
O. E. Carr 5,000
Robert D. Tripp.. 2,000
R. A. Craig 5,000
T. B. Shertzer.... 4,000
E. L. Wells, Jr 2,500
Kenneth B. Ward. 3,600
Thomas H. Reed... 6,000
O. J. S. Ellingson. 2,400
E. Ashburner 6,000
W. L. Miller 3,600
E. S. Shuler 3,600
W. E. Dozier 2,600
Clay Hight 3,000
H. G. Vollmer 1,800
R. S. Blinn 1.500
G. Nagle
Louis R. Ash 10,000
* A list of cities that have adopted the city manager plan since this
and the following table were prepared will be found in the Appendix.
Up-to-date lists are published from time to time in the Yearbook of the
City Managers Association and other sources.
CITY MANAGER PLAN
MUNICIPALITIES OPERATING UNDER A MOD-
IFIED FORM OF CITY MANAGER PLAN'
1 Note. — The organization of these municipalities lacks one or more of
the essential features of the city manager plan. In many the manager's
office is created by ordinance instead of by charter. In some the town
organization is retained. — Editor.
Manager's
Salary
$1,200*
2,400
2,400
1,500
City or Town Population
Abilene, Kan 4,267
Alhambra, Cal 8,000
Beaufort, S. C 3,S00
Bentonville, Ark 3,600
Bloomiield, Iowa 2,280
Bristol, Fa 10,390
Charleston, W. Va 28,822
Charlottesville, Va. . . . 7,000
Clarinda, Iowa 4,478
Qark, S. D 1,200
Cynthiana, Ky 4,000
Fredericksburg, Va. . . 5,874
Glasgow, Mont 5,000
Glencoe, 111 3,100
Glendale, Cal 8,500
Graham, Va 4,000
Grand Haven, Mich... 5,856
GrinnelL Iowa 5,o6i
Grove City, Pa 4,000
Highland Park, Texas
High Point, N. C 1^,353
Holtville, Cal 1,000
Horicon, Wis 2,200
Huntington Beach, Cal 2,000
Iowa Falls^ Iowa 3,716
Johnson City, Tenn... 10,534
Largo, Fla 800
Morris, Minn 2,500
Mulberry, Kan 1,662
Norwood, Mass 10,977
Rock Hill, S. C 7,216
Roswell, N. Mex 6,172
San Diego, Cal 51,115
San Rafael, Cal 5,034
SherriU, N. Y 1,500
Staunton, Va 11,485
Tarboro, N. C 5,000
Teag^ue, Texas 5,000
Tempe, Ariz 3,000
Terrell, Texas 7,050
Thomasville, N. C 5,Soo
Westmount, Quebec . . 18,200
Williamson, W. Va, ... 5,600
Winchester, Va 7,000
Winnetka, 111 5, 500
Date in
Effect
June, 1913
July, 1915
Apr., 1915
Sept., 1915
July, 1912
Jan., 19 1 7
May, 19 15
Aug., 19 1 3
Apr., 1913
May, 1912
Dec, 1915
Sept., 1912
July, 1916
Jan., 1914
May, 1914
May, 1916
Apr., 191S
Sept., 19 16
Ayr., 1916
1917
May, 1915
Apr., 1914
July, 1916
Apr., 1914
July, 1909
une, 1913
Jan., 1914
Oct., 1914
Jan., 1915
Jan., 1915
May, 1914
May, 1915
Aug., 19 1 5
May, 1916
Jan., 1908
Apr., 1916
Jan., 1915
1915
May, 19x5
Apr., 1913
Jan., 19x6
May, X916
Jan., 19x5
Manager
Kenyon Riddle .
Charles E, Hewes
Harrison G, Otis
Edgar Masoner ,
R, C. Bristow 680
John Roberts 2,000'
B, A, Wise 3,300
H, A. Stecker »
T. A. Wilson 1,700
J. E. Smith 960*
Daniel Durbin .... 900
R. S. Royer 3,ooo»
C. H. Blitmay »
H. H. Sherer 2,500
Thomas W. Watson 1,800
P, C. Nowlin 1,500
I. R, Elliston 1,800
Sam, Crosby 2,400
H. B. McCune 1,500'
M. Costello '
Archer Lyon 2,500
E. L. Kenny
Robert H. Polzin. . . 1,000
G. W. Spencer , 2,400'
E, L, Marriage,,,. 1,500*
P, F, McDonald... 1,800
G, J, Perkins 900
S. A. Siverts 1,700'
John W. Marion 1,000
C. A. Bingham.... 3,000'
J. G. Barnwell 2,500*
A. G. Jaffa 1,800
F, M, Lockwood, , . 6,000'
F, J. Boland 2,400
C, A, Brown
S, D, Holsinger. , , . 1,800
J. H. Jacocks 1,500
E. B. St. Clair 1,680
M. C. Browning
Frank D. Jones , 1,200
G, W, Thompson *
O, H, Booton 1,800
Arthur M. Field.. 2,000'
R. L. Fitzgerald 2,400"
^ Ordinance. Manager works only part time,
' Manager appointed under three years' contract as experiment,
' Ordinance.
• See new S. D. law of 1917.
• Ordinance providing for city engineer and manager.
•Resigned April 1, 19x7.
' Limited to engineering.
• Town government.
• Manager of operation of harbor, streets, buildings, sewers, water sys-
tem and city engineer.
" Business manager entered into contract with city. Duties not defined.
CITY MANAGER STATUTES
DIGEST OF NEW YORK CITY MANAGER
STATUTE^
Provisions applicable to each plan
[Note: This act permits any city of the second and third class
to adopt one of seven simplified forms of government. Plan C
is the city-manager form.]
Governing Body:
Title: Council.
Terms of Office: Four years. Partial renewal biennially.
Mayor
In addition to other powers granted under the specific plans,
the mayor has custody of the seal of the city and is required to
authenticate the acts of the council and all instruments author-
ized to be authenticated ; exercises other powers conferred by law
upon the mayor of the city, if not inconsistent with this act.
Appointments
Civil Service: The state law applies. Civil service commis-
sion appointed by the mayor or council.
City Clerk: Appointed by the council.
Judicial Officers
If elected before adoption of this act they continue to be
elected, but if formerly appointive, will be appointed by the city
council under Plans A, B and C, or by the Mayor under Plans
D, E and F.
Boards of Education
Not aifected by this act; controlled in all respects by the
charter or other law operative before adoption of this act.
1 An act of the Legislature, approved April 18, 1914, applicable to any
city of the second or third class, when adopted at a general or special
election called upon petition of ten per centum of the voters. _ Based upon
vote cast for mayor at last previous election not over 2,000 signatures re-
quired in any city. Reprinted from "Loose Leaf Digest of Short Ballot
Charters."
14 CITY MANAGER PLAN
Election Provisions
The general laws of the state apply. These require the hold-
ing of partisan primaries, with provision for independent nom-
inations. The ballot is of the so-called "Massachusetts" type,
with the party emblem opposite the name of each candidate.
No provisions.
No provisions.
Initiative
Referendum
Recall
No provisions.
Plan C. (Limited Council with Appointive City Manager).
Governing Body
Number : Five, including mayor, in third class cities ; seven,
including mayor in second class cities ; all elected at large.
Salaries
Population less than 10,000: three hundred dollars.
Population 10,000 to 25,000 : five hundred dollars.
Population 25,000 to 50,000; seven hundred dollars.
Population 50,000 to 100,000: one thousand dollars.
Population over 100,000: twelve hundred dollars.
A dministration — City Manager
Administrative and executive powers vested in a city man-
ager, appointed by the council, to hold office during their pleas-
ure. The duties of the city manager are to (i) be the admin-
istrative head of the city government; (2) see that within the
city the laws of the state and the ordinances, resolutions and by-
laws of the council are faithfully executed; (3) attend all
meetings of the council, and recommend for adoption such
measures as he shall deem expedient; (4) make reports to the
council from time to time upon the affairs of the city, keep the
council fully advised of the city's financial condition, and its
future financial needs: (5) prepare and submit to thje council a
tentative budget for the next fiscal year.
OF GOVERNMENT IS
Appointments
The council determines upon the number and the powers,
duties and compensation of officers and employees, but appoint-
ments to all offices and employments are made by the city
manager.
Mayor
Is required to preside at all meetings of the council ; is offi-
cial head of the city for the service of civil process, and under
the military law, and for all ceremonial purposes ; has no veto
power.
DIGEST OF VIRGINIA CITY MANAGER
STATUTE^
III. CITY MANAGER PLAN.
Governing Body
Number: Population less than 10,000 — three or five, elected
at large.
Population over 10,000 — five to eleven.
Terms of Office: Four years.
City Manager
Administrative and executive powers. The administrative
and executive powers of the city, including the power of ap-
pointment of officers and employees, are vested in an official to
be known as the city manager, who shall be appointed by the
council at its first meeting, or as soon thereafter as practicable,
and hold office during the pleasure of the council ; he shall re-
ceive such compensation as shall be fixed by the council by
ordinance.
General Duties of the City Manager.
I. The city manager shall see that within the city the laws,
ordinances, resolutions and by-laws of the council are faithfully
executed.
^ An act of the legislature, approved March 13, 19 14, applicable to
every city having less than 100,000 inhabitants, when adopted at a special
election called upon petition of 25 per cent of the electors qualified to vote
at the last preceding municipal elction. Reprinted from "Loose-leaf Digest
of Short Ballot Charters."
i6 CITY MANAGER PLAN
2. Attend all meetings of the council, and recommend for
adoption such measures as he shall deem expedient.
3. Make reports to the council from time to time upon the
affairs of the city ; keep the council fully advised of the city's
financial condition, and its future financial needs.
4. Prepare and submit to the council a tentative budget for
the next fiscal year.
5. He shall perform such other duties as may be prescribed
by the council not in conflict with the foregoing, and shall be
bonded as the council may deem necessary.
(See also "Appointments").
Appointments
Manner: By the city manager, subject to removal by him
(except those in the financial, legal and judicial departments and
the clerical and other attendants of the council).
Under this plan the council selects one of its own number
to preside over its meetings, who becomes, thereupon, cx-officio
mayor.
Provisions Applicable to Each Plan
Elections
The general state law providing for partisan elections only,
applies.
Initiative, Referendum, and Recall
No provisions.
CITY MANAGER CHARTERS
EXCERPTS FROM A MODEL CITY MANAGER
CHARTER'
The Council
Sec. I. Creation of Council. There is hereby created a coun-
cil which shall have full power and authority, except as herein
otherwise provided, to exercise all the powers conferred upon
the city.
This model is assumed to be a home rule charter based upon provi-
sions for constitutional municipal home rule. When this or a similar
charter is made available for cities by statute it is desirable that a com-
prehensive grant of powers be included in the act itself. Otherwise cities
securing such a charter will have only the powers enumerated in the general
law of the state and be subject to all the restrictions and inconveniences
arising from that method of granting powers. It is suggested, therefore,
that the following grant of powers be included in any such special statutory
charter or optional charter law. The changes of language necessary to
adapt it to a special statutory charter readily suggest themselves:
Section — . Cities organized under this act shall have and are hereby
granted authority to exercise all powers relating to their municipal affairs;
and no enumeration of powers in any law shall be deemed to restrict the
general grant of authority hereby conferred.
The following shall be deemed to be a part of the powers conferred
upon cities by this section:
(a) To levy, assess and collect taxes and to borrow money within the
limits prescribed by general law; and to levy and collect special assessments
for benefits conferred.
(b) To furnish all local public services; to purchase, hire, construct,
own, maintain and operate or lease local public utilities; to acquire, by
condemnation or otherwise, within or without the corporate limits, property
necessary for any such purposes, subject to restrictions imposed by general
law for the protection of other communities; and to grant local public utility
franchises and regulate the exercise thereof.
(c) To make local public improvements and to acquire, by condemna-
tion or otherwise, property within its corporate limits necessary for such
improvements; and also to acquire an excess over that needed for any such
improvement, and to sell or lease such excess property with restrictions, in
order to protect and preserve the improvement.
(d) To issue and sell bonds on the security of any such excess prop-
erty, or of any public utility owned by the city, or of the revenues thereof,
or of both, including in the case of a public utility, if deemed desirable by
the city, a franchise stating the terms upon which, in case of foreclosure,
the purchaser may operate such utility.
(e) To organize and administer public schools and libraries, subject to
the general laws establishing a standard of education for the state.
(f ) To adopt and enforce within their limits local police, sanitary and
other similar regulations not in conflict with general laws.
Except as otherwise provided in this act the council shall have authority
to determine by whom and in what manner the powers granted by this
section shall be exercised.
'Prepared by the Committee on Municipal Program of the National
Municipal League, March 15, 1916.
i8 CITY MANAGER PLAN
Sec. 2. Composition of Council and Vacancies. The council
shall consist of members," who shall be elected
on a general ticket from the city at large and shall serve for a
term of four years from days after their election,
and shall be subject to recall as hereinafter provided. Vacancies
in the council, except as otherwise provided herein, shall be
filled for the unexpired term by a majority vote of the remain-
ing members.'
Sec. 3. Powers of Council. The council shall be the judge
of the election and qualification of its own members, subject to
review by the courts. Any member of council who shall have
been convicted of a crime while in ofiice shall thereby forfeit
his office. Neither the council nor any of its committees or mem-
bers shall dictate the appointment of any person to ofiice or em-
ployment by the city manager, or in any manner interfere with
the city manager or prevent him from exercising his own judg-
ment in the appointment of officers and employes in the adminis-
trative service. Except for the purpose of inquiry the council
and its members shall deal with the administrative service solely
through the city manager, and neither the council nor any mem-
ber thereof shall give orders to any of the subordinates of the
city manager, either publicly or privately. Any such dictation,
prevention, orders, or other interference on the part of a mem-
ber of council with the administration of the city shall be deemed
to be a misdemeanor, and upon conviction any member so con-
victed shall be subject to a fine not exceeding $ or
imprisonment for a term not exceeding months, or both,
and to removal from office in the discretion of the court.
Sec. 4. Election by Councils. Rules. Quorum. The council
shall elect one of its members as chairman, who shall be en-
^ At least five and not more than twenty-five, the precise number being
determined by the size of the city. If more than five are to be elected at
one time, provision must be made to have the members after the first
election chosen in rotation. For example, a council of fifteen with a six-
year term, five to be elected every two years. In cities of more than
100,000 the city should be divided into large districts, and the size of the
district should never exceed 50,000 population, except in cities over 1,000,000.
The purpose of this limitation is to keep the size of the district down to
such a point that genuinely free competition for public office will prevail,
the expense of a thorough canvass being not too great for an independent
candidate who may lack the support of a permanent political machine.
If proportional representation is used, it should be so arranged that
the quota needed to elect a candidate shall not exceed 10,000 votes.
•"• In determining whether a salary shall be paid, and if so how much,
it must be borne in mind that the duties of the council are supervisory; it
being the object of this charter to place the administrative affairs of the
city in the hands of the city manager.
OF GOVERNMENT 19
titled mayor ; also a cit}^ manager, a clerk and a civil service
board, but no member of the council shall be chosen as manager,
or as a member of the civil service commission. The council may
determine its own rules of procedure, may punish its own mem-
bers for misconduct and may compel attendance of members.
A majority of all the members of the council shall constitute a
quorum to do business, but a smaller number may adjourn from
time to time.
Sec. 5. Organisation and Procedure of Council. At 8 o'clock
P.M. on the first Monday in (month) following a regular muni-
cipal election, the council shall meet at the usual place for hold-
ing meetings at which time the newly elected councilmen shall
assume the duties of their office. Thereafter the council shall
meet at such time and place as may be prescribed by ordinance.
The meetings of the council and all sessions of committees of
the council shall be public. The council shall act only by ordi-
nance or resolution ; and all ordinances and resolutions, except
ordinances making appropriations, shall be confined to one sub-
ject which shall be clearly expressed in the title. The ordinances
making appropriations shall be confined to the subject of appro-
priations. No ordinance shall be passed until it has been read
on two separate days or the requirement of readings on two
separate days has been dispensed with by a four-fifths vote of
the members of the council. The final reading shall be in full,
unless the measure shall have been printed and a copy thereof
furnished to each member prior to such reading. The ayes and
noes shall be taken upon the passage of all ordinances or resolu-
tions and entered upon the journal of the proceedings of the
council, and every ordinance or resolution shall require on final
passage the affirmative vote of a majority of all the members.
No member shall be excused from voting except on matters in-
volving the consideration of his own official conduct, or where
his financial interests are involved. Provision shall be made
for the printing and publication in full of every ordinance within
ten days after its final passage.
Sec. 6. Powers of Mayor. The mayor shall preside at meet-
ings of the council and perform such other duties consistent
with his office as may be imposed by the council. He shall be
recognized as the official head of the city for all ceremonial
purposes, by the courts for the purpose of serving civil processes,
and by the governor for military purposes. In time of public
20 CITY MANAGER PLAN
danger or emergency he may, with the consent of the council,
take command of the police and maintain order and enforce the
laws. During his absence or disability his duties shall be per
formed by another member appointed by the council.
Administrative Service: The City Manager
Sec. 34. The City Manager. The city manager shall be the
chief executive officer of the city.^ He shall be chosen by the
council solely on the basis of his executive and administrative
qualifications. The choice shall not be limited to inhabitants of
the city or state."
The city manager shall receive a compensation of not less
than a year.^ He shall be appointed for an indefi-
nite period. He shall be removable by the council. H removed
at any time after six months he may demand written charges
and a public hearing on the same before the council prior to the
date on which his final removal shall take effect, but during such
hearing the council may suspend him from office. During the
absence or disability of the city manager the council shall desig-
nate some properly qualified person to perform the duties of the
office.
Sec. 35. Powers and Duties of the City Manager. The city
manager shall be responsible to the council for the proper admin-
istration of all affairs of the city, and to that end shall make
all appointments, except as otherwise provided in this charter.
^ While the manager plan herein proposed is probably the most advanced
and scientific form of municipal organization yet suggested, it is of the
highest importance that any city adopting the plan should not omit any of
the other principal features accompanying it in this draft. Without these
provisions the manager plan, owing to its concentration of executive and
administrative authority in the manager, might prove to be susceptible to
perversion in the interest of a boss in cities with an undeveloped and
inactive public opinion, because the members of council might then be
elected upon a state pledged beforehand to the selection of some particular
candidate as manager.
It is also true that no form of government can in and of itself produce
good results. The most that any plan can do is to provide an organization
which lends itself to efficient action, and which at the same time places in
the hands of the electorate simple and effective means for controlling their
government in their own interests. The evils in city government due to
defective and undemocratic organization can thus be removed; beyond that,
results can only be achieved through the growth of an active and enlightened
public opinion.
^ The German plan of publicly advertising for a burgomeister and heads
of departments and selecting the ones who best show the qualifications de-
manded has been highly successful.
^ The minimum salary would vary according to the size of the city and
the responsibilities of the oflice. Dayton, Ohio, a city of 117,000 inhabitants,
pays its city manager a salary of $12,500 per year.
OF GOVERNMENT 21
Except when the council is considering his removal, he shall be
entitled to be present at all meetings of the council and of its
committees and to take part in their discussion.
Sec 36. Annual Budget. The city manager shall prepare
and submit to the council the annual budget after receiving
estimates made by the directors of the departments.
ADMINISTRATION DEPARTMENTS
Sec. 37. Administrative Departments Created. There shall
be six administrative departments as follows : Law, health, works
and utilities, safety and welfare, education^ and finance, the
functions of which shall be prescribed by the council except as
herein otherwise provided. The council shall fix all salaries,
which in the classified service shall be uniform for each grade,
as established by the civil service commission, and the council
may, by a three-fourths vote of its entire membership, create
new departments, combine or abolish existing departments or
establish temporary departments for special work.^
Sec. 38. Duties of Directors of Departments. At the head
of each department there shall be a director. Each director shall
be chosen on the basis of his general executive and administra-
tive experience and ability and of his education, training and
experience in the class of work which he is to administer. The
director of the department of law shall be a lawyer; of health,
a sanitary engineer or a member of the medical profession ; of
1 In places where the school system works well under a separate organi-
zation it had better not be disturbed, and in such cases the department of
education will generally have to be omitted.
- The number of departments may be increased or diminished according
to the population or other local needs of a given city. Where it is increased
it will probably be desirable to divide the department of safety and welfare
into two departments, and in some cases to divide the department of safety
into police and fire departments respectively. The department of utilities
may be separated trom department of public works when (i) such utilities
are privately owned, so that their administration is chiefly regulative; and
(2) in large cities where the department of works and utilities would make
too large a department or where it seemed desirable to put all the revenue-
producing industries in one department. In reducing the number of de-
partments, those of law, health and finance might be cut out in the order
named, either combining them with remaining departments (as health with
welfare and safety) or making them directly subordinate to the city
manager.
The number of departments can be kept down in the larger cities and
reduced in the smaller ones by (i) the creation of department bureaus and
(2) where so complex an organization as a bureau is not needed by having
the proper official report directly to the city manager instead of to a
department head.
The principle underlying the formation of departments and bureaus
should be twofold: (i) functional grouping and (2) tasks which demand
the time and capacity of the highest grade of administrative heads — i.e., one
first-class full-time man to head each department.
22 CITY MANAGER PLAN
works, an engineer; of education, a teacher by profession; of
safety, and welfare, a man who has had administrative experi-
ence; and of finance, a man who has had experience in banking,
accounting or other financial matters; or in each case the man
must have rendered active service in the same department in
this or some other city.
Each director shall be appointed by the city manager and may
be removed by him at any time; but. in case of such removal,
if the director so demands, written charges must be preferred
by the city manager, and the director shall be given a public
hearing before the order of removal is made final. The charges
and the director's reply thereto shall be filed with the clerk of
council.
Sec. 39. Responsibility of Directors of Departments. The
directors of departments shall be immediately responsible to the
city managers for the administration of their departments and
their advice in writing may be required by him on all matters
affecting their departments. They shall prepare departmental
estimates, which shall be open to public inspection, and they shall
make all other reports and recommendations concerning their
departments at stated intervals or when requested by the city
manager.
Sec. 40. Powers of Subpoena. The council, the city manager
and any officer or board authorized by them, or either of them,
shall have power to make investigations as to city affairs, to
subpoena witnesses, administer oaths and compel the production
of books and papers.
The model charter also contains provision for recall, initia-
tive, referendum, civil service, and alternative sections relating
to nomination and election methods, including proportional rep-
resentation and preferential voting.
TYPICAL CITY MANAGER CHARTER OF
SPRINGFIELD, OHIO'
We, the people of the city of Springfield, Ohio, in order to
obtain the benefits of local self-government, to encourage more
direct and business-like methods in the transaction of our mu-
' The charter of Springfield, Ohio, is one of the best drawn of the
cit^ manager charters. It is in accord with the home-rule provisions of the
Ohio constitution.
OF GOVERNMENT 23
nicipal affairs, and otherwise to promote our common welfare,
do adopt the following charter of our city :
Powers of the City
Sec. I. The inhabitants of the city of Springfield, Ohio, as
its limits now are or hereafter may be established, shall continue
to be a body politic and corporate, to be known and designated
as "The City of Springfield, Ohio," and as such shall have per-
petual succession. It shall have and may exercise all powers
which now or hereafter it would be competent for this charter
specifically to enumerate, as fully and completely as though said
powers were specifically enumerated herein ; and no enumeration
of particular powers by this charter shall be held to be exclusive.
The City Commission
Sec. 2. Creation and Powers. There is hereby created a City
Commission to consist of five electors of the city elected at
large, who shall hold office for a term of four years beginning
January first after their election, excepting that the two mem-
bers elected at the first election by the lowest vote shall hold
office for the term of two years only.
All the powers of the city, except such as are vested in the
Board of Education and in the Judge of the Police Court, and
except as otherwise provided by this charter or by the consti-
tution of the state, are hereby vested in the city commission ;
and, except as otherwise prescribed by this charter or by the con-
stitution of the state, the city commission may by ordinance or
resolution prescribe the manner in which any power of the city
shall be exercised. In the absence of such provision as to any
power, such power shall be exercised in the manner now or
hereafter prescribed by the general laws of the state applicable
to municipalities.
Sec. 3. Qualifications of Members. Each member of the
city commission, for at least five years immediately prior to
his election shall have been, and during his term of office shall
continue to be, a resident of the city of Springfield, Ohio, and
shall have the qualifications of an elector therein. He shall not
hold any other public ofiice or employment except that of notary
public or member of the state militia.
No candidate for the office of city commissioner shall make
any personal canvass among the voters to secure his nomination
24 CITY MANAGER PLAN
or election, or the nomination or election by any other candidate
at the same election, whether for municipal, county, state or
other office. He may cause notice of his candidacy to be pub-
lished in the newspapers, and may procure the circulation of a
petition for his nomination; but he shall not personally circulate
such petition, nor by writing or otherwise solicit any one to
support him or vote for him. He shall not expend or promise
any money, office, employment or other thing of value to secure
a nomination or election ; but he may answer such inquiries as
may be put to him and may declare his position publicly upon
matters of public interest, either by addressing public meetings
or by making written statements for newspaper publication or
general circulation. A violation of these provisions, or any of
them, shall disqualify him from holding the office, if elected ; and
the person receiving the next highest number of votes, who has
observed the foregoing conditions, shall be entitled to the office.
Sec. 4. Vacancies. Any vacancy in the city commission, ex-
cept as otherwise provided in this charter, shall be filled by the
remaining members by the vote of at least three. If the term of
the office so filled does not expire for two years or more after
the next regular municipal election following such vacancy, and
such vacancy occurs in time to permit it, an additional commis-
sioner, shall then be elected; and, of those commissioners elected
at such election the one having the lowest vote shall succeed
such appointee and serve the unexpired term. In the event of
more than one vacancy to be so filled by election, the same pro-
visions shall apply.
If, by reason of resignations, deaths, failure to elect, or other
circumstance, three or more vacancies exist or occur at the same
time in said city commission, or if said commission fails to fill
any vacancy within ten days after the same occurs, then the trus-
tees of the sinking fund and the members of the civil service
commission shall convene in joint session, and by a majority
vote of the members of the joint board forthwith make such
number of appointments as may be necessary to constitute a
city commission of three qualified members, which three mem-
bers shall at once proceed to fill the remaining vacanies as here-
inbefore provided. The clerk of the trustees of the sinking fund
shall act as the clerk of the two boards in joint session, and shall
cause his certificate of their action to be entered on the journal
of the city commission.
OF GOVERNMENT 25
Sec. 5. Salary and Bonds. Each member of the city com-
mission shall receive, except as hereinafter provided, a salary of
five hundred dollars a year payable in equal monthly install-
ments; and shall give bond in the sum of ten thousand dollars
with some bonding company regularly accredited to do business
in the state of Ohio as surety thereof, to the approval of the
sinking fund trustees ; and the premium of each such bond shall
be paid by the city.
Sec. 6. President. The city commission shall at the time of
organizing elect one of its members as president and another as
vice-president for terms of two years. In case the members of
the city commission, within five days after the time herein fixed
for their organization meeting, are unable to agree upon a presi-
dent or a vice-president of such commission, then a president,
or a vice-president, or both, as the occasion may require, shall
be selected from all the members of such commission by lot
conducted by the city solicitor; who shall certify the result of
such lot upon the journal of the commission.
The president shall preside at all meetings of the commission
and perform such other duties consistent with his office as may
be imposed by it ; and he shall have a voice and vote in its pro-
ceedings, but no veto. He may use the title of mayor in any
case in which the execution of legal instruments of writing or
other necessity arising from the general law of the state so re-
quires but this shall not be construed as conferring upon him
the administrative or judicial functions of a mayor under the
general laws of the state.
The president of the city commission shall be recognized as
the official head of the city by the courts for the purpose of
serving civil process, by the governor for the purpose of military
law, and for all ceremonial purposes. He may take command of
the police and govern the city by proclamation during times of
public danger or emergency, and he shall himself be the judge
of what constitutes such public danger or emergency. The
powers and duties of the president shall be such as are conferred
upon him by this charter, together with such others as are con-
ferred by the city commission in pursuance of the provisions of
this charter, and no others.
If the president be temporarily absent from the city, or I)e-
come temporarily disabled from any cause, his duties shall be
performed during such absence or disability by the vice-presi-
26 CITY MANAGER PLAN
dent. In the absence of both president and vice-president the
other members of the city commission shall select one of their
number to perform the duties of president.
Sec. 7. Clerk and Employees. The city commission shall
appoint a clerk who shall be known as the Clerk of the City
Commission, and who shall keep records and perform such other
duties as may be prescribed by this charter or by the commission.
It may also appoint and employ such other officers and employees
of its body as are necessary.
Sec. 8. Time of Meeting. At eight o'clock p.m. on the sec-
ond day of January following a regular municipal election, or
if such day be Sunday, on the day following, the city commission
shall meet at the usual place for holding the meetings of the
legislative body of the city, at which time the newly elected
commissioners shall assume the duties of their office. Thereafter
the city commission shall meet at such times as may be pre-
scribed by ordinance or resolution, except that it shall meet
regularly not less than one evening each week. The president,
any two members of the commission, or the city manager, may
call special meetings of the commission upon at least twelve
hours written notice to each member, served personally or left at
his usual place of residence. All meetings of the city commis-
sion shall be public and any citizen shall have access to the
minutes and records thereof at all reasonable times. The com-
mission shall determine its own rules and order of business and
shall keep a journal of its proceedings.
Sec. 9. Penalty for Absence. For each absence of a city
commissioner from a regular meeting of the commission, there
shall be deducted a sum equalto two per cent of the annual
salary of such member. Absence from five consecutive regular
meetings shall operate to vacate the seat of a member unless
the absence is excused by the commission by resolution setting
forth such excuse and entered upon the journal.
Sec. id. Legislative Procedure. A majority of all the mem-
bers elected to the city commission shall be a quorum to do busi-
ness, but a less number may adjourn from day to day and com-
pel the attendance of absent members in such manner and under
such penalties as may be prescribed by ordinance. The affirm-
ative vote of at least three of the members shall be n^ecessary
to adopt any ordinance or resolution ; and the vote upon the pas-
sage of all ordinances and resolutions shall be taken by "yeas"
and "nays" and entered upon the journal.
OF GOVERNMENT 27
Sec. II. Ordinance Enactment. Each proposed ordinance or
resolution shall be introduced in written or printed form, and
shall not contani more than one subject which shall be clearly
stated in the title ; but general appropriation ordinances may
contain the various subjects and accounts for which moneys are
to be appropriated. The enacting clause of all ordinances passed
by the city commission shall be, "Be it ordained by the City
Commission of the City of Springfield, Ohio." The enacting
clause of all ordinances submitted to popular election by the
initiative shall be : "Be it ordained by the people of the City of
Springfield, Ohio."
No ordinance unless it be an emergency measure, shall be
passed until it has been read at two regular meetings not less
than one week apart, or the requirement of such reading has
been dispensed with by an affirmative vote of four of the mem-
bers of the commission. No ordinance or resolution or section
thereof shall be revised or amended, unless the new ordinance
or resolution contain the entire ordinance or resolution or sec-
tion revised or amended; and the original ordinance, resolution,
section or sections so amended shall be repealed.
Sec. 12. Emergency Measures. All ordinances and resolu-
tions passed by the city commission shall be in effect from and
after thirty days from the date of their passage, except that the
city commission may, by an affirmative vote of four of its mem-
bers, pass emergency measures to take effect at the time indicated
therein.
An emergency measure is an ordinance or resolution for the
immediate preservation of the public peace, property, health, or
safety, or providing for the usual daily operation of a municipal
department, in which the emergency is set forth and defined in a
preamble thereto. Ordinances appropriating money may be
passed as emergency measures, but no measure making a grant,
renewal or extension of a franchise or other special privilege,
or regulating the rate to be charged for its service by any public
utility, shall ever be so passed.
Sec. 13. Record and Publication. Every ordinance or reso-
lution upon its final passage shall be recorded in a book kept for
that purpose, and shall be authenticated by the signatures of the
presiding officer and the clerk of the commission. Every ordinance
of a general or permanent nature shall be published once within
ten days after its final passage in the manner hereinafter provided.
28 CITY MANAGER PLAN
Resolutions and ordinances providing for public improvements,
to pay the cost of which special assessments are to be made,
need not be published; but within ten days after the passage of
each a notice shall be published as follows, the same being in
addition to the notice required by law to be served on the prop-
erty owners.
As to the resolution declaring the necessity of the proposed
improvement, a notice shall be published headed "Notice of Pub-
lic Improvement," stating when the same was adopted by the
city commission, and setting forth the general nature and the
extent of such improvement, including any change of street
grade that is to be made, what part of the cost thereof is to be
assessed against the property to be especially benefited thereby,
and when water, gas or other street connection must be made.
As to the ordinance determining to proceed with the improve-
ment, a notice shall be published headed "Notice of Determina-
tion to Proceed with Public Improvement," stating when the city
commission adopted the same, describing the character and ex-
tent of the improvement in general terms, and setting forth
within what time assessments on property specially benefited may
be paid in cash, and for what period and at what interest bonds
will be issued for that portion of the assessment not so paid.
In regard to the ordinance to provide for the issue of bonds,
a notice shall be published headed "Notice of Bond Issue for
Public Improvement," stating when the city commission adopted
the same, describing the improvement in general terms, and
stating the total amount of bonds to be issued, in what denomina-
tion, when maturing, how to be dated and numbered, the rate
of interest, when and where payable, and the lowest price at
which any portion of such bonds not taken by the sinking fund
of the city, or of the city school district, will be offered at public
sale. Wherever practicable notices of the same character re-
quired to be published regarding separate improvements shall be
combined into one notice under a single heading.
No resolution declaring it necessary to proceed with any
public improvement shall be adopted until complete plans, speci-
fications, profiles and estimates have been submitted to the city
commission and been approved by it ; and the same, or a copy
thereof, shall thereafter remain on file in the office of the city
engineer subject to inspection by the public.
Sec. 14. Price and Mode of Publication. All of the above
OF GOVERNMENT 29
mentioned publications, as well as all other newspaper publica-
tions made by the city, shall be published in a newspaper or news-
papers of general circulation in the municipality, in the body type
of the paper and under head lines in eighteen point type, speci-
fying the nature of the publication ; and where legally permissible,
such publication shall be made but once and in one newspaper
only.
The newspaper carrying such publication shall be paid a price
per inch of space used and the lowest and best rate offered, not
exceeding that which it receives from regular commercial dis-
play advertisers for the quantity of space used. Whenever it
may appear to the city commission that the rates offered by such
newspapers are unfair, such other means of securing due pub-
licity may be employed, in lieu of newspaper advertising, as the
commission may by resolution determine.
City Manager
Sec. 5. Appointment. The city commission shall appoint a
city manager who shall be the administrative head of the munic-
ipal government under the direction and supervision of the city
commission, and who shall hold office at the pleasure of the city
commission. He shall be appointed without regard to his politi-
cal beliefs and need not be a resident of the city at the time of
his appointment. During the absence or disability of the city
manager the city commission may designate some properly quali-
fied person to execute the functions of the office.
Sec. 16. Powers and Duties. The powers and duties of the
city manager shall be :
(o) To see that the laws and ordinances are enforced.
(&) Except as herein provided, to appoint and remove all
heads of departments, and all subordinate officers and employes
of the city ; all appointments to be upon merit and fitness alone,
and in the classified service all appointments and removals to be
subject to the civil service provisions of this charter.
(c) To exercise control over all departments and divisions
created herein or that hereafter may be created by the commis-
sion.
(d) To see that all terms and conditions imposed in favor
of the city or its inhabitants in any public utility franchise are
faithfully kept and performed ; and upon knowledge of any viola-
tion thereof to call the same to the attention of the city solicitor,
30 CITY MANAGER PLAN
who is hereby required to take such steps as are necessary to
enforce the same.
(e) To attend all meetings of the commission, with the
right to take part in the discussions but having no vote.
(/) To recommend to the commission for adoption such
measures as he may deem necessary or expedient.
(g) To act as budget commissioner and to keep the city
commission fully advised as to the financial condition and needs
of the city; and
(h) To perform such other duties as may be prescribed by
this charter or be required of him by ordinance or resolution of
the commission.
Sec. 17. Head of Departments. Excepting the departments
of city solicitor, auditor, treasurer, sinking fund and civil ser-
vice, and until otherwise provided by the city commission, any
existing department now under the control of a special board,
such as library, hospital and park, the city manager shall be the
acting head of each and every department of the city until other-
wise directed by the commission ; but with the consent and ap-
proval of the commission, he may appoint a deputy or chief clerk
to represent him in any department of which he is the acting
head. No member of the city commission shall directly interfere
with the conduct of any department, except at the express direc-
tion of the commission.
Sec. 18. Platting Commissioner. The city manager shall also
be the platting commissioner of the city and he shall exercise
the authority and discharge the duties of that office under the
provisions of the general law of the state applicable thereto,
except as the same may be modified by the city commission.
Administrative Officers and Departments
Sec. 19. City Solicitor. The city commission shall appoint a
city solicitor who shall hold office at the pleasure of the com-
mission. The city solicitor shall act as the legal adviser to, and
attorney and counsel for, the municipality and all its officers in
matters relating to their official duties. He shall prepare all
contracts, bonds and other instruments in writing in which the
municipality is concerned, and shall endorse on each his ap-
proval of the form and correctness thereof ; and no contract with
such municipality shall take effect until his approval is endorsed
thereon. He or his assistants shall be the prosecutor or prosecu-
OF GOVERNMENT 31
tors in any police or municipal court, and shall perform such
other duties and have such assistants and clerks as the city
commission may authorize. In addition to such duties he shall
perform such other duties as may be required of him by the city
commission, as well as such as may be required of city solicitors
by the general laws of the state applicable to municipalities and
not inconsistent with this charter or with any ordinance or reso-
lution that may be passed by the city commission.
Sec. 20. City Auditor. The city commission shall appoint a
city auditor who shall hold office at the pleasure of the commis-
sion. The city auditor shall issue all warrants for payments of
money by the city. He shall keep an accurate account of all
taxes and assessments, of all money due to, and all receipts and
disbursements by, the m.unicipalit}^ of all its assets and liabilities,
and of all appropriations made by the city commission. At the
end of each fiscal year, and oftener if required by the city com-
mission, he shall audit the accounts of the several departments
and officers, and shall audit all other accounts in which the mu-
nicipality is interested. He may prescribe the form of reports to
be rendered to his department, and the method of keeping ac-
counts by all other departments, and he shall require daily reports
to be made to him by each department showing the receipt of all
moneys by such department and the disposition thereof. Upon
the death, resignation, removal or expiration of the term of
any officer, the city auditor shall audit the accounts of such
officer, and if such officer shall be found indebted to the munici-
pality he shall immediately give notice thereof to the city com-
mission, and the city solicitor; and the latter shall forthwith
proceed to collect the same.
In addition to such duties the city auditor shall perform such
other duties as may be required of him b}^ the city commission,
as well as such as may be required of city auditors by the gen-
eral laws of the state applicable to municipalities and not incon-
sistent with this charter or with any ordinance or resolution that
may be passed by the city commission.
Sec. 21. City Treasurer. The city commission shall appoint
a city treasurer who shall hold office at the pleasure of the city
commission. The office of city treasurer may be combined with
that of clerk of the city commission or with any other office
not inconsistent therewith. The city treasurer shall be the cus-
todian of all moneys of the municipality, and shall keep and
32 CITY MANAGER PLAN
preserve the same in such manner and in such place or places
as shall be determined by the city commission. He shall pay out
money only on warrants issued by the city auditor.
In addition to such duties he shall perform such other duties
as may be required of him by the city commission as well as
such as may be required of city treasurers by the general laws
of the state applicable to municipalities and not inconsistent with
this charter or with anj^ ordinance or resolution that may be
passed by the city commission.
Sec. 22. Purchasing Agent. The city commission shall desig-
nate some officer of the city, other than the auditor or treasurer,
to act as its purchasing agent, by whom all purchases of supplies
for the city shall be made, and who shall approve all vouchers
for the payment of the same. Such purchasing agent shall also
conduct all sales of personal property which the commission may
authorize to be sold as having become unnecessary or unfit for
the city's use.
All purchases and sales shall conform to such regulations
as the commission may from time to time prescribe ; but in either
case, if an amount in excess of five hundred dollars is involved,
opportunity for competition shall be given. Where purchases or
sales are made on joint account of separate departments, the
purchasing agent shall apportion the charge or credit to each
department. He shall see to the delivery of supplies to each
department, and take and retain the receipt of each department
therefor. Until the city commission shall otherwise provide,
the city manager of the city shall act as such purchasing agent.
Sec. 23. Trustees of the Sinking Fund. The board of trus-
tees of the sinking fund as now organized and existing shall
continue, and such board and all matters pertaining thereto
shall be governed by the general laws of the state in effect Janu-
ary 1st, 1914, or thereafter enacted and applicable thereto ; ex-
cepting that the members of said board shall serve without
pecuniary compensation. The present members of said board
shall continue to serve for their unexpired terms ; but their suc-
cessors shall be appointed, and vacancies in said board shall be
filled, by the president of the city commission, with the consent
of said commission entered upon its journal.
Sec. 24. Civil Service. The civil service commission as now
organized and existing shall continue; and the civil service of
the city, and such commission, and all matters pertaining thereto,
OF GOVERNMENT 33
shall be governed by the general laws of the state in eflfect Janu-
ary 1st, 1914, or thereafter enacted, which are applicable thereto.
The present members of said board shall continue to serve for
their unexpired terms; but successors to present members shall
be appointed and vacancies in said board shall be filled by the
city commission, and the members of the civil service commis-
sion shall serve without pecuniary compensation.
Sec. 25. Other Boards and Departments. All other admin-
istrative departments in existence January 1st, 1914, shall con-
tinue until otherwise provided by the city commission, and all
administrative boards in charge of any adimnistrative depart-
ment of the city shall continue in office, and their successors shall
be appointed as heretofore, excepting as other provision is made
in this charter, or may hereafter be made by the city commission.
Excepting the officers, boards, commissions and departments
hereinbefore specially mentioned and provided for, the city com-
mission shall have power to establish, create, combine or abolish
offices, boards, departments or divisions when in its opinion the
proper administration of the business of the city so requires.
Sec. 26. Advisory Boards. The city commission at any
time may appoint an advisory board or boards composed of
citizens qualified to act in an advisory capacity to the city com-
mission, the city manager or the head of any department, with
respect to the conduct and management of any property, institu-
tion or public function of the city. The members of any such
board shall serve without compensation for a time fixed in
their appointment, or at the pleasure of the commission ; and
their duty shall be to consult and advise with such municipal
officers and make written recommendations which shall become
part of the records of the city.
Sec. 27. Salaries and Bonds. The city commission shall fix
by ordinance the salary or rate of compensation of all officers
and employes of the city entitled to compensation, other than
their own ; and may require any officer or employe to give a
bond for the faithful performance of his duty, in such an amount
as it may determine, and it may provide that the premium
thereof shall be paid by the city.
Sec. 28. General Disqualifications. No member of the city
commission, the city manager or any other officer or employe
of the city, shall directly or indirectly be interested in any con-
tract, job, work or service with or for the city; nor in the profits
34 CITY MANAGER PLAN
or emoluments thereof, nor in the expenditure of any money
on the part of the city other than his fixed compensation; and
any contract with the city in which any such officer or employe
is, or becomes, interested may be declared void by the city com-
mission.
No member of the city commission, the city manager or
other officer or employe of the city shall knowingly accept any
gift, frank, free ticket, pass, reduced price or reduced rate of
service from any person, firm or corporation operating a public
utility or engaged in business of a public nature within the city,
or from any person known to him to have, or to be endeavoring
to secure, a contract with the city. But the provisions of this
section shall not apply to the transportation of policemen or
firemen in uniform or wearing their official badges, when the
same is, or may be provided by ordinance.
Sec. 29. Political Activity. Neither the city manager, nor
any person in the employ of the city under him shall take any
active part in securing, or contribute any money toward, the
nomination or election of any candidate or candidates for the
office of city commissioner, excepting to answer such questions
as may be put to him and as he may desire to answer.
Sec. 30. Penalties. The provisions of the two last preceding
sections shall not be considered exclusive, but as in addition
to any other provisions of the general law of the state applicable
to the case ; and a violation of any provisions of either of such
sections shall subject the offender to removal from his office
or employment, and to punishment by a fine of not exceeding
one hundred dollars.
Appropriations
Sec. 31. The Estimate. The fiscal year of the city shall
begin on the first day of January. On or before the first day
of November of each year the city manager shall submit to the
city commission an estimate of the expenditures and revenues of
the city departments for the ensuing year. This estimate shall be
compiled from detailed information obtained from the several
departments on uniform blanks to be furnished by the city
manager. The classification of the estimate of expenditures shall
be as nearly uniform as possible for the main functional divi-
sions of all departments, and shall give in parallel columns the
following information:
OF GOVERNMENT 35
(o) A detailed estimate of the expense of conducting each
department as submitted by the department.
(b) Expenditures for corresponding items for the last two
fiscal years.
(c) Expenditures for corresponding items for the current
fiscal year, including adjustments due to transfers between ap-
propriations plus an estimate of expenditures necessary to com-
plete the current fiscal year.
(d) Amount of supplies and material on hand at the date of
the preparation of the invoice.
(e) Increase or decrease of requests compared with the cor-
responding appropriations for the current year.
(/) Such other information as is required by the city com-
mission or that the city manager may deem advisable to submit.
(g) The recommendation of the city manager as to the
amounts to be appropriated with reasons therefore in such de-
tail as the city commission may direct
Sufificient copies of such estimate shall be prepared and sub-
mitted, that there may be copies on file in the office of the city
commission for inspection by the public.
Sec. 32. Appropriation Ordinance. Upon receipt of such
estimate the city commission shall prepare an appropriation ordi-
nance but before finally acting upon such tentative appropriation
the city commission shall fix a time and place for holding a pub-
lic hearing upon the tentative appropriation, and shall give public
notice of such hearing. The city commission shall not pass the
appropriation ordinance until ten daj's after such public hearing
Sec. 33. Transfer of Funds. Upon request of the city mana-
ger the city commission may transfer any part of an unencum-
bered balance of an appropriation to a purpose or object for
which the appropriation for the current year has proved insuffi-
cient, or may authorize a transfer to be made between items ap-
propriated to the same office or department.
Sec. 34. Unencumbered Balances. At the close of each fiscal
year the unencumbered balance of each appropriation shall revert
to the respective fund from which it was appropriated and shall
be subject to future appropriation. Any accruing revenue of the
city, not appropriated as hereinbefore provided, and any balances
at any time remaining after the purposes of the appropriation
shall have been satisfied or abandoned, may from time to time
be appropriated by the city commission to such uses as will not
36 CITY MANAGER PLAN
conflict with any uses for which specifically such revenues ac-
crued. No money shall be drawn from the treasury of the city,
nor shall any obhgation for the expenditure of money be in-
curred, except pursuant to the appropriations made by the city
commission, but nothing in this or the preceding section shall be
construed to authorize the application of revenue derived from a
public utility of the city to any other purpose than that of the
utility from which the same was derived.
Payments — Reports
Sec. 35. Payment of Claims. No warrant for the payment
of any claim shall be issued by the city auditor until such claim
shall have been approved by the head of the department for
which the indebtedness was incurred and by the city manager,
and such officers and their sureties shall be liable to the munici-
pality for all loss or damage sustained by the municipality by
reason of the corrupt approval of any such claim against the
municipality. Whenever any claim shall be presented to the city
auditor he shall have power to require evidence that the amount
claimed is justly due and is in conformity to law and ordinance,
and for that purpose he may summon before him any officer,
agent, or employe, of any department of the municipality, or any
other person, and examine him upon oath or affirmation relative
thereto.
Sec. 36. Certification of Funds. No contract, agreement or
other obligation involving the expenditure of money shall be
entered into, nor shall any ordinance, resolution or order for the
expenditure of money be passed by the city commission, or be
authorized by any officer of the city, unless the city auditor shall
first certify to the city commission or to the proper officer, as
the case may be, that the money required for such contract,
agreement, obligation or expenditure, is in the treasury, to the
credit of the fund from which it is to be drawn, and not appro-
priated for any other purpose, which certificate shall be filed
and immediately recorded. The sum so certified shall not there-
after be considered unappropriated until the city is discharged
from the contract, agreement or obligation. The provisions of
this section shall not apply to contracts or proceedings relating to
improvements any part of the cost of which is to be paid by
special assessments.
Sec. 37. Money in the Fund. All moneys actually in the
treasury to the credit of the fund from which they are to be
OF GOVERNMENT 37
drawn, and all mone3's applicable to the payment of the obliga-
tion or appropriation involved that are anticipated to come into
the treasury before the maturity of such contract, agreement, or
obligation, from taxes, assessments, or license fees, or from sales
of services, products or by-products of any city undertaking,
and moneys to be derived from lawfully authorized bonds sold
and in process of delivery, for the purposes of such certificate
shall be deemed in the treasury to the credit of the appropriate
fund and shall be subject to such certification.
Sec. 38. Financial Reports. The city commission shall have
furnished them a monthly balance showing in detail all receipts
and expenditures of the city for the preceding month; and the
aggregate receipts and expenditures of each department shall
be published by the city commission in such manner as to pro-
vide full publicity. At the end of each year the city commission
shall have printed an annual report, in pamphlet form, giving
a classified statement of all receipts, expenditures, assets and
liabilities of the city ; a detailed comparison of such receipts
and expenditures with those of the year preceding; a summary
of the city commission proceedings and summary of the opera-
tions of the administrative departments for the previous twelve
months. A copy of this report shall be furnished the state bureau
of accounting, the public library and to any citizen of the city
who may apply therefor at the office of the clerk of the city
commission.
Improvements — Contracts
Sec. 39. Limitation of Assessments. In levying special as-
sessments to pay any part of the cost of any public work or
improvement, the city commission shall not exceed any limitation
as to the amount thereof which may be prescribed by the general
laws of the state applicable to municipalities and in force at the
time it is determined by the city commission that any such work
shall be done or improvement made. Unless for special reasons
which shall be stated in the ordinance levying an assessment or
providing for the issue of bonds to pay any part of the cost
of any such improvement to be made pursuant to contract, no
such ordinance shall be passed, or assessment levied or money
borrowed, until bids for the labor and material have been re-
ceived and the approximate cost of the improvement accurately
determined.
Sec, 40. Improvements by Direct Labor. Nothing in the pre-
38 CITY MANAGER PLAN
ceding section shall be construed to prohibit the city commission
from doing any public work or making any public improvement
by the direct employment of the necessary labor and the purchase
of the necessary supplies and materials, with separate accounting
as to each improvement so made, but the city commission may
upon so declaring by ordinance or resolution cause any public
work or improvement to be done or made in such manner.
Sec. 41. Sewer, Water and Gas Connections. Before paving
or otherwise surfacing or resurfacing any street or alley of
the city the city commission shall determine the time within
which sewer, water, gas or other connections shall be constructed,
and shall give notice thereof to the persons or corporations re-
quired to make the same, and if a person or corporation fails
to make any such connection when so required no permission
to make the same shall thereafter be granted within five years
from the completion of any such street improvement unless with
the consent of four of the commissioners expressed by resolution
adopted at a regular meeting of the commission and stating the
reasons therefor. Nothing herein shall be construed to prohibit
the city commission from providing that such connections may be
made by the city and the cost thereof assessed against the lots
and lands specially benefited thereby.
Sec. 42. Expenditures in Excess of $1,000. When an ex-
penditure, other than the compensation of persons employed by
the city, exceeds one thousand dollars, such expenditure shall
first be authorized and directed by ordinance of the city com-
mission, and no contract involving an expenditure in excess of
such sum shall be made or awarded except upon the approval of
the city manager and the city commission.
Sec. 43. Time of Making Contracts. The city commission
shall not enter into any contract which is not to go into full
operation during the term for which all the members of such city
commission are elected.
Sec. 44. Modification of Contracts. When it becomes neces-
sary in the opinion of the city manager, in the prosecution of
any work or improvement under contract, to make alterations or
modifications in such contract, such alterations or modifications,
if made, shall be of no effect until the price to be paid for the work
and material, or both, under the altered or modified coptract, has
been agreed upon in writing and signed by the contractor and by
the city manager and approved by the city commission.
OF GOVERNMENT 39
Sec. 45. Bids in Excess of Estimate. In no instance shall
contracts be let either as a whole, or in aggregate if bids for
parts of the work are taken, which exceed the estimate for the
improvement contemplated.
Sec, 46. Contracts — When Void. All contracts, agreements
or other obligations entered into and all ordinances passed, or
resolutions and orders adopted, contrary to the provisions of the
preceding sections, shall be void.
Elections
Sec. 47. Time of Holding Elections. Regular municipal elec-
tions shall be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday
in November in the odd numbered years. Primary elections
shall be held at the time provided by the general election laws of
the state. Any matter which by the terms of the charter may be
submitted to the electors of the city at any special election may be
submitted at a primary election or at a regular municipal election.
Sec. 48. Ballots. The ballots used in all elections provided
for in this charter shall be without party marks or designations,
the whole number of ballots to be printed for any primary or
regular election for the nomination or election of candidates for
the office of city commissioner shall be divided by the number
of such candidates, and the quotient so obtained shall be the
number of ballots in each series of ballots to be printed. The
names of the candidates shall be arranged in alphabetical order
and the first series of ballots printed. The first name shall then
be placed last and the next series of ballots printed, and this
process shall be repeated until each name shall have been first.
These ballots shall then be combined into tablets with no two
of the same order of names together. The ballots shall in all
other respects conform as nearly as may be to the ballots pre-
scribed by the general election laws of the state.
Sec. 49. Petitions for Place on Primary Ballot. Candidates
for the office of city commissioner shall be nominated only by
a non-partisan primary election. The name of any elector of the
city shall be printed upon the primary ballot if there is filed with
the election authorities a petition in accordance with the follow-
ing provisions, to wit :
(a) Such petitions shall state the name and place of residence
of each person whose name is presented for a place upon the
ballot and that he is a candidate for the office of City Commis-
sioner for the City of Springfield, Ohio.
40 CITY MANAGER PLAN
(b) Such petitions shall be signed by electors of the munici-
pality equal in number to two per cent of the total number of
registered voters in the city.
(c) Such petitions shall contain a provision that each signer
thereto thereby pledges himself to support and vote for the
candidate or candidates whose names are therein presented for
a place upon the ballot, and each elector signing a petition shall
add to his signature his place of residence, with street and num-
ber, voting precinct, and date of signing, and may subscribe to
one nomination for each of the places to be filled and no more.
All signatures shall be made with ink or indelible pencil.
(d) The signatures of all the petitioners need not be ap-
pended to one paper, but to each separate paper there shall be
attached an affidavit of the circulator thereof stating the number
of signers thereto, that each person signed in his presence on the
date mentioned, and that the signature is that of the person
whose name it purports to be.
(e) Such petitions shall not be signed by any elector more
than fifty days prior to the day of such primary election and
such petition shall be filed with the election authorities not less
than thirty days previous to the day of such election.
Sec. 50. Acceptance. Any person whose name has been sub-
mitted for candidacy by any such petition shall file his accept-
ance of such candidacy with the election authorities not later
than twenty-five days previous to such election; otherwise his
name shall not appear upon the ballot.
Sec. 51. Election. The candidates for nomination to the
office of city commissioner who shall receive the greatest vote
in such primary election shall be placed on the ballot at the next
regular municipal election in number not to exceed twice the
number of vacancies in the city commission to be filled, and the
candidates at the regular municipal election, equal in number
to the places to be filled, who shall receive the highest number
of votes at such regular municipal election, shall be declared
elected. A tie between two or more candidates for the office of
city commissioner shall be decided by lot under the direction
of the election authorities, as provided by the general election
laws of the state.
Sec. 52. General Laws to Apply. All elections shall be con-
ducted, and the results canvassed and certified, by the election
authorities prescribed by general election laws, and, except as
OF GOVERNMENT 41
otherwise provided by this charter or by ordinances or resolu-
tions of the city commission hereafter enacted, the general elec-
tion laws shall control in all such elections.
The Initiative
Sec. 53. Proposed Petition, Any proposed ordinances, in-
cluding ordinances for the repeal or amendment of an ordi-
nance then in effect, may be submitted to the city commission by
petition signed by at least five per cent of the total number of
registered voters in the municipality. All petitions circulated
with respect to any proposed ordinance shall be uniform in char-
acter, shall contain the proposed ordinance in full, and shall have
printed or written thereon the names and addresses of at least
five electors who shall be officially regarded as filing the petition
and shall constitute a committee of the petitioners for the pur-
pose hereinafter named.
Each signer of a petition shall sign his name in ink or in-
delible pencil and shall place on the petition, opposite his name,
the date of his signature and his place of residence by voting
precinct and by street and number. The signatures to any such
petition need not all be appended to one paper, but to each such
paper there shall be attached an affidavit by the circulator there-
of, stating the number of signers to such part of the petition and
that each signature appended to the paper is the genuine signa-
ture of the person whose name it purports to be, and that it was
made in the presence of the affiant and on the date indicated.
Sec. 54. Time of Filing. All papers comprising a petition
shall be assembled and filed with the clerk of the city commission
as one instrument, within one hundred and twenty days from the
date of the first signature thereon, and when so filed, the clerk
shall submit the same to the city commission at its next regular
meeting and provision shall be made for public hearings upon the
proposed ordinance.
Sec. 55. Petition for Election. The city commission shall
at once proceed to consider such petition and shall take final
action thereon within thirty days from the date of submission.
If the city commission rejects the proposed ordinance, or passes
it in a diff^erent form from that set forth in the petition, or
fails to act finally upon it within the time stated, the committee
of the petitioners by written demand filed with the clerk of
the city commission not later than twenty days after final
42 CITY MANAGER PLAN
action or inaction by the city commission, may require that the
proposed ordinance be submitted to a vote of the electors in its
original form, if, with or prior to such demand, a petition for
such election, signed after the final action or inaction of the city
commission, is filed with such clerk bearing additional signatures
of five per cent of the electors of the city, none of whom were
signers of the first petition. Such clerk shall forthwith cause
notice of the filing of such demand and petition to be published
in some newspaper of general circulation in the city, and shall
also within five days certify to the officers having control of elec-
tions the proposed ordinance, stating whether or not a special
election is demanded in the petitions, the percentage of registered
voters who signed the two petitions in the aggregate, and the
date on which he published the notice last mentioned.
Sec. 56. Time of Holding Election. If an election is to be
held not more than three months nor less than thirty days after
the publication of such notice by the clerk, such proposed ordi-
nance shall be submitted to a vote of the electors at such election.
If no election is to be held within the time aforesaid, the elec-
tion officers shall provide for submitting the proposed ordi-
nance to the electors at a special election to be held not later
than sixty days nor earlier than thirty days after the publication
of such notice, if the petition for such ordinance and the petition
for such election so demand, and if the signers of the two peti-
tions amount in the aggregate to at least twenty-five per cent of
the registered voters of the city; otherwise the same shall be sub-
mitted at the next regular or special election. At least ten days
before any such election the clerk of the city commission shall
cause such proposed ordinance to be published.
Sec. 57. Ballots. The ballots used when voting upon any
such proposed ordinance shall state the title of the ordinance to
be voted on and below it the two propositions, "For the Ordi-
nance" and "Against the Ordinance." Immediately at the left
of each proposition there shall be a square in which by making
a cross (X), the voter may vote for or against the proposed
ordinance. If a majority of the electors voting on any such
proposed ordinance shall vote in favor thereof, it shall there-
upon become an ordinance of the city.
Sec. 58. Duty of City Solicitor. Before any ordinance so
proposed shall be submitted to the city commission, it shall
first be approved as to its form by the city solicitor, whose duty
OF GOVERNMENT 43
it shall be to draft such proposed ordinance in proper legal
language, and to render such other service to persons desiring
to propose such ordinance as shall be necessary to make the
same proper for consideration by the city commission.
Sec. 59. Amendments and Repeals. No ordinance adopted
by an electoral vote can be repealed or amended except by an
electoral vote, but an ordinance to repeal or amend any such
ordinance may, by resolution of the city commission, be sub-
mitted to an electoral vote at any regular election, or at any
special municipal election called for some other purpose, provided
notice of the intention so to do be published by the city com-
mission not more than sixty nor less than thirty days prior to
such election, in the manner required for the publication of
ordinances. If an amendment is so proposed, such notice shall
contain the proposed amendment in full. Such submission shall
be in the same manner, and the vote shall have the same effect,
as in cases of ordinances submitted to an election by popular
petition.
The Referendum
Sec. 60. Petition for Referendum. No ordinance passed by
the city commission, unless it be an emergency measure or the
annual appropriation ordinance, shall go into effect until thirty
days after its final passage. If, at any time vi^ithin said thirty
days, a petition signed by fifteen per cent of the total number of
registered voters in the municipality be filed with the clerk of the
city commission, requesting that any such ordinance be repealed
or amended as stated in the petition, it shall not become operative
until the steps indicated herein have been taken. Such petition
shall have stated therein the names and addresses of at least five
electors as a committee to represent the petitions.
Referendum petitions need not contain the text of the ordi-
nance or ordinances the repeal of which is sought; but shall con-
tain the proposed amendment, if an amendment is demanded, and
shall be subject in all other respects to the requirements for peti-
tions submitting proposed ordinances to the city commission.
Ballots used in referendum elections shall conform in all reispects
to those provided for in section fifty-seven of this charter.
Sec. 61. Proceedings Thereunder. The clerk of the city com-
mission shall at its next meeting, present the petition to the city
commission, which shall proceed to reconsider the ordinance. If
44 CITY MANAGER PLAN
within thirty days after the filing of such petition, the ordinance
be not repealed or amended as requested, the city commission
shall provide for submitting the proposed repeal or amendment
to a vote of the electors, provided a majority of the committee
named in the petition to represent the petitioners shall, by writing
filed with the clerk of the city commission within twenty days
after the expiration of the said thirty days, so required. In so do-
ing the city commission shall be governed by the provisions of
section fifty-six hereof respecting the time of submission and the
manner of voting on ordinances proposed to the city commission
by petition ; excepting that the question of calling a special elec-
tion for such purpose shall be determined by the demand and
number of signers of the petition requesting the repeal or amend-
ment of such ordinance, which number shall be twenty-five per
cent of registered voters; and excepting further that the city
commission may call, and fix the time for, a special election
for such purpose, if in its judgment the public interest will be
prejudiced by delay.
If, when submitted to a vote of the electors, such repeal or
amendment be approved by a majority of those voting thereon,
it shall thereupon go into effect as an ordinance of the city;
but if any such amendment is clearly separable from the remain-
der of the ordinance and does not materially affect the other
provisions of such ordinance, all sections of the ordinance except
that sought to be amended and those dependent thereon shall take
effect as though no referendum of any portion of the ordinance
had been demanded.
Sec. 62. Referendum on Initiated Ordinances — Conflict.
Ordinances submitted to the city commission by initiative peti-
tion and passed by the city commission without change, or passed
in an amended form and not required to be submitted to a vote
of the electors by the committee of the petitions, shall be sub-
ject to the referendum in the same manner as other ordinances.
If the provisions of two or more ordinances adopted or approved
at the same election conflict, the ordinance receiving the highest
affirmative vote shall prevail.
Sec. 63. Emergency Measures. Ordinances passed as emer-
gency measures shall be subject to referendum in like manner as
other ordinances, except that they shall go into effect at the time
indicated in such ordinances. If, when submitted to a vote of
the electors, an emergency measure be not approved by a ma-
OF GOVERNMENT 45
jority of those voting thereon it shall be considered repealed
as regards any further action thereunder; but such measure so
repealed shall be deemed sufficient authority for payment in ac-
cordance with the ordinance of any expense incurred previous
to the referendum vote thereon.
Sec. 64. Preliminary Action. In case a petition be filed
requiring that a measure passed by the city commission providing
for an expenditure of money, a bond issue or a public improve-
ment be submitted to a vote of the electors, all steps preliminary
to such actual expenditure, actual issuance of bonds, or actual
execution of a contract for such improvement, may be taken
prior to the election.
The Recall
Sec. 65. Recall Petition. Any or all members of the city
commission may be removed from office by the electors by the
following procedure.
A petition for the recall of the commissioner or commis-
sioners designated, signed by at least five hundred of the electors
of the city, and containing a statement in not more than two
hundred words of the grounds of the recall, shall be filed with
the city auditor, -who shall forthwith notify the commissioner
or commissioners sought to be removed, and he or they, with-
in five days after such notice, may file with such auditor a
defensive statement in not exceeding two hundred words. The
city auditor shall at once upon the expiration of said five days
cause sufficient printed or typewritten copies of such petition,
without the signatures, to be made, and to each of them he shall
attach a printed or typewritten copy of such defensive statement,
if one is furnished him within the time provided. He shall cause
one copy of such petition to be placed on file in his office, and
provide facilities for there signing the same, and he shall also
cause one copy to be placed in each of the several fire engine
houses of the city, where the same shall be in the custody of the
captain of the house, who shall provide facilities for there sign-
ing the same. The city auditor shall immediately cause notice to
be published in some newspaper of general circulation in the
city of the placing of such copies of such petition.
Such copies of such petition shall remain on file in the several
places designated for the period of thirty days, during which
time any of them may be signed by any elector of the city in
46 CITY MANAGER PLAN
person ; but not by agent or attorney. Each signer of any of
such copies shall sign his name in ink or indelible pencil, and
shall place thereafter his residence by voting precinct, and by
street and number.
Sec. 66. Notice. At the expiration of said period of thirty
days the city auditor shall assemble all of said copies in his office
as one instrument, and shall examine the same and ascertain and
certify thereon whether the signatures thereto amount to at
least fifteen per cent of the registered voters of the city. If such
signatures do amount to such per cent, he shall at once serve
notice of that fact upon the commissioner or commissioners
designated in the petition, and also deliver to the election au-
thorities a copy of the original petition with his certificate as to
the percentage of registered voters who signed the same, and a
certificate as to the date of his last mentioned notice to the com-
missioner or commissioners designated in the petition.
Sec. 67. Recall Election. If the commissioner or commis-
sioners, or any of them, designated in the petition, file with the
clerk of the city commission within five days after the last men-
tioned notice from the city solicitor, his or their written resigna-
tion, the clerk of the city commission shall at once notify the
election authorities of that fact ; and such resignation shall be
irrevocable, and the city commission shall proceed to fill the
vacancy. In the absence of any such resignation the election
authorities shall forthwith order and fix a day for holding a
recall election for the removal of those not resigning. Any such
election shall be held not less than thirty nor more than sixty
days after the expiration of the period of five days last men-
tioned, and at the same time as any other general or special
election held within such period ; but if no such election be held
within such period the election authorities shall call a special
recall election to be held within the period aforesaid.
Sec. 68. Ballots. The ballots at such recall election shall con-
form to the following requirements. With respect to each person
whose removal is sought, the question shall be submitted : "Shall
(name of person) be removed from the office of city commis-
sioner by recall?" Immediately following each such question
there shall be printed on the ballots the two propositions in the
order here set forth :
"For the recall of (name of person)."
"Against the recall of (name of person)."
OF GOVERNMENT 47
Immediately to the left of each of the propositions shall be
placed a square in which the electors, by making a cross mark
(X), may vote for either of such propositions.
Sec. 69. Filling of Vacancies. In any such election, if a ma-
jority of the votes cast on the question of removal of any com-
missioner are affirmative, the person whose removal is sought
shall thereupon be deemed removed from office upon the an-
nouncement of the official canvass of that election, and the
vacancy caused by such recall shall be filled by the remainder
of the city commission according to the provisions of section
four of this charter.
If, however, an election is held for the recall of more than
two commissioners, candidates to succeed them for their unex-
pired terms shall be voted upon at the same election, and shall
be nominated without primary election, by petitions signed, dated
and verified in the manner required for petitions presenting
names of candidates for nomination at a primary election, and
similar in form to such petitions, but signed by electors equal in
number to at least five per cent of the registered voters of the
city, and filed with the election authorities at least thirty days
prior to such recall election. But no such nominating petition
shall be signed or circulated until after the time has expired for
signing the copies of the petition for the recall, and any signa-
tures thereon antedating such time shall not be counted.
Sec. 70. Counting the Vote. Candidates shall not be nom-
inated to succeed any particular commissioner; but if only one
commissioner is removed at such election, the candidate at such
election receiving the highest number of votes shall be declared
elected to fill the vacancy; and if more than one commissioner is
removed at such election, such candidates equal in number to the
number of commissioners removed shall be declared elected to
fill the vacancies ; and among the successful candidates, those
receiving the greater number of votes shall be declared elected
for the longer terms. Cases of ties, and all other matters not
herein specially provided for, shall be determined by the rules
governing elections generally.
Sec. 71. Effect of Resignations. No proceedings for the re-
call of all the members of the city commission at the same elec-
tion shall be defeated in whole or in part by the resignation of
any or all of them, but upon the resignation of any of them the
city commission shall have power to fill the vacancy until a sue-
48 CITY MANAGER PLAN
cessor is elected, and the proceedings for the recall and the
election of successors shall continue and have the same effect as
though there had been no resignation.
Sec. ^2. Miscellaneous Provisions. Except as herein other-
wise provided, no petition to recall any commissioner shall be
filed within six months after he takes office. No person removed
by recall shall be eligible to be elected or appointed upon or for
a period of two years after the date of such recall. The city
auditor shall preserve in his office all papers comprising or con-
nected with a petition for a recall for the period of one year
after the same were filed. The method of removal herein pro-
vided is in addition to such other methods as are, or may be,
provided by general law.
Sec. 73. Offenses Relating to Petitions. No person shall
falsely impersonate another, or purposely write his name or resi-
dence falsely, in the signing of any petition for initiative, refer-
endum or recall, or forge any name thereto, or sign any such
paper with knowledge that he is not a qualified elector of the
city. No person shall sign, or knowingly permit to be signed, any
petition for recall at any place other than one of the places here-
inbefore designated for the signing of such petitions. Nor shall
any person employ or pay another, or accept employment or pay-
ment, for circulating any initiative or referendum petition upon
the basis of the number of signatures procured thereto. Any
person violating any of the provisions of this section shall be
deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and shall, upon conviction,
be fined in any sum not to exceed one hundred dollars and the
costs of prosecution. The foregoing provisions shall not be held
to be exclusive of, but in addition to, all laws of the state pre-
scribing penalties for the same offenses or for other offenses
relating to the same matter.
Franchises
Sec. 74. Grants Limited. No grant, or renewal thereof, to
construct and operate a public utility in the streets and public
grounds of the city shall be made by the city commission to any
individual, company or corporation in violation of any of the
limitations contained in this charter.
Sec. 75. Period of Grants. No such grant shall be exclu-
sive, nor shall it be made for a longer period than twenty years.
No such grant shall be renewed earlier than two years prior to
its expiration unless the city commission shall by a vote of at
OF GOVERNMENT 49
least four of its members first declare by ordinance its intention
of considering a renewal thereof. All grants of the right to
make extensions of any public utility shall be subject as far as
practicable to the terms of the original grant and shall expire
therewith.
Sec. 76. Assignment. No such grant shall be leased, as-
signed or otherwise alienated except with the express consent
of the city commission.
Sec. 77. Right of Purchase. All such grants shall reserve
to the city the right to purchase or lease all the property of the
utility used in or useful for the operation of the utility, at a
price either fixed in the ordinance making the grant, or to be
fixed in the manner provided by such ordinance, which price
shall in no event include any value for the grant. Nothing in such
ordinance shall prevent the city from acquiring such property
by condemnation proceedings or in any other lawful mode, which
rights shall be in addition to those reserved in such ordinance.
Upon the acquisition of such property by purchase, condemna-
tion or otherwise all grants shall at once terminate.
Sec. 78. Extension by Annexation. It shall be provided in
every such grant that upon the annexation of any territory to the
city the portion of any such utility that may be located within
such annexed territory and upon the streets, alleys or public
grounds thereof, shall thereafter be subject to all the terms of
the grant as though it were an extension made thereunder.
Sec. 79. Right of Regulation. All grants shall be subject to
the right of the city, whether in terms reserved or not, to control
at all times the distribution of space in, over, under or across
all streets, alleys or public grounds occupied by public utility
fixtures, and, when in the opinion of the city commission the
public interest so requires, such fixtures may be caused to be re-
constructed, relocated, altered or discontinued ; and said city
shall at all times have the power to pass all regulatory ordi-
nances affecting such utilities which in the opinion of the city
commission are required in the interest of the public health,
safety, or accommodation.
Sec. 80. Forfeitures. If any action shall be instituted or
prosecuted directly or indirectly by the grantee of any such grant,
or by its stockholders or creditors, to set aside or have declared
void any of the terms of any such grant, the whole of such grant
may be thereupon forfeited and annulled at the option of the
50 CITY MANAGER PLAN
city commission to be expressed by ordinance. All such grants
shall make provision for the declaration of a forfeiture by the
city commission for the violation by the grantee of any of the
terms thereof.
Sec. 8i. Accotmts and Reports. Every person or corporation
operating a public utility within the city Hmits, whether under a
grant heretofore or hereafter obtained, shall keep and main-
tain at some place within the city suitable, and complete books
of account, showing in detail the assets, financial obligations,
gross revenue, net profits and all the operations of such utility
which are usually shown by a complete system of bookkeeping.
Each such person or corporation, within sixty days after the
end of each of its fiscal years, unless the city commission shall
extend the time, shall file with the city commission a report for
the preceding fiscal year showing the gross revenue, the net
profits, expenses of repairs, betterments and additions, the
amount paid for salaries, amount paid for interest and discount,
other expenses of operation, and such other information, if any,
as the city commission from time to time may prescribe. If the
city commission shall prescribe the form for such reports, then
such reports shall be made in the form from time to time pre-
scribed by such commission.
It shall be the duty of each such person or corporation to
furnish the city commission such supplementary or special infor-
mation about its affairs as the commission may demand; and the
commission, or its authorized representative, shall at any and
all reasonable times have access to all the books, records and
papers of each and every such person or corporation, with privi-
lege of taking copies of same or any part thereof.
The duties herein prescribed may be specifically enforced by
appropriate legal proceedings ; and in addition, each such person
or corporation, for failure to comply with the provisions of this
section, shall be liable to the city of Springfield, Ohio, in the
sum of twenty-five dollars per day for each day of such failure,
to be recovered in a civil action in the name of the city.
The provisions of this section do not apply to any utility
extending in its operations to other communities not properly
suburban to the city of Springfield, Ohio ; but the city commission
by ordinance may make the same, or any part thereof, applicable
to the portion of any such utility operated within the limits of
the city.
OF GOVERNMENT 51
Sec. 82. Grants Not Included. Revocable permits for laying
spur tracks across or along streets, alleys or public grounds, to
connect a steam or electric railroad with any property in need
of switching facilities shall not be regarded as a grant within
the meaning of this charter, but may be permitted in acordance
with such terms and conditions as the city commission may by
ordinance prescribe.
Sec. 83. General Provision. Nothing in this charter con-
tained shall operate in any way, except as herein specifically
stated, to limit the city commission in the exercise of any of its
lawful powers respecting public utilities, or to prohibit the city
commission from imposing in any such grant such further re-
strictions and provisions as it may deem to be in the public in-
terest, provided only that the same are not inconsistent with the
provisions of this charter or the constitution of the state.
Miscellaneous Provisions
Sec. 84. General Laws to Apply. All general laws of the
state applicable to municipal corporations, now or hereafter en-
acted, and which are not in conflict with the provisions of this
charter, or with ordinances or resolutions hereafter enacted by
the city commission, shall be applicable to this city; provided,
however, that nothing contained in this charter shall be con-
strued as limiting the power of the city commission to enact any
ordinance or resolution not in conflict with the constitution of the
state or with the express provisions of this charter.
Sec. 85. Ordinances Continued in Force. All ordinances and
resolutions in force at the time of the taking effect of this char-
ter, not inconsistent with its provisons, shall continue in full
force and effect until amended or repealed.
Sec. 86. Ordinances Continued in Force. All ordinances and
the members of the Board of Education and the Police Judge,
holding office at the time this charter is adopted shall continue
in office and in the performance of their duties until provision
shall have been otherwise made in accordance with this charter
for the performance or discontinuance of the duties of any such
office. When such provision shall have been made the term of
any such officer shall expire and the office be deemed abolished.
The powers which are conferred and the duties which are im-
posed upon any officer, board or department of the city under the
laws of the state, or under any city ordinance or contract in
52 CITY MAKAGER PLAN
force at the time of the taking effect of this act shall, if such
office or department is abolished by this charter, be thereafter
exercised and discharged by the commission, officer, board or
department upon whom are imposed corresponding functions,
powers and duties by this charter or by any ordinance or resolu-
tion of the city hereafter enacted.
Sec. 87. Continuance of Contracts and Vested Rights. All
vested rights of the city shall continue to be vested and shall not
in any manner be affected by the adoption of this charter; nor
shall any right or liability, or pending suit or prosecution, either
in behalf of or against the city, be in any manner affected by
the adoption of this charter, unless otherwise herein expressly
provided to the contrary. All contracts entered into by the city
or for its benefit prior to the taking effect of this charter shall
continue in full force and effect. All public work begun prior to
the taking effect of this charter shall be continued and perfected
hereunder. Public improvements for which legislative steps shall
have been taken under laws in force at the time this charter takes
effect may be carried to completion in accordance with the pro-
visions of such laws.
Sec. 88. Investigations. The city commission, or any com-
mittee thereof, the city manager and any advisory board ap-
pointed by the commission for such purpose, shall have power at
any time to cause the affairs of any department or the conduct
of any officer or employee to be investigated; and for such pur-
pose shall have power to compel the attendance of witnesses and
the production of books, papers and other evidence; and for that
purpose may issue subpoenas or attachments which shall be
signed by the president or chairman of the body or by the officer
making the investigation, and shall be served by any officer au-
thorized by law to serve such process. The authority making
such investigation shall also have power to cause the testimony
to be given under oath to be administered by some officer author-
ized by general law to administer oaths; and shall also have
power to punish as for contempt any person refusing to testify
to any fact within his knowledge, or to produce any books, or
papers under his control, relating to the matter under investiga-
tion.
Sec. 89. Oath of Office. All officers before taking office shall
take the oath of office prescribed by law ; but the oath of office
of city commissioner shall be in writing and be filed with the
OF GOVERNMENT 53
city auditor and shall contain the assertion that in his candidacy
for nomination and election he has not violated any provision of
section three of this charter.
Sec. 90. Hours of Labor. Except in cases of extraordinary
emergency, not to exceed eight hours shall constitute a day's
work and not to exceed forty-eight hours a week's work, for
workmen engaged on any public work carried on or aided by the
city, whether done by contract or otherwise; and it shall be un-
lawful for any person, corporation or association, whose duty it
shall be to employ or to direct and control the services of such
workmen to require or permit any of them to labor more than
eight hours in any calendar day or more than forty-eight hours
in any week, except in cases of extraordinary emergency. Any
person who shall violate any of the provisions of this section
shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction
be fined not to exceed five hundred dollars or be imprisoned not
more than six months or both. This section shall not be con-
strued to include policemen or firemen nor shall it be held to
apply to any contract made prior to the taking effect of this
charter.
Sec. 91. First Election. In order that the provisions of this
charter may be put into full force and effect from and after
January I, 1914, five city commissioners shall be elected on the
fourth day of November, 1913. Candidates for the city com-
mission shall, at such election, be nominated by petition, and
there shall be no primary. Such petitions shall contain the name
of the candidate or candidates, and shall specify as to each can-
didate that he is nominated for the office of City Commissioner
for the City of Springfield, Ohio, and shall state his place of
residence, with street and number thereon, if any. Such peti-
tions shall be signed for each candidate by qualified electors
of the city not less in number than five per cent of the total
registered voters of the city.
Signers of such petitions shall insert in them the names and
addresses of such persons as they desire to the number of five
as a committee who may fill vacancies caused by death or with-
drawal.
Such petitions shall contain a provision that each signer
thereto thereby pledges himself to support and vote for the can-
didate or candidates whose nominations are therein requested,
54 CITY MANAGER PLAN
and each elector signing a petition shall add to his signature his
place of residence and may subscribe to one nomination for each
of the five places to be filled and no more.
One of the signers to each such separate paper shall swear
that the statements therein are true to the best of his knowledge
and belief and the certificate of such oath shall be annexed.
Such petitions shall be filed with the Board of Deputy State
Supervisors of Elections of Clark County, Ohio, not less than
sixty days previous to the day of said election.
Any person whose name has been submitted for candidacy
by any such petition shall file with the secretary or any member
of such election board, before September 15, 1913, his written ac-
ceptance of such candidacy, which acceptance shall state that if
elected he will qualify for and serve in such office during the
term for which he is elected. It shall be the duty of the secre-
tory or member of such election board with whom such accept-
ance is filed forthwith to make and deliver to such candidate a
written certificate acknowledging the receipt of such acceptance
and stating the date of its filing. If any candidate fails to file
such acceptance his name shall not appear upon the ballot.
In the event of failure to elect commissioners at such elec-
tion, the vacancies due thereto shall be filled under the provisions
of section four of this charter at any time after November 15th,
1913; and the three members selected by the joint board shall
have the four-year terms.
Sec. 92. Amendment of Charter. Amendments to this char-
ter may be submitted to the electors of the city by a two-thirds
vote of the city commission, and, upon petition signed by ten per
cent of the electors of the city setting forth any such proposed
amendment, shall be submitted by such city commission. The
ordinance providing for the submission of any such amendment
shall require that it be submitted to the electors at the next
regular municipal election if one shall occur not less than sixty
nor more than one hundred and twenty days after its pas-
sage ; otherwise it shall provide for the submission of the amend-
ment at a special election to be called and held within the time
aforesaid. Not less than thirty days prior to such election the
clerk of the city commission shall mail a copy of the proposed
amendment to each elector whose name appears upon the poll
or registration books of the last regular municipal dr general
election. If such proposed amendment is approved by a majority
OF GOVERNMENT 55
of the electors voting thereon it shall become a part of the char-
ier at the time fixed therein.
Sec. 93. Saving Clause. If anj- section or part of a section
of this charter proves to be invalid or unconstitutional, the same
shall not be held to invalidate or impair the validity, force or
effect of any other section or part of a section of this charter,
unless it clearly appear that such other section or part of a
section is wholly or necessarily dependent for its operation upon
the section or part of a section so held unconstitutional or in-
valid.
Sec. 94. When Charter Takes Effect. For the purpose of
nominating and electing officers and all purposes connected there-
with and for the purpose of exercising the powers of the city as
provided herein, this charter shall take effect from the time of
its approval by the electors of the city. For the purpose of
establishing departments, divisions and officers, and distributing
the functions thereof, and for all other purposes it shall take
effect on the first day of January, 1914.
DIGEST OF THE CHARTER OF DAYTON, OHIO'
Governing Body
Title: Commission.
Number: Five.
Term: Four years. Partial renewal biennially.
Removal: Recall.
Salary: Twelve hundred dollars (Mayor, $1,800).
Mayor
Sec. 36. The mayor shall be that member of the commission
who, at the regular municipal election at which the three com-
missioners were elected, received the highest number of votes,
except that at the first regular municipal election held under this
charter the mayor shall be the commissioner receiving the highest
number of votes. In case two candidates receive the same num-
ber of votes, one of them shall be chosen mayor by the remain-
ing members of the commission. In event of a vacancy in the
1 Where the City Manager Plan has had its greatest development.
Adopted August 12, 19 13. Reprinted from Beard's "Digest of Short Ballot
Charters."
S6 CITY MANAGER PLAN
office of mayor, the remaining members of the commission shall
choose his successor for the unexpired term from their own
number. The mayor shall be the presiding officer, except that
in his absence a president protempore may be chosen. The mayor
shall exercise such powers conferred and perform all duties
imposed upon him by this charter, the ordinances of the city
and the laws of the state. He shall be recognized as the official
head of the city by the courts for the purpose of serving civil
processes, by the Governor for the purposes of the military law,
and for all ceremonial purposes.
Sec. 2>1- In the event the commissioner who is acting as
mayor shall be recalled, the remaining members of the commis-
sion shall select one of their number to serve as mayor for the
unexpired term. In the event of the recall of all of the com-
missioners, the person receiving the highest number of votes at
the election held to determine their successors shall serve as the
mayor.
City Manager
Sec. 47. The commission shall appoint a city manager who
shall be the adminstrative head of the municipal government and
shall be responsible for the efficient administration of all depart-
ments. He shall be appointed without regard to his political
beliefs and may or may not be a resident of the city of Dayton
when appointed. He shall hold office at the will of the commis-
sion and shall be subject to recall as herein provided.
Sec. 48. Powers and Duties of the City Manager. The
powers and duties of the city manager shall be
(a) To see that the laws and ordinances are enforced.
(b) To appoint and, except as herein provided, remove all
directors of departments and all subordinate officers and em-
ployees in the departments in both the classified and unclassified
service; all appointments to be upon merit and fitness alone,
and in the classified service all appointments and removals to be
subject to the civil service provisions of this charter;
(c) To exercise control over all departments and divisions
created herein or that may be hereafter created by the commis-
sion;
(d) To attend all meetings of the commission, with the right
to take part in the discussion but having no vote;
(e) To recommend to the commission for adoption such
measures as he may deem necessary or expedient;
OF GOVERNMENT 57
(/) To keep the commission fully advised as to the finan-
cial condition and needs of the cit}-; and
{g) To perform such other duties as may be prescribed by
this charter or be required of him by ordinance or resolution of
the commission.
Sec. 49. Salary. The city manager shall receive such salary
as may be fixed by ordinance of the commission.
Sec. 50. Investigations by the City Manager. The city
manager may without notice cause the affairs of any department
or the conduct of any officer or employee to be examined. Any
person or persons appointed by the city manager to examine the
affairs of any department or the conduct of any officer or em-
ployee shall have the same power to compel the attendance of
witnesses and the production of books and papers and other evi-
dence, and to cause witnesses to be punished for contempt, as is
conferred upon the commission by this charter.
Appointments
Enumeration: (i) City Manager, Civil Service Board, Clerk
of the Commission. (2) City Attorney, Director of Public Ser-
vice, Director of Public Welfare, Director of Public Safety,
Director of Finance. (3) The following subordinate officers:
Health Officer, Chief of Police, Fire Chief, City Accountant, City
Treasurer, City Purchasing Agent.
Manner: Group (i) by the Commission. Groups (2) and
(3) by the City Alanager.
Civil Service Provisions: The following officers are in the
unclassified service : Those elected by the people, the City Hvlan-
ager, the heads of departments and divisions of departments,
members of appointive boards, the Clerk of the Commission,
and the deputies and secretaries of the City Manager, and one
assistant or deputy and one secretary for each department.
All other positions are in the classified service in the com-
petitive, non-competitive or labor divisions, and are under the
regulations of the Civil Service Board.
Election Provisions
Non-partisan nominations and elections. Names are placed on
the ballot at the primary election by petition of two per centum
of the registered voters.
Candidates to twice the number of offices to be filled, re-
58 CITY MANAGER PLAN
ceiving the highest number of votes at the primary are the can-
didates at the second election.
Initiative
Ten per centum petition* to bring the ordinance to the at-
tention of the council; additional fifteen* per centum petition
after thirty days to have it submitted to the people (special elec-
tion).
Referendimt
Twenty-five per centum petition* (special election).
Recall
Twenty-five per centum petition.*
No recall petition may be filed within the first six months of
office. The question of removal is separated from that of the
choice of a successor, and the name of the officer sought to be
recalled does not appear as a candidate to succeed himself.
The recall may be applied to the City Manager.
COMMENT ON THE DAYTON CHARTER'
Dayton is the first large city to attempt municipal betterment
through city manager government, and this fact, together with
the unusual circumstances attending its adoption, has directed a
significant interest to the experiment. Many communities im-
pressed by this example of local government have endeavored to
put its larger principles into operation. Some of these have
copied intact the Dayton charter, while others have accepted the
administrative provisions with slight change.
Doubtless a charter most carefully prepared would, under op-
eration, develop points for improvement. This could not be less
true of the Dayton document, which in spite of painstaking
thought on certain sections, was written in a limited time by
business men. The wide use of the Dayton document as a model
suggests the indicating of certain alterations, the need of which
has developed through a year's experience. The notations are il-
lustrative of the necessity of care and experience in charter
drafting, and are not meant as an exhaustive recital of charter
defects.
* Registered vote.
* By Lent D. Upson. In National Municipal Review. 4: 266-72. April,
«9iS.
OF GOVERNMENT 59
It so happens that all of the larger cities and most of the
smaller ones with city manager government have placed the leg-
islative powers in a small board, elected at large without regard
to political party. Irrespective of the improvement in administra-
tion generally attending the adoption of the city manager plan, it
has not been definitely proven that a small council chosen in the
manner indicated contributes materially to this result.
Indeed, the amount of newspaper criticism and street talk
based upon misinformation and prejudice prompts the belief that
there is a failure to filter the facts of government down to an in-
terested public — an error which some elements suggest might be
corrected by bringing the legislative body closer to the people.
It is advanced that a method by which the several political and
social elements in the community might be represented would
stimulate a more friendly attitude among discordant groups, and
would require such representatives to place themselves definitely
on record on propositions which are criticised solely for political
expediency. In other words, responsibility would minimize fault-
finding. This problem of representation can have only an em-
pirical solution, and Dayton having discarded the ward system
and its evils, awaits with interest the results of a trial of propor-
tional representation.
That the provision in the Dayton charter permitting the recall
of the city manager is an error, has been generally conceded.
The city manager is solely an administrative officer engaged to
carry out the legislative policies of the commission. If he fails
in these administrative duties, the commission has made the mis-
take of appointing an incompetent person; if measures are un-
popular, it is the fault of the commission which ordered them
put into effect. Granted that in the public mind the city manager
will always be the most important person in the city government ;
that administrations will succeed or fail upon the manager's
achievements — yet in the last analysis it is the employers who
should be held responsible.
The charter-framers of Dayton were not insensible to these
principles, but believed that to have so radical a departure in city
government approved, it would be necessary to offer an addi-
tional safeguard in the possibility of recalling the city manager.
As the public has come largely to realize the purely administra-
tive duties of the city manager, it seems feasible to eliminate this
objectionable feature of the charter.
6o CITY MANAGER PLAN
The charter provides that the first meeting of the city commis-
sion shall be "on the first Monday of January following the reg-
ular municipal election." Under such circumstances it might so
happen that the city would be without government, or at least its
officers without authority to expend funds from January i until
the first Monday in the month. This section should be remedied,
calling for a meeting of the commission, and the passing of an
appropriation ordinance on the first business day of the year.
It has been provided that the city attorney shall be appointed
by the city manager, while his assistants are chosen subject to
civil service regulations. Question has been made as to the policy
of subordinating this office to chief executive. Numerous ques-
tions may be proposed, relating particularly to the financial ad-
ministration of the city, in which it might be advisable that the
opinion of the city attorney be unbiased by his relationship with
the officer directly responsible for such financial considerations.
Not infrequently the desire of an administration to show imme-
diate results proves inimical to the best interests of the tax pay-
ers, although the latter are theoretically protected by law. For
example, by the refunding of bonds to the advantage of the op-
erating fund; by bond issues for purposes approaching current
operation, etc. In such instances the legal adviser of the city
should be in the position to advance an independent opinion. It
has been suggested that the city attorney, or the chief financial
officer, preferably the former, be appointed directly b}' the com-
mission, but this diversion from centralized authority has never
been tried.
The vital feature of the prescribed accounting procedure of
Dayton is in the words "accounting procedure shall be devised
and maintained for the city, adequate to record in detail all trans-
actions affecting the acquisition, custodianship and disposition of
values ..." With this sanction, the director of finance has
opened a complete set of books including a general ledger, and is
prepared to furnish an accurate balance sheet of all city funds.
In fact, Dayton has installed a financial system comparing favor-
ably with that employed in large private business, and which is
equalled by few cities in the country. The charter further re-
quires that distinct summaries and schedules shall be presented
for each public utility owned and operated. This should be
amended to include public industries, such as garbage disposal
plants, public markets, etc.
OF GOVERNMENT 6i
Under the present requirement the city manager signs both
the order for goods or services and the voucher by which the
payment for such is authorized. It is doubtful if the manager
should be compelled to sign either of these documents, as he has
no personal knowledge of, and little time to investigate, the
merits of the thousands of business transactions occurring.
To centralize the city government the charter provides that
the board of sinking fund trustees shall consist of the city com-
mission, the city manager, and the director of finance. A com-
mission with its many varied duties has little time or interest in
technical sinking fund procedure. Even in Dayton such a fund-
amental procedure as the change from the serial to sinking fund
plan of debt retirement secured scant consideration. Further, in-
trusting the custodianship of sinking fund money with the same
body that creates indebtedness may not be assumed always to op-
erate to the interest of the tax payers. Occasions might be when
the legislative body would issue bonds which, while permitting a
favorable showing by the administration, might be illegal as well
as impolitic. Examples are bonds for equipment, regular en-
gineering, and refunding purposes. Under the present circum-
stances if such indebtedness were refused by bond buyers the
legislative body acting as sinking fund trustees might purchase
the questionable issue. On the other hand, an independent board
of sinking fund trustees would probably be inclined to act only
for the broader concern of the public. Reduction in salaried posi-
tions, though not the centralization of administration, could be
secured equally well by creating a sinking fund commission to
serve without pay, and by providing that the city treasurer or
accountant should act as secretary.
Purchasing provisions of the charter do not provide that the
purchasing agent shall buy other than supplies and materials, al-
though the local agent has extended his activities to include cer-
tain contractual services known in budgetary parlance as "con-
tractual services" or "services other than personal." Charter
amendment should be made to demarcate the sphere of the
agfent; or at least to designate minimum activities, leaving their
extension to the option of the city manager. Probably centralized
purchasing would be profitable for telephone service ; repairs by
contract or open market order, whether to equipment, building or
structures; insurance, both fire and liability; public utility ser-
vices except transportation charges; and other contractual ser-
62 CITY MANAGER PLAN
vices such as legal advertising, boarding of live stock, rent of
lands and buildings, storage of equipment, horseshoeing, etc.
Definite charter provision should be made for the creation of
a stores fund with which goods may be purchased, stored and
sold to departments without profit; for the reimbursements of
this fund by warrants drawn against the proper appropriation
codes when stores are delivered ; and as to the method of ad-
justing the account at the close of the fiscal year. Authorization
should also be made for the sale of services and supplies between
departments where the transfer of charges is one of account and
no money passes through the city treasury.
It would also be well to specify more clearly the circumstances
surrounding emergency orders, requiring that the facts of the
emergency shall be certified to the purchasing agent within
twenty-four hours after the purchase is made, and that a confirm-
ing order shall be immediately sent to the vendor. In this con-
nection the creation of departmental petty cash funds should be
definitely allowed carefully hmiting their use so as to minimize
abuse.
Further provision should be made that when bids are opened,
and before contracts are let, the figures should be public to com-
petitors and to citizens sufficiently interested to inquire at the
purchasing agent's office. To this end bids should be tabulated
upon standard sheets and become permanent records. Objection
has been made that the publicity of bids in contrast to the practice
of private firms is not conducive to lowest prices. On the other
hand, secrecy of bids places the purchasing agent liable to the
temptation of deals with corrupt vendors, and robs the public and
competitors of easy means of detection. This situation, as in
Dayton, may be remedied by administrative order, but a model
charter should leave no vagueness of this character.
If city advertising is done exclusively in a daily newspaper of
general circulation which bids the lowest price per unit for such
services, there is a remarkable saving in charges of this char-
acter. However, the Dayton charter does not permit a municipal
journal to be substituted in case a newspaper contract has been
entered into, although frequently it would be advantageous to do
so. With certain extensive ordinances such as the city budget,
building code, traffic rules, etc., newspaper publication is not only
expensive, but it is not particularly effective. In such instances it
would be desirable to publish in pamphlet form as an issue of a
. OF GOVERNMENT 63
journal which would be less expensive, furnish a means of per-
manence, and allow for distribution among persons affected or
interested.
The absurdity of certain of the Dayton civil service provisions
will be so apparent to even the casual student of government that
these sections merit only brief mention and discussion :
(a) The unclassified service includes the heads of divisions,
as well as of departments, thereby removing the promotion in-
centive for employees, and offering a stimulus to the creation and
extension of divisions by an unscrupulous administration inter-
ested in extending the spoils sjstem.
(b) The chief examiner is empowered to fill vacant posi-
tions, after consultation with the city manager, from the entire
eligible list. Certainly' such a provision lays the merit system
wide open to abuse, and might even nullify it were the appointing
officers so inclined. The citj^ manager of Dayton is appointing
from the top of the eligible list, but a change in the administra-
tion policies would permit the filling of vacancies with ward
politicians of minimum ability.
(c) Contrary to approved practices, it is provided that dis-
charged employees are entitled to a public hearing before the civil
service board. Such a program will find little defense among
persons familiar with civil service practice. A recent experience
of Dayton with a public hearing of this kind has proven this
scheme to be conducive to insubordination, makes the depart-
mental head reluctant to discharge incompetents, and furnishes
an opportunity for the creating of political capital by the opposi-
tion.
There are a number of commendable features in the civil
service chapter, notably those relating to the standardization of
salaries, requiring a probationary period of appointment, cer-
tification of all pay rolls, and the prevention of political activity
on the part of employees. These should be retained, but cer-
tainly the other provisions cited are in urgent need of amend-
ment.
The principal weaknesses of the special assessment sections
relate to the levying of assessments previous to the making of
improvements. It is impractical for the city engineer to estimate
exactly the cost of improvements, in consequence of which the
figures are usually excessive, necessitating rebates at the con-
clusion of the construction. However, when this amount is small,
64 CITY MANAGER PLAN
and no demand is made by the tax payer, the surphis is turned
into a fund to meet small deficiencies. The devising of some
plan which will eliminate these difficulties without involving the
objections arising from fixing the assessments after the im-
provement is made would be an interesting study.
The extensive use which municipalities are now making of
special assessments for purposes other than public improve-
ments, should prompt some provisions for the treatment of these
funds aside from the regular assessment procedure. Where as-
sessments are used for special street lighting, vault cleaning, side-
walk cleaning, weed cutting, street flushing, street sprinkling,
etc., regular budgetary appropriations should be made for these
services, with the stipulation that the assessment income should
be turned into the general fund as a regular revenue ; and that
in those cases in which such assessment is placed on the tax du-
plicate it should be returned when collected to the general fund.
Some exception has been taken to the franchise regulation
which prohibits the regranting of a franchise prior to one year of
its expiration, a section included to prevent franchise jobbing by
a controlled legislative body. It has not been infrequent in mu-
nicipal history for a council to annul a franchise and in its place
grant a new one for a long period. On the other hand it is fre-
quently to local advantage to secure improvements from public
utilities, or the union of separate companies, in return for a new
franchise granted before the expiration of the older ones. Prob-
ably with the other safeguards which have been thrown around
the granting of franchises this section might be eliminated.
No sections of the Dzyton charter have been more widely
copied than those relating to appropriations, doubtless because
this city has been one of the few to detail appropriation pro-
cedure. However, after the experience derived from the prepara-
tion of two budgets under these sections, and with a knowledge
of the more recent developments in budget making, certain minor
changes urgently recommend themselves :
(a) The fiscal year should begin, not necessarily with the
calendar year but at a time when the principal payments of ac-
crued city revenues are anticipated.
(b) The classification of expense estimates should be uni-
form for the main functional divisions of each department,
rather than "as nearly uniform as possible." '
OF GOVERNMENT 65
(c) The clause requiring that the first pubUcation of the
budget be made after the pubUc hearings should be changed to
read before. This was an unintentional error. A provision re-
quiring that the manager's estimate of expense be pul)lished par-
allel with the appropriations of the commission has been found
unnecessary.
(d) Recently considerable change in budget procedure has
been suggested by the publication of a budget program for the
city of New York for 1915, as devised by the New York bureau
of municipal research. The details are too long to be discussed
here but are worthy of consideration by any charter drafting
body.
In providing for the salaries and compensation of employees,
the charter states that the city manager shall fix the number and
salaries of officers and employees excepting those in the division
of fire and police, and the heads of departments. Such a section
is theoretically unsound as delegating to an appointive officer
powers which should be retained by the legislative body which is
responsible to the people. This was recognized by the city man-
ager of Dayton who voluntarily relinquished this charter right,
and the salaries and period of service of each employee are
made an integral part of the appropriation ordinance.
The charter by requiring that the money shall be in the treas-
ury before obHgations are entered into automatically limits the
period of contract to one year. In the main, this has proven ben-
eficial but absolutely prevents long-term contracts for public
lighting, garbage disposal, etc. Contracts of this character should
be exempt from this provision.
These are some of the important changes found desirable in
the Daj-ton charter after one j-ear of operation. Doubtless there
are others which further experience will develop. This docu-
ment was never presented as the last work in charter-making,
but claims to be only a step in advance over those in common
use. Cities contemplating the adoption of the Dayton model of
government should profit by the weaknesses which have arisen,
remembering that the most adequate charter, if it contains ad-
ministrative procedure, will require periodic amendment in or-
der to take advantage of improvements developed through the
experience of their own and other cities.
GENERAL DISCUSSION
THE CITY MANAGER, QUALIFICATIONS,
POWERS AND DUTIES'
The city manager is an appointive ofificer selected, by reason
of his peculiar knowledge of municipal affairs and because of
his administrative ability, to fill the position of chief executive of
a vast public corporation, with little restriction upon his power
and with only one command — produce results.
Qualifications. — Municipal managership is a new profession.
As the requirements of the office are largely untried, the charter
framers displayed keen foresightedness in making the qualifica-
tions for service of broad general character without regard to
hampering details. Theirs was the intent to secure the best man
at a price which would be justified by the results he would pro-
duce. These provisions as to his qualifications are so general
and so liberal in their tendencies that the restrictions take on
merely a negative character. For instance, the charters generally
state that the city manager need not be selected from citizens
resident in the city, but may be appointed from any locaHty, as
it is a question of ability rather than residence.
Dr. Washington Gladden at the Conference of Ohio Cities in
IQI2 said :
Still another shackle would be broken if our new constitution should
remove all those limitations by which the people are restricted, in selecting
their officials, to residents of their own city. Why should not the city
corporation be free in choosing its employees — to take them wherever it
can find them — to get the best men without any reference to their place
of residence? No business corporation would submit to such a restriction,
that it should employ in an executive capacity none but its own stock-
holders or none but residents in its own community. Cases often arise in
which far more efficient service might be secured by going outside of the
municipality; for special services we sometimes do go outside; but why
should we limit ourselves at all ? It is sometimes assumed that a resident
of the neighborhood would know the people better, and would then be able
to serve them more acceptably; but the fact is that, as a rule, the less
»By Harry Aubrey Toulmin, Jr., J.D., F.S.S., "The City Manager, a
New Profession," p. 76-97.
68 CITY MANAGER PLAN
people a municipal officer knows, the better it is for the service. The great
curse of municipal government arises from the fact that the officials know
too many people, and are under too many obligations. It will take a com-
petent executive but a very short time to get all the knowledge of local
conditions that will be of any use to him.
His personal qualifications above all are essential. His po-
litical beliefs are especially mentioned as a thing which shall
not be considered a bar in any way whatsoever to his candidacy.
The test of politics is a dead letter ; the measurement of effi-
ciency is a live issue.
So much for the general, though meager, qualifications so
briefly enumerated by the charters. They are chiefly concerned
with what he is not to be. The unspoken qualifications, un-
doubtedly the chiefest in the makeup of a man in such a position
are, first, absolute, unswerving adherence to his own view that
efficiency, and hence results for the city, is the paramount thing;
second, administrative experience in business involving the
maintenance of engineering works and the necessary technical
education ; and third, the ability to lead through tact as well as
knowledge.
The New Profession's Personnel. — The city managers se-
lected for Staunton, Sumter, Springfield and Dayton have pre-
eminently these qualities. The selections in each case by the
commissions have been the result of patient search and careful
thought and profound study of what were the requirements of
the position and qualities which one should have to adequately
fill it.
The first city managers of Dayton and Springfield are illus-
trative of the type of men required for the position. Mr. H. M.
Waite was appointed city manager of Dayton. He is a civil
engineer by profession, graduating from the Massachusetts Insti-
tute of Technology. He has been superintendent of various
divisions of the large railways of this country. He made a
remarkable record as city engineer for the city of Cincinnati.
In that position he distinguished himself for efficiency of admin-
istration, a knowledge of civic affairs and an absolute unswerv-
ing loyalty to the idea of efficiency in public office. Equipped
with a profound sense of the importance of public service, he
chose his subordinates with an eye to their ability to serve the
people rather than a political machine ; he was subservient to no
party and to the dictates of no ascendant political organization.
At the time of his assumption of office on January i, 1914, in
OF GOVERNMENT 69
the city of Dayton, he was forty-three years of age, a man of
wide technical and administrative experience, possessing a record
of efificient service under that advanced administration in the
city of Cincinnati in the late regime of Mayor Hunt. A most
telling indication of his policies was his first statement upon the
assumption of power in his new position. "I insist," he said,
"when I employ men for work in my department that they be
selected for their efficiency and not because of any political
affiliation or in payment of any political debts, and this same
policy I expect to adhere to in Dayton." That is a platform
well worth while indeed.
The city manager of Springfield is another man with a rec-
ord of most excellent service. Mr. Charles E. Ashburner, also
aged forty-three, lately of Lynchburg, Virginia, was selected
first city manager for the city of Springfield. He is a native of
England, the son of an officer in the English army. After an
excellent education in Germany and France he came to America
and found his first employment as civil engineer in the Rivers
and Harbors Bureau of the United States. Later, he was en-
gaged by a contracting firm on engineering projects in various
countries of the world and then was employed by a railway
in its engineering department. His first municipal experience
was in Staunton, Virginia, where he becam^ city manager, when
the general manager was installed there. He was therefore
probably the first city manager in America; furthermore, he
installed the excellent city manager system now in force in Sum-
ter, North Carolina. After that, he went back to his profession
from which he was called lately to assume the place of chief
executive of this city of fifty thousand.
When the commission selects the city manager, it is a part
of its power to fix his salary. The spirit of the charters in the
larger cities, as in Springfield and Dayton, is to have the best
at any price. The commissioners are at liberty to bargain with
a prospective candidate in regard to the place and to secure the
best man their finances will justify, according to the customary
method in the business world.
To the uninitiated sometimes the salary of a city manager
looks high. It is, and in this matter of high salaries lies a grave
danger for the success of the plan. A large salary can only be
justified when its recipient saves the city the excess and more
by his economy of administration without impairment of results.
70 CITY MANAGER PLAN
A high salary is. economy when it purchases ability which en-
ables the public corporation not only to pay the man, but to
secure results and produce a profit instead of the usual yearly
deficit. It is not a matter of extravagance or erroneous business
policy to pay the head of a private corporation, numbering its
assets in the millions, an excellent salary. No more should it be
unsound policy to pay well a man who administers a public cor-
poration of like tangible value, and of far more import to the
citizens, who are stockholders in it in a thousand intangible
ways. For the very life of the citizenry itself is bound up in
the sane determination of the city's affairs. It is a vital fact of
existence itself which demands that we should pay the price, if
we only secure that efficiency which means health and protection
and the opportunity to produce as we should. Both business and
social reasons proclaim it a wise thing indeed to pay well a
competent man who will make these things possible. Believing
this to be true, the little city of Staunton pays her manager
$2,500 per annum ; Sumter pays her manager $3,300 ; Springfield
pays $6,000; and Dayton pays $12,500. These are goodly annual
sums, but if the theory of the new government upon which
these salaries are paid is carried out, there will be ample justifi-
cation in the resulting economy.
The selection of manager devolves solely on the commission.
It is a very vital task and one of profound moment to the peo-
ple. It is of telling importance to the commissioners themselves,
for their success as a body depends largely upon the qualities
which the man they select possesses.
It behooves then to weigh with exceeding care this, the
chiefest officer in the municipality, and to cull out from those
proposed for the office all the ineligible, and to secure the fittest
remaining. It is true that they are at liberty to remove him at
will, but this may not always be a practical power and may not
always be exercised in time to prevent the fruition of his wrong-
ful acts. Theirs is the option either to let him alone so long as
he conducts the affairs of his office satisfactorily to the people
and to the commission or they must completely remove him from
office. They do not have the privilege of retaining him in office
and directing the methods that he may pursue for the achieve-
ments of results. Further than this, of course, the cit^ manager
is always subject to recall directly by the people. This affords
the commission a peculiar advantage. In case affairs are not
OF GOVERNMENT 71
conducted properly, and it is apparently the fault of execution,
and not the fault of legislation, then the commission, who are
solely responsible for the inauguration of policies and plans, are
exonerated from blame, and the people can vent their wrath
upon the city manager alone if they so desire.
Powers. — Unique are the powers of the city manager. In
him are concentrated all functions of appointment, of control of
employees and advice to the commission. In the Dayton and
Springfield plans the power is so extensive, particularly in the
former city, that the term "controlled-executive" is hardly applic-
able any more.
One thing is evident. His methods of achieving results are
uncontrolled. The end, not the means, is the objective in these
modern instruments of government. The powers and duties of
chief executive of the modern American city are, therefore, quite
unprecedented.
The charter of Springfield enumerates succinctly his powers
in the following manner :
"(o) To see that the laws and ordinances are enforced.
"(&) Except as herein provided, to appoint and remove
all heads of departments, and all subordinate ofhcers and em-
ployees of the citj'; all appointments to be upon merit and fit-
ness alone, and in the classified service all appointments and
removals to be subject to the civil service provisions of this
charter.
"(c) To exercise control over all departments and divisions
created herein or that hereafter may be created by the commis-
sion.
" {d) To see that all terms and conditions imposed in
favor of the city or its inhabitants in any public utility franchise
are faithfully kept and performed ; and upon knowledge of any
violation thereof to call the same to the attention of the city
solicitor, who is hereby required to take such steps as are neces-
sary to enforce the same.
"(e) To attend all meetings of the commission, with the
right to take part in the discussions but having no vote.
"(/) To recommend to the commission for adoption such
measures as he may deem necessary or expedient.
"(.9) To act as budget commissioner and to keep the city
commission fully advised as to the financial condition and needs
of the city.
72 CITY MANAGER PLAN
"(h) To perform such other duties as may be prescribed
by this charter or be required of him by ordinance or resolution
of the commission."
The city manager in this city is also empowered to act as
the platting commissioner. This is of particular import in these
days when it is very advisable to have uniform method and plan
of arranging the city. City platting has become a science in itself
and should be administered by an expert who has wide knowl-
edge of the needs of the city, its urgent demands and the possi-
bilities for the future.
Dayton empowers her city manager in the following manner :
"(o) To see that the laws and ordinances are enforced.
"(6) To appoint and, except as herein provided, remove all
directors of departments and all subordinate officers and em-
ployees in the departments in both the classified and unclassified
service; all appointments to be upon merit and fitness alone,
and in the classified service all appointments and removals to be
subject to the civil service provisions of this charter:
"(c) To exercise control over all departments and divisions
created herein or that may be hereafter created by the Commis-
sion;
"(d) To attend all meetings of the Commission with the
right to take part in the discussion but having no vote;
"(e) To recommend to the Commission for adoption such
measures as he may deem necessary or expedient :
"(/) To keep the Commission fully advised as to the finan-
cial condition and needs of the city;
"(g) To perform such other duties as may be prescribed by
this charter or be required of him by ordinance or resolution of
the Commission."
As exact knowledge of conditions in the departments and
among the employees is one of the requirements or one of the
basic ideas in the new city government, it is quite in keeping to
direct that the city manager may without notice cause an ex-
tensive investigation into the affairs of any departments under
his control or the conduct of any officer or employee. This
power of the manager to investigate is coupled with the power
to compel the attendance of witnesses and the production of
books and to punish for contempt in order to enforce, the carry-
ing out of his orders made in such manner.
OF GOVERNMENT 12,
In Hickory, North Carolina, the charter sets forth the
powers of the city manager, not in an orderly fashion as in the
well-drawn charters of the larger cities, but in an equally effec-
tive way. The powers it enumerates are about as follows :
(a) He shall attend all meetings of the council and make
recommendations thereto and furnish information to it as may
seem necessary within the wisdom of council or manager.
(&) He shall require an accurate report from those be-
neath him in various departments as to the performance of their
duties.
(c) He shall sign all contracts, licenses and other docu-
ments on behalf of the city.
(rf) He has the power of investigation.
(^) He has the power of revocation of licenses pending
action of the city council.
(/) He has power over public works and buildings, con-
struction of public improvements, as highways, bridges, etc. ; he
has control of public utilities, whether publicly or privately
owned; and he has charge of all the water supply and sewerage
systems.
{g) He has power to suspend, fine or dismiss members of
the police, fire, waterworks, sewerage and street departments in
the interests of discipline.
(/j) He shall submit a list to the city council from which
are to be appointed for the term of one year the officers and
employees of the police, fire, street, water and sewerage depart-
ments.
In LaGrande, Oregon, the provision as to the power of the
city manager is a very general and consequently a very excellent
one. In this city the general manager, so called, has absolute
control and supervision over every office and the employees
therein, except the commissioners and the municipal judge, and
has power of appointment of all other officers. He has the
power to discharge his appointees with or without cause. He
is to see that the business of the corporation is transacted "in
a modern, scientific and business-like manner." He is to keep
records like those kept by a private corporation. He is account-
able to the commission for results.
From an analysis of the foregoing respective charters in the
matter of powers given the city manager, the following are ap-
parently the general powers usually conferred upon that official :
74 CITY MANAGER PLAN
(a) He is charged with the enforcement of laws and ordi-
nances.
(b) He administers the affairs of the departments and is
responsible for the results obtained therefrom.
(c) He appoints and dismisses the employees whose work
will produce the results he is responsible for.
(d) He advises the council and attends the meetings for
that purpose, supplementing his advice with formal written re-
ports, but he has no vote.
(e) He estimates the financial needs of the corporation and
acting as expert budget maker he is financial adviser of the com-
mission.
(/) He has the general powers of investigation and is the
general agent of the commission.
Control of Salaries. — In the discussion of the departments,
many of the limitations to the authority of city manager have
been already considered, but there are a number of miscellaneous
powers untouched upon. In city government, no less than in
war, a control over the payroll of the active participants, as
the officers, is a potent thing. With the exception of department
heads, direct employees of the commission, police and fire force,
and board members in the unclassified service, all the vast num-
ber of remaining employees and officers have their compensation
fixed virtually by the city manager. This is true of one charter
at least, that of Dayton. And in this instrument it is still
further wisely provided that uniform salaries shall be paid for
like services, as such services shall be graded by the city manager
in harmony with the civil service rules. Upon being so fixed, a
report is made to the city emplo3'ment officer of the size of
salary for the particular office. In fixing the limit of these
salaries the amount of the bond which the particular officer may
be called upon to give for the faithful and honest performance
of his duties is also determined by the city manager.
Financial Control. — The city manager should properly be in
intimate relationship with the curtailment of expenditures. He
should be in daily contact with the sources of income and outgo,
for he is the expert financial adviser of the commission, often
a member of the sinking fund board, and takes an active part in
preparing the budget. It is therefore provided, in 9ne case at
least, that no warrant for the payment of a claim shall be issued
by the city accountant until such warrant is countersigned by
OF GOVERNMENT 75
the city manager as well as by the head of the department in-
curring the expense. Furthermore, "each order of purchase or
sale," is "to be approved and countersigned by the city manager
or his deputy" before the city purchasing agent can close a
purchase or contract. The letting of contracts in this same
charter is checked by the necessary approval of the city manager
and commission before the award can be made, whenever the
contract is made for an amount over $500. The same charter
provides that the city manager shall be a member of the board
of revision of assessments ; this is certainly an excellent pro-
vision, for it gives the city manager an intimate knowledge of
the income of the city on the side of taxation.
No other charter provides so liberally for control by the
expert. It commends itself as a most sensible provision, for it
gives the controlling agent in the government the whip hand
to get results. Under the old system remonstrance or removal—
if removal were ever accomplished when the culprit had political
friends — was the sole means of relieving inefficiency. The city's
money is paid for results, and if in the judgment of the man
seeking them, they are not being obtained, there should be less
pay or no pay. It is characteristic of the new order that em-
ployees are hired to produce, and not to become merely of more
or less decorative value.
Appointive Power. — It will also be noticed that his appoin-
tive power is very generous in all the charters. For instance,
in Hickory, North Carolina, he furnishes a list of candidates
from which are selected officers and employees, in the police,
fire, street, waterworks and sewerage departments. This pro-
vision is weaker than those usually made and does not seem
to be in keeping with the spirit of the plan. The officials so ap-
pointed are only to hold office for the meager tenure of one
year, and that is probably not long enough for the personnel to
take hold heartily of their work as a permanent thing or devote
their best energies to it. It also makes difficult the securing of
really competent men, for a competent man does not like to have
his best efforts cut off at the very time when they are beginning
to bear fruit. If the manager is to be responsible, he should
be entitled to a chance to do things right as well as a chance
to do things wrong which would bring blame upon him. Under
this plan he is responsible, without having the power to do things
which would make him justly liable, for his employees are in a
76 CITY MANAGER PLAN
large measure not of his appointing, and those who are, are only
there for a short period.
In Daj'ton, the city manager appoints two general classes
of men. The class of major executives serve as heads of de-
partments, as the city attorney, director of public safety, and
director of finance. He also appoints the minor executives or
those subordinate to the heads of departments, as the health
officer, chief of police, fire chief, city accountant, city treasurer
and purchasing agent. He may generally select for his em-
ployees men resident anywhere. He is expected to achieve
efficiency and there is no restriction as to the place in which he
may seek a competent man to fill the position he has in mind.
In Springfield, all others than those appointed by the com-
mission and enumerated in a prior discussion of that body, are
appointed by the city manager. Springfield has not gone as far
in her charter as other charters have in the freedom of appoint-
ment which is usually conferred upon their chief executive.
For the same reason that there is an error in the charter of
Hickory, North Carolina, there is an error in the Springfield
charter in restricting the manager in this fashion, for his ap-
pointive and removal power is a very potent thing to enable
him to secure the results the city expects him to achieve.
In LaGrande, Oregon, the city manager appoints the city
recorder, city treasurer, city attorney, chief of police, fire chief,
city engineer, superintendent of waterworks, health officer and
street superintendent. These men are subject to recall by him,
with or without cause.
In Phoenix, Arizona, the city manager appoints the city
clerk, city treasurer, city assessor, city collector, city attorney,
engineer, chief of police, fire chief, and superintendent of streets.
Location of Appointive Power. — In this particular the pru-
dence of the framers of the Dayton charter is exhibited. This
scheme of division of powers, set forth in that charter, justly
entitles it to the claim of preeminence over all other contempo-
raneous charters. What more in keeping with the innate justice
and business like spirit which pervades the new order than to
hold the city manager responsible for the complete execution of
the trust which is devolved upon him as a public servant? We
concentrate the power in him and we look to him to justify
our confidence. Yet this very .spirit of righteous justification
would be a mockery of itself if we did not put it in the power
OF GOVERNMENT n
of the man to whom we apply such an acid task to discharge ably
the tasks he assumes. The means of discharging the trust must
lie in the personnel of the departments over which he exercises
so radical a control. The Dayton charter, therefore, provides
that the city manager shall have a very wide and generous scope
to his appointments. He has absolute control over his depart-
ments, and absolute power of appointment and removal, with or
without cause, provided only that he does not act in conflict
with the civil service regulations. It is simply a question of the
commercial world of how to produce the best results, and an
application of the experience of private enterprises that impor-
tant executives must not be hampered in their means of affecting
tangible achievements. It is evident that this must be inevitably
the order of affairs if we expect the city manager to write efii-
cency with a majuscule.
Conclusion. — In this type of officer, the personnel of the new
profession is exemplified. It is a far cry from the day of the
inefficient amateur to the precisive professional administrator :
the annals of civic progress embrace many a weary recital of
sloth and indecision of bad judgment and wilful carelessness.
This must be no more. Sincere efforts are now under way to
keep a clean record in the future. Above all and beyond all, the
idea that ability to direct a city's destiny is a God-given gift
common to the politically chosen is meeting its Nemesis ; we are
living now in a more sophisticated time when the sugar-plums
of political quackery no longer satisfy the jaded popular taste.
This nation-wide desire for knowledge and publicity and sim-
plicity is garnering its significant fruits of efficiency, economy,
and centralized administrative authority. We are indeed on the
threshold of the dawning of a new day for a new profession.
May its history record a generous fulfillment of its fortuitous
beginnings.
THE THEORY OF THE NEW CONTROLLED
EXECUTIVE PLAN^
The recent adoption by Sumter, S. C., of a new type of com-
mission plan of government with the appointive city manager,
is important. It is the first time in the United States that a
municipal chief executive has been made appointive and put
* By Richard S. Childs, Secretary, National Short Ballot Organization.
National Municipal Review. 2: 76-81. January, 1913.
78 CITY MANAGER PLAN
under continuous control instead o£ independent and under
intermittent control.
Pending the appearance in America of this principle, the shor^
ballot movement was headed for a stone wall. For in demand-
ing the reduction of the mischievous multiplicity of elective
offices, we are met by the question "what offices would you make
appointive and who would appoint them?" The natural and easy
answer is to follow the tendency of the times and advocate
casting all appointive power on the nearest chief executive. In
New York state, for example, the New York Short Ballot Or-
ganization has presented constitutional amendments to the legis-
lature, the effect of which is to give the governor control by
appointment over the rest of the state ticket, namely, the secre-
tary of state, state treasurer, attorney general, comptroller and
state engineer and surveyor. It is easy to point to the parallel
of the United States government for justification, or to the state
of New Jersey.
The matter of safeguards on the appointing power is brought
up. The politician takes it for granted that the state senate will
have power to confirm or reject the appointments of the gov-
ernor. The New York amendment, however, recognized the fact
that the senate habitually utilizes the power of confirmation to
accomplish a theft of the whole power of appointment. Forthwith,
the responsibility of the governor for the appointments becomes
something of a myth, and public control is baffled by the inability
of the people to know whether it was the governor who made a
given appointment, or some senator. For while the number of
rejections by a senate may apparently not be large, the real
number of rejections is very large indeed. The governor may
not even informally ask the senators, or the boss who rules them,
if this or that nomination will be acceptable, knowing well the
limitations which the politicians will set upon him.
The history of the president's appointive power and its con-
striction by "senatorial courtesy" shows evils similars to those in
New York state.
Likewise, in cities where the council must confirm the ap-
pointments of the mayor, an interchange of authority occurs and
the council soon controls the patronage without the correspond-
ing responsibility.
With such cases in mind, the New York Short Ballot Organi-
zation drafted its amendment so as to give the governor power
OF GOVERNMENT 79
to appoint these minor state oflficers, without confirmation, and
with power to dismiss at pleasure. The amendment, consistent
with this principle, went beyond the offices which are now elec-
tive and made the governor's power of unconfirmed appointment
complete throughout the whole administration, so far as the
constitution was concerned.
The mayor of New York City has similar power over all the
department heads. He may appoint and remove without over-
sight by anybody, and this is considered one of the most modern
and progressive features of the charter.
The National Municipal League's model charter conferred
this absolute power on the mayor.
This is the present orthodox principle among reformers. The
purpose is to clear the lines of responsibility from all entagle-
ments; to make it impossible for an official charged with neglect
to say that it is at least better and safer than the confirmation
instead of many-headed.
The opposition promptly complains that this is over-concen-
tration of power. The politicians, fearful of the appearance of
any machine except their own, argue that the chief executive
would use his enlarged patronage to build up a new machine.
Of course, we answer that a new machine once in a while by
way of variety, might be a good thing and that we would have
the boss of the new machine right where we could hit him full
and square.
Nevertheless, it is my belief that there is a measure of sound-
ness in the opposition to uncontrolled appointive power that we
must eventually give to the opponents of it a better answer than
to say that it is at least better and safer than the confirmation
plan.
In no other democratic country do the people subject them-
selves so to the mercies of individual caprice as we already do.
And, as I have shown, reformers are ready to carry it still
further. In many of our cities it may fairly be said that the
mayor holds half the city power within his personal grasp.
Certainly if we take into account his ability to misuse patronage
and veto like chessmen, the mayor comes pretty near being a
majority in many of our city governments. In this matter we
are unique among the nations, and it is curious that a country
which appears most afraid of a strong government, and in which
the Jeffersonian idea appears dominant, should be the one in
8o CITY MANAGER PLAN
which single individuals are entrusted with greater uncontrolled
power than anywhere else in Christendom.
An instance of the dangers involved is New York City
where the mayor recently had it within his power to upset the
subway situation whenever he pleased, and frequently it seemed
to the people of the town that he was likely to do so. He ex-
pressed opposition to what he called "cornfield routes" for sub-
ways and wanted the new tubes built where there was already
the greatest number of passengers. If that one man had hap-
pened to be impervious to argument, future generations in New
York City might have been condemned to live upon an insignifi-
cant fraction of the land which lay within a few miles of city
hall, with congestion piled on congestion, instead of congestion
being relieved by the opening up of new spaces.
Similarly, the mayor of New York was charged with respon-
sibility for an epidemic of crime, by reason of his causing sharp
punishment of policemen who ventured to use their clubs. Mat-
ters reached a point where a gang of toughs could successfully
forbid policemen to pass beyond the corner of a certain carbarn.
After the terrible Asch factory fire in New York, two impor-
tant bills aiming at fire prevention, came before the mayor for
acceptance. One represented the best thought of the public
spirited citizens of the town and the most careful draftsmanship.
The mayor, without giving anybody a chance to explain, re-
jected it because he thought his pet enemy, Hearst, had prepared
it, and proceeded to sign the inferior measure.
Whether my statements are just to the mayor or not, it is
obvious that things fully as serious as this are easily conceivable,
and a plan of government which permits the whims or failings
of a single man to swing such vast interests, even temporarily,
is not thoroughly sound.
The chief ground for complaint against the uncontrolled-
executive plan is, however, not its perilous strength, but the fact
that the presence of these obvious perils compels us to withhold
from our administrators the powers they need. They need not
only complete undivided appointive power, but power to use their
own discretion, power to make new rules, as they go along, to
fit new situations, power to be agents instead of dummies of the
law's minutiae.
Our municipal, state and national legislatures now must
undertake to control by continuous and detailed legislation a
OF GOVERNMENT 8x
multitude of highly technical matters which ought to be left to
empowered administrative experts. The legislatures cannot
safely delegate their powers to administrators because they can-
not hold the administrators answerable for results and subject
to punishment.
The New York city government undertakes to prevent such
holocausts as the Asch fire. There is a new fire prevention bu-
reau, placed according to current orthodox theories, under the
mayor's single control. The fact that the mayor is independent
and uncontrolled makes it impossible to confer the vast neces-
sary powers upon the fire prevention bureau without running the
risk that those vast powers may be used improperly under a
weak or opinionated executive, in which case there would be no
appeal and all hope of reform must be hazarded upon the per-
sonality of the next mayor.
Another great and vital feature of local legislation in New
York City is the building code. At present the aldermen make
it and the mayor approves and administers it. The present
method has developed great scandals and the code is chronically
out of date and unfair to business and costly to the people. The
right method would be to have an appointive administrative
building code board, served by an expert bureau and empowered
to enact the code and keep it up to date and enforce it. If
we attempt this at present we have three unhappy alternatives :
(i) To let the mayor have the whole responsibility for the
building code board with right to dismiss the members and ap-
point new ones at pleasure. This overstrains our willingness to
depend on the wisdom of one man. (2) To let the mayor ap-
point, subject to confirmation by the council. This forks the
line of responsibility and the principle has proven mischievous in
practice. (3) To let the mayor appoint the building code board
but give the members long terms in rotation so that no one may
or can alter a majority of the board in his term. This puts
power beyond prompt popular control, prevents the retrieving of
mistakes in appointment, and delays and baffles attempts at im-
provement as well as attempts at corruption. Thus Governor
Wilson has been almost impotent in certain important matters
which he was elected to carry through in New Jersey, because
certain of his so-called subordinates have protected tenures and
silently defy his efforts to install new methods. The people can-
not be expected to analyze his excuses and duly hold him blame-
82 CITY MANAGER PLAN
less. He has no redress and neither have the people and there is
nothing to do but wait for the years to roll round before reform
can be effected. Power ought not thus to be delegated beyond
control of responsible representatives of the people.
The recall puts a touch of flexibiUty into the plan of electing
independent chief executives. So far as the recall goes, I favor
it. But it is at best, clumsy, unwieldy and expensive. The horse
needs a hand on the rein. It is not always wise to give him his
head and then unhitch him and buy another horse if he turns
off the road to nibble the grass.
Upon a state legislature or a city legislature, i.e., a group of
men who act in group, we willingly confer greater powers than
we dare give one man, and all these large powers can, without
diminution, be boldly and flexibly administered through a con-
trolled chief executive.
Such is the new office which has just been created in Sumter,
S. C. The new charter of this little city (io,coo population)
modifies the commission plan by making the commissioners act
as a board, never singly, and perform all executive work through
an appointive city manager, who holds office subject to their
pleasure. The city manager may be hired from out of town and
is simply the expert servant of the commission.
Suppose New York adopted this plan by enlarging its present
board of estimate and making it a supreme board of directors
with no other elective officers to detract from its authority.
That board of directors could hire a chief executive to carry out
all its orders in proper co-ordination. There could be under this
continuously controlled executive a building code board and a
fire prevention board, for instance, to which could be safely sub-
let all the powers necessary to the proper regulation of build-
ings and the prevention of conflagrations. Then the public would
have the right to disregard all details and simply hold the direc-
tors responsible for results.
After the Asch fire nobody suffered politically except George
McAneny, the borough president, and he was not responsible at
all. But if a building burned and people died in it the public
could with perfect justice demand of our proposed board of di-
rectors — "What did you let this happen for? You had plenty of
power to prevent it !" And the directors, apologizing, would
turn privately to their city manager and repeat "What is the
reason? Did you appoint real experts or amateurs on that fire
OF GOVERNMENT 83
prevention board? Didn't you have inspectors enough? Or
money enough? What do you need to prevent another fire?"
And the manager, fearing lest he lose his job for having thus
gotten his superiors into trouble, will tear things loose in the
fire board to locate and punish the cause of the inefficiency and
see that proper new provisions are made to prevent forever the
repetition of any such disaster.
We cannot secure such a condition now because we dare not
give to an uncontrolled executive such vast administrative dis-
cretion.
The controlled-executive plan filters everything through a
group. It reduces the personal equation. Without loss of ad-
ministrative unity, it abolishes one-man power. A single man
may have his ups and downs, his freaks and fancies, his militant
points and his passive ones, his natural bents and moods, his
pet departments and projects. A board, or commission, or coun-
cil, or parliament, has none of these things — to a group such
excesses are relatively impossible. Even if all the members were
cranks, their combined judgment would be reliable — they would
neutralize each other.
This plan corresponds to the general manager under the board
of directors in a business corporation. It gives the stability of
the combined judgment of many men on matter.'; of policy, but
leaves execution to a single-headed controlled executive estab-
lishment.
The controlled-executive plan goes far beyond the recall of
the mayor. Its executive can be bounced out of office in less
time than it takes to print the blanks for a recall petition.
There are many other weaknesses of the independent execu'
tive plan of government, all of which are corrected by the con-
trolled-executive idea. I will simply name them.
1. The independence of the executive destroys continuity of
the administrative policy. One mayor is a crank on finance and
taxes, and devotes his attention to improving those matters, to
the neglect of other departments which do not interest him.
His successor leaves the financial reforms uncompleted and fol-
lows his own hobby of parks and schools.
2. Election of administrators is unsound in principle, for the
choice of an administrator is no more a natural popular function
than the choice of an engineer or a landscape architect. Ad-
84 CITY MANAGER PLAN
ministration of modern cities is an expert's job and the best ex-
perts are not necessarily good vote-getters.
3. The independent executive constitutes a separate city gov-
ernment and the attempt to compel him to work in harmony with
the other "city governments" creates a costly and cumbersome
mass of red tape. The council, for instance, in appropriating
funds for the mayor to spend, will try to regulate the details
of the expenditure, thus perhaps compelling what later in the
course of the expenditure may be found to be extravagance or
unwise economies or misdirected work.
4. The independence of the executive destroys unity in the
government. A city ought to have one government, not several.
Pulling and hauling, deadlocks, friction and delays, trading of
influence and the need of a boss to hold the ramshackle to-
gether and make it progress — all result from two-headed govern-
ment.
Putting a chief executive under continuous control of a re-
sponsible group of men aboUshes these evils. A moment's re-
flection will show that it is the universal plan in corporations
and in all associations employing paid servants. It is likewise
a standard plan in governments outside of the United States.
In foreign countries the parliament elects and controls the
prime minister, who in turn controls the administration. The
magistrat of a German city, with general power of appointment
over the whole administration, is hired by the council and sub'
ject to continuous control by it.
I believe the best way to go about getting this idea into prac-
tice is by giving encouragement to the wide spread adoption of
the Sumter plan. This plan, if successful in cities, will in time,
spread to counties and even to states.
PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS AND PROFES-
SIONAL ETHICS IN THE NEW PROFESSION
OF CITY MANAGER'
Professional Standards
The first question before the house is, "What is a city man-
ager
It is obvious that everybody who calls himself a city manager
* By Richard S. Childs, Henry M. Waite and others. In National
Municipal Review. 5:195-210. April, 1916.
OF GOVERNMENT 8s
is not necessarily a real one. It is obvious that the title of city
manager conferred upon a given office in a city charter does not
necessarily make the incumbent really a city manager or entitle
him to admission into a scrupulous city managers' association
as a member of the profession in full standing.
A certain city in Tennessee, for example, had an officer known
as the city commissioner, who had considerable work to do in
connection with public works. The council passed a resolution
which ran substantially as follows :
Whereas it is getting to be the fashion for up to date cities
to have city managers, and,
Whereas it will make City look like an up to
date city to have a city manager,
Therefore, be it resolved, that the title of the present com-
missioner be changed to city manager.
To be sure that officer had little or no appointive power, was
completely excluded from some of the most important city de-
partments, and despite his title, could not in any sense assume
to "manage" the city, but the council nevertheless forwarded a
copy of the resolution to the Short Ballot Organization and
evidently expected to be listed thenceforth among commission
manager cities, and no doubt the city manager of that town
considers himself a full-fledged city manager.
Titusville, Pa., has a so-called city manager, but he is only
the manager of part of the departments. The police department,
for example, is not under his charge at all. He is in reality
simply a superintendent of public works. In San Diego, Cal.,
likewise, the powers of the city manager and the experience and
training which he is getting are very incomplete.
Another set of cases is the cities which have a city manager
subject to divided responsibility under a mayor and council of
the old-fashioned type. In some cases the manager is appointed
by the mayor. Such a framework of government, lacking so
many of the basic principles which are essential to good gov-
ernment in the long run, is very liable to get into trouble from
time to time and to give to the true commission-manager plan
and to city managers, an undeserved bad name.
Should not the City Managers' Association, anxious to es-
tablish high and sound standards for membership in the new
profession, exclude such managers, or set them apart as being
not quite the real thing?
86 CITY MANAGER PLAN
Again, what is a "city?" Shall the future manager of Podunk
(pop. 900) stand on a professional parity with the future city
manager of Boston?
Here's another teaser. Some commission manager charters
require the manager to be chosen from among local talent. This
provision denies the existence of the profession and in effect
insists that the manager must be an amateur. City managers
chosen under that provincial limitation will not in the long run
be an ornament to the profession. Shall such a city be en-
couraged to believe that it has the whole genuine modern plan of
government?
The City Managers' Association has already adopted a defini-
tion of city manager and admits to its membership "any one
who is the administrative head of the city appointed by its legis-
lative body." At the present stage of development this rather
easy-going definition is acceptable, for of course there are so
few city managers in the country at present that it would be
difficult otherwise to make up a satisfactory membership list.
However, it seems to me that a stricter standard will eventually
be necessary and I offer the following unasked fatherly advice
to the city managers :
The association should co-operate in every possible way to
insure the success and fullest development of the true commis-
sion-manager form of government. They can do this very effec-
tively and inexpensively by the simple expedient of refusing to
grant full membership and full rights to any city managers ex-
cept those who are really managing real cities under charters
which give full opportunity for the success of this form of gov-
ernment as well as for the success of city managers who must
work there.
I suggest the following membership principles :
I. Full membership : Any person of good repute is eligible
for election to full membership in the City Managers' Associa-
tion who has been for two years an appointive chief executive
of a municipal government, under an approved charter.
An approved charter must provide substantially,
(i) That all the powers of the city shall be reposed in a
single elective governing body;
(2) Said governing body shall elect and direct the city
manager ;
OF GOVERNMENT 87
(3) The city manager shall not be required to be a local
resident at the time of his election;
(4) The city manager shall be chief executive of the mu-
nicipal administration with appointive power over all city de-
partments.
A member meeting the above requirements shall be styled
"Member of the City Managers' Association," Class A, B, or
C, 1910 census.
Class A, Managers of cities of 100,000 pop. and over
(50 cities).
Class B, Managers of cities of 30,000 pop. to 100,000
(119 cities).
Class C, Managers of cities of 8,000 pop. to 30,000.
II. Associate membership: All other city managers as per
the present board definition, including the managers of munici-
palities under 8,000 population, may style themselves "associate
members" of the association, Class A, B, C or D, D being the
division for towns of less than 8,000.
The two year minimum experience qualification shall be
waived until 1920,
The influence of such action on the part of the city man-
agers would be of incalculable value in keeping city charter
makers on the right track. It may seem impossible that such a
detail is capable of controlling the city charter movement in
America, but it is. Even the mere statement of the Short Ballot
Organization that such-and-such a proposed provision in a city
charter would exclude the city from our official list of commis-
sion-governed or commission-manager cities, is often enough to
kill off undesirable modifications. Nothing is juicier meat for
the local opposition than to be able to say that the writers of the
proposed charter have erred so grievously that yonder national
organization refuses to grant it recognition as a commission
charter at all. To the charter revision commission that ignor-
antly, or for political reasons, attempts to emasculate the com-
mission-manager plan, we would like to be able to say — "your
freak scheme is so unsound and so far afield from the principles
of this modern idea that your city manager will not even be
eligible for full membership in the city managers' association."
It would work like magic ; and it would do wonders to bulwark
the fundamental necessities of the new profession.
88 CITY MANAGER PLAN
To insist that managers must have appointive power over all
the administrative departments does not exclude managers in
cities where the charter excepts a few odd minor officers from the
manager's control such as corporation counsel, city clerk, asses-
sors or police judge, for these officers are not necessarily integral
parts of the administrative establishment. The provision does,
however, prevent some future city from hiring a manager of ten
years' experience from another city and finding that he knows
nothing of police problems. Such situations would tend to bring
the professional managers into disrepute.
Dividing the managers into classes looks far forward to the
time when they will naturally separate themselves into appro-
priate groups for discussing common technical problems. It
may seem too early to do this now. I am afraid it is too late.
It will require some anguish for the manager of a breezy httle
western tank town to say "aye" on a motion that relegates him
to "associate member Class D," for the good of the profession!
To require that a manager must be of good personal repute
gives the association the power to exclude or expel a manager
who has been involved in scandal.
Professional Ethics
A city manager who does not frequently know better than
the people of the town or the commissioners what is good for
them is a pretty poor city manager, but the people may not
want what is good for them and it is not the city manager's
business to jam it down their throats. No doubt there are
towns where on a clear cut referendum the electorate would be
likely to vote that all administrative offices, large or small, must
be held by Republicans. The city manager knows better, but
should he appoint a Democrat? How is he to determine whether
or not he may venture to do it? The charter provides a guide
for him. If a certain five or seven local citizens who have been
elected for that very purpose of serving as fair samples of the
ignorance and prejudices of the town, permit him to appoint a
Democrat and will take the responsibility, then and not other-
wise he may go ahead and do so.
The city manager is not called in to reform the city — that
is the work for its citizens. He is called in to give as good an
administration as he can persuade the commission to stand for.
He may yearn to go further, to give them single tax, or strict
OF GOVERNMENT 89
law enforcement, a closed and dry Sunday, an efficient full rate
assessment system, a non-political set of appointments, a less
gaudy lighting of Main street, or a wholesome water supply,
but if he cannot make these things seem worth while to the com-
missioners, he must stay his hand and bide his time.
He is the servant of the people first and always, but he has
no authority to seek or interpret orders from the people direct —
only through the commission. Suppose in his opinion the com-
mission distorts those orders and instructs him to act counter
to the popular wish? Is it his job to obey, provided no moral
turpitude or deception is involved?
Take the case of R. C. Home, ex-city manager of Beaufort,
S. C. He had a brief dime-novel career there involving risk of
his life and his story of his adventures and discoveries in that
backward little burg would make a most enlivening contribution
to the literature of the commission-manager movement. He
undertook to reform the town in spite of the commissioners.
Certain features of the tax laws had never been enforced with
the result that numerous property owners in the town were,
technically at least, heavily in arrears. He took it upon him-
self to revive these dead letter laws and made a sudden attack
upon the leading bank, the president and cashier of which con-
stituted two of his three commissioners, with a policeman, a
warrant and a demand for $10,000 of back taxes. So there was
a fight, a recall election and a political upheaval in which he
became the popular leader of the so-called Home forces. In-
cidentally, of course, he lost his job and was supplanted by an-
other manager of different disposition.
Query — Did Home do right?
I say it was right enough if he felt like doing it, but quite
outside of his profession. If he had been mayor of that town
the whole fight would have been within his clear field of duty.
But he was not mayor — he was city manager. He stepped out
of his profession, just as much as did the local physician and the
local lawyer who helped him. He was frankly insubordinate.
He took what was for one in his position a disorderly way to
rectify a wrong. The orderly way would have been to present
a formal proposal to a public meeting of the commission explain-
ing openly and clearly the situation as he saw it. The commis-
sion would have to find an excuse for turning him down and
would do so. The manager would then have his personal record
90 CITY MANAGER PLAN
clear. Unofficially he could privately call the attention of some
o£ the local citizens to the incident and even wink in doing so,
thus being personally disloyal, but not officially disloyal, to the
commissioners who have no right to expect him to keep secrets
for them. If a newspaper asks for an interview, he may officially
restate the facts of the case, offering no opinions. Then it is up
to local citizens to start something. Such a method is slower
and less sensational. In some cases it would be less efficacious,
in others more so. At any rate it is, I think, the professional
way.
I am not prepared to contend that Mr. Home's spectacular
raid into Beaufort politics did not do Beaufort lots of good,
nor do I contend that any less spectacular method could have
succeeded, I only contend that it does not furnish a sound pre-
cedent for the profession.
Here is another case— Phoenix, Arizona. Manager Farrish,
I understand, administered the town according to his ideals
which were stricter than those of the commissioners. He de-
manded efficiency and economy of his subordinates and removed
some politicians from the city service. The commission said
"have a heart," but he kept going. He lost his job and the town
was much wrought up about it for a time.
My theory of what should have been done in this case is this :
When Manager Farrish had been given reason to think that his
energy in kicking out politicians from the municipal service was
distasteful to his superiors, he should have brought up the next
case at the next public commission meeting saying "Mr. John
Republican, superintendent of the water works, does not report
for duty on Mondays, takes a great deal of time off during the
week, neglects his inspection of the reservoirs, and continued
admonition has been ineffective. I feel that the good of the ser-
vice requires his removal and unless the commission objects, I
will put in a new man there."
That brings it out in the open. If the commission wants to
take the responsibility of standing up for Mr. John Republican,
let it do so. It is the best judge of what the people of the town
will like. If the commission openly insists on "having a heart,"
it is quite likely that the people in the town who consider such
a thing outrageous will be found to be a minority. The manager,
of course, could have simply removed John Republican, know-
ing that it would make the commissioners mad even if they did
OF GOVERNMENT 91
not dare say anything publicly about it — I take it that that is
about what Farrish did do — but thereby the manager exceeds his
true function. It may be very possible that the people, like the
commissioners, are more interested in the sad fate of bibulous,
glad-handed John Republican out of a good job with six pretty
children dependent upon him, than in the dainty curved line with
which the manager indicates the decreased cost per thousand
gallons of water.
It is not the city manager's function to govern, but only to
administer. The occasional manager who favors fixed definite
tenure and power to defy the commission fails to comprehend
the higher aspects of his job. It is not his function to blow into
town and immediately implant in city hall all the ideals of the
bureau of municipal research from which he graduated. Friends
of this plan of government often seem to expect exactly that.
His function is only to give as good an administration as the
commission will take responsibility for. In a town that elects
a machine-controlled bunch of political puppets, the manager
must go slow and cautiously and be content with getting ready
to do very much better as soon as the town is in a mood to elect
a better commission.
Good government that comes to a town, unasked and unwel-
comed, will be unstable and transitory. Reform that endures
must be built up laboriously, piece by piece, upon a firm basis of
popular sympathy and consent.
An Answer to Mr. Child's Paper'-
It is necessary to accept the first part of Mr. Childs' paper as
a criticism. Before criticism can be considered constructive,
certain principles must first be established. Failing to observe
any principles established as to standards and ethics in the city
manager profession, I take the liberty of setting forth a few
which are generally accepted.
The city manager form of municipal government is con-
sidered the nearest approach to the ideal form yet established.
We can well afford to establish this principle, as the most ideal
organization. The National Municipal League is writing a
charter on that basis.
It will be agreed that cities will be governed precisely as
well as the citizens deserve and desire ; that successful govern-
1 By Henry M. Waite.
02 CITY MANAGER PLAN
ment must have the continued support of the majority of the
citizenship; that the large majority of the citizenship must elim-
inate partisan politics from municipal affairs ; that there must
be a clear line of demarcation between legislative and adminis-
trative authority; that good government can advance and im-
prove only so far as the majority of the citizenship is able to
appreciate and understand it.
Therefore, the ideal government can be approached as nearly
as the majority of the people are able to appreciate and under-
stand it.
There are various grades of city managers, as there are vari-
ous grades of theorists. This will always be true. Much that
can be said in a sarcastic vein will lead away a great many
people from the real issues, and is dangerous. The city managers
have adopted a definition, which, for the present, meets all neces-
sary requirements : "Any person who is, or has been, the admin-
istrative head of a municipality, appointed by its legislative body,
is eligible for membership." The lines are broad, and must be
at first, or there would not be any membership in the association.
Theorists alone cannot establish successful results.
Wonderful success is being attained by city managers with
varying authorities, under varying charters and under varying
local conditions. The meeting on Tuesday afternoon was given
up to five minute talks and each city manager gave the high
points of his accomplishments. The representatives were of
varying personalities, and have had various experiences from en-
gineers to county clerks and to the president of a baseball league.
Yet every one of them proved that with an earnest desire to
accomplish results, coupled with application and sincerity, all
reinforced by common horse sense, that they have accomplished
practically uniform results. Any city manager, to be a success,
must of course use common sense in his dealings both with the
commission and with the public.
Mr. Childs absolutely confuses legislative and administrative
functions through his paper. The City Managers' Association
adopted the following: "Communities that, for any reason, can-
not give broad authority to the executive are not ready for the
ideal and should accept a more modified centralized authority,
and not call it a city manager form."
A man accepting a position as city manager must govern him-
self in accordance with the charter under which he works.
OF GOVERNMENT 93
If a commission assumes the administrative functions and
designates that a certain man shall be appointed under the ad-
ministrator, it becomes a question of the personality of the city
manager as to whether he desires to retain the position under
such circumstances or not. Personally, I think very few would;
I should hope that none would. On the other hand, those in the
performance of the administrative functions of the city should
not insist on legislative enactments over which he has not, and
should not have, any control other than in the way of a sugges-
tion. City managers should work with their council or commis-
sion the same as an executive works with his board of directors.
With the right disposition on the part of both much can be ac-
complished and there is no reason for a confusion of the respon-
sibilities.
Mr. Childs mentions John Republican. If John Republican or
Bill Democrat is brought up between the commission and the
administrative head, partisan politics have not been eliminated
from your city government, and such a city is not entitled to have
a commission manager form of government, because it has
demonstrated that it has accepted an ideal that is beyond the
understanding and appreciation of its citizenship.
In any business (and the same applies to the commission
manager form of cities) when the legislative body assumes the
administrative duties over the head of the administrator it is
time for the administrator to retire — good business and good
results demand it. Personally, if such a condition arose, as
used by Mr. Childs as an example, the city manager of Dayton
would retire.
A great deal of the difficulty to-day in drawing charters is
due to the fact that there has not been an accepted form. The
National Municipal League is now drafting a charter on the
city manager principle and we would urge all haste in getting
this out as soon as possible, or in getting out parts of it as com-
pleted, as a guidance.
Much more can be accomplished in getting out such a model
charter under such auspices than by haranguing in meetings over
minor details that are of no ultimate consequence and liable
to confuse the public mind as to the success of the principle of
city manager form of government, and this is particularly true
when such criticisms are promulgated by people who can only
approach it from a theoretical side. It may be true, at some
94 CITY MANAGER PLAN
future time, that it will be advisable to divide the city managers'
association into two classes. At the present time we do not
think that it is.
Mr. Childs uses the village Podunk of 900 population. Po-
dunk managers (using the term as I presume he intends to
imply to the city managers of the smaller communities) are ac-
complishing the best results under the greatest difficulties, as
in Podunk the city manager is everything. The Podunks draw
men not having wide experience, and yet every one of them is
accomplishing definite and progressive results.
To obtain the best results from any association it is necessary
to broaden your field as much as possible. It would be just as
fair to put a limit on the intelligence and experience of the
theorists, who may join the National Municipal League, as it
would be to put a limit on members of the City Managers' Asso-
ciation.
The association is for the benefit of all of those who are
struggling to make the practical application of the profession
a success, and it can do the most good by giving the experience
of the larger communities to the smaller communities, and I
assure you that we have found in the larger communities that
we have much to learn from the experience of the smaller com-
munities. It is undoubtedly true that the city managers should
not take their authority from the people, only from the com-
mission.
As to the personality of a certain city manager which Mr.
Childs has taken the trouble to go into, I will have nothing to
say as there are those present who are more qualified to answer
than I am, as we have one man here who is the successor of
Mr. Home at Beaufort. If any community elects, as Mr. Childs
suggests, a machine controlled bunch of political puppets, I sin-
cerely trust that such a commission may not be able to get any-
one to accept the position of city manager.
The Discussion
Mr. Gaylord C. Cummin, City Manager of Jackson, Michi-
gan : My views coincide entirely with those of Mr. Waite. I
do not see how it is possible to set up any such standards as Mr.
Childs has proposed ; indeed, I cannot even sympathize with his
point of view as to ethics. I think that at least one of the city
managers, whose course he criticized, did exactly right.
OF GOVERNMENT 95
Clinton Rogers Woodruff : I have been very much impressed
while I have listened to the debates which have been going on,
not only in this room, but in the committees and in the corridors,
where some of the most interesting discussions are had by men
who are very serious in their purpose — I have been impressed
with this thought, that the profession of city manager is very
much further along than some of us expected, a year ago, would
be possible at this time. It is due to the splendid work which
these men have been accomplishing in the very short time they
have been at work, some of them under circumstances discourag-
ing in the extreme.
I have been impressed with another fact, and that is the gen-
eral good character of the work. Here we have two city man-
agers who have gone out from Dayton to do effective work else-
where ; we also have the secretary of the large and effective
Women's city club of Cincinnati, a product of what I might
call, at the risk of being deemed facetious, the Dayton Univer-
sity. The men who are engaged as city managers to-day are
slowly building up standards for their professions. Those of you
who are thinking of criticizing Mr. Childs' paper must bear in
mind that the reply of Mr. Waite was almost equally facetious.
Some of the finest notes of this week of conventions have been
struck by the city managers who have but recently come into this
work of governing our cities, upon higher and more ambitious
lines. The note of democracy has been struck, and with no un-
certain sound, by men who have gained their inspiration at first
hand, in very difficult situations. It is no new thing to hear that
note struck in the National Municipal League ; it has been the
dominant note very nearly from the beginning, certainly from
the time the League began to find itself ; but it is significant
that in the new order of things the city managers, fresh from
the difficulties of actually administering the affairs of American
cities, should feel the same as men who have been working at
the problem for many years. It may be true, as Manager Waite
has said, that many of the members of the National Municipal
League are theorists, but you will find in the personnel of this
organization a great many men who have done actual fighting
upon the firing line, under difficult circumstances. It is also a
significant thing that the city managers have met here in the
same city with the League, and that they have approached this
96 CITY MANAGER PLAN
problem from almost identical bases, and the two are working
together in a very effective way.
I had hoped that we might discuss to-night with these same
speakers — and I trust that the opportunity will come sooner or
later, preferably sooner — this question, "What should be the con-
cept of city government in our cities?" For too many of our
publicists and theorists, and even city managers themselves, feel
that when the city manager is inaugurated in a city, that the
municipal problem is solved. We must bear constantly in mind
that this is only a good and adequate instrument with which to
carry out the work of governing cities, and the larger idea of
what constitutes the aim and the end of city government, what
problems are to be solved, must still be threshed out in organi-
zations more or less like the National Municipal League, even if
we are theorists, for here is where sound theories are needed.
George C. Sikes, of Chicago : I had not intended to take
part in this discussion, but I have been moved by what has been
said here, and I think I have had sufficient experience to en-
title me to speak upon this subject. For twenty years, I have
been connected with civic organizations and with legislative
bodies, and I think I know something about politics in cities ;
what can be accomplished, and what cannot be accomplished. I
had the privilege of looking over Mr. Childs' paper before it
was presented, and it struck me as excellent. I think this is just
the time to say what he said. It is a little facetious, to be sure,
but I am surprised that the paper brought the response that it
did. The fact that it did bring that response, is to my mind the
indication that we need this discussion right here and now, and
we needed to have these suggestions brought out.
Mr. Childs is one of the best friends of the city manager sys-
tem in the country. He has done more to help bring it about
than any person I know of. Now, Mr. Childs wants to be in a
position to make the city manager system go. He has had some
experience in politics ; he knows what political conditions are,
and he wants to get something done. What does it profit to
establish a fine system, if the city manager system, after it is
established throughout the country, fails to appeal to the people,
and then goes down like a lot of ten-pins because city managers
take positions which these commissioners cannot defend before
the people. If the city managers are taking exception to such
VI ,*)
OF GOVERNMENT 97
remarks as those of Mr. Childs in this place what is going to
happen when they get out before the people?
Mr. Waite spoke of Mr. Childs as a theorist. He is not a
theorist any more than any of the rest of us. We are all the-
orists, more or less, in certain subjects, and the city managers
just as much as anybody else. As engineers they are entitled
to the highest respect, but as politicians they may still have
much to learn. I lost a job which I was holding once in order
that I might get Bion J. Arnold into ofifice in Chicago. Mr.
Arnold was an expert engineer, but in politics he is a theorist,
and had it not been for some of the rest of us this would have
gotten him into trouble. Mr. Fisher and others who were gov-
ernment experts worked with him and kept things right. Mr.
Waite is handling the affairs of Dayton in an excellent way as
an engineer but, I take it, he knows enough not to mix politics
with engineering, and he lets the commissioners attend to their
part of the job. A city manager who cannot maintain in his
mind the proper concepts of his relations with his commission
and with the people must get out. Unless city managers take the
proper view of these things, five years from now there will not
be a city manager left in office in the country, or those now in
office will be superseded by men who know how to get along
with their commissioners. The city manager should help the
people get as good government as the commissioners think the
people will stand for.
Mr. Cummin: What Mr. Sikes says as to politics represents
Mr. Waite's idea and my idea exactly, namely, that politics
should not enter into the situation at all. If I was ordered to
appoint or ordered to discharge an employee simply because of
his politics I would have nothing further do do with the com-
mission and would resign.
OssiAN E. Carr, City Manager, Cadillac, Mich.: I wish to
endorse most heartily what has been said by Brother Waite and
Brother Cummin. I would like to inquire just what profit it
will be to any municipality to change its charter in order to
eliminate politics, and then to go back into the rotten political
methods.
Mr. Harrison G. Otis, City Manager of Beaufort, South
Carolina : I am the man from Podunk. H I may be allowed to
indulge in child's play I should like to take the stand for the
small city in the city manager game, and particularly for that
98 CITY MANAGER PLAN
small city which is so handicapped by the state in which it
happens to lie as to make it impossible for that small city to
have an approved commission manager charter. I am from South
Carolina. South Carolina has in its constitution a provision that
no city officer shall hold a position in the state of South Caro-
lina unless he has been a citizen for at least two years' residence.
Where is your professional city manager, then, if a man cannot
come in from another state and hold the position of city man-
ager in the state of South Carolina? We have to contend with
a position of delegated powers, and if a man can successfully
contend with such a constitution, and develop all the gold that
may be developed from a true commission manager city and
to put that city on a business basis and get it running along
business lines, he is deserving of a certain amount of credit.
Now whether I be in class D of the third division or not, I main-
tain that there are more small cities in this country than there
are large, and that the problem of city government as worked
out in the small cities is a most vital problem.
I have lived in New York, lived there for several years, and
when I suggested to my bureau of municipal research in New
York last summer, that I was going to Beaufort, a town of some
3,500 people, I was laughed at, and was told that I could do all
the work in two or three weeks ; but I assure you most sincerely,
that the work of remodeling a small city, putting that city on
an up-to-date business plan, in the face of misunderstanding,
and doing it so that everyone is satisfied, is "some" problem.
The small city is the laboratory for the development of this
city manager idea, and is not to be overlooked. The work I
have had to undertake there is work which I could not possibly
have had an opportunity to find out about in any large city. I
have had to remodel the whole city government, recodify its
ordinances, dating back two hundred years, although they were
burned up during the War; revamp its accounting system, and
so on, and I want to remark that this matter of revision of ac-
counting system of small cities is one that has been overlooked
entirely by all theorists and a great many practical men.
Mr. Childs has brought out some very good things in his
paper, and I agree with him most heartily as to certain ethical
points. The manager certainly is the employee of the' council. He
certainly should not try to put things across over the head of his
council. If the council attempts to do things he cannot stand
OF GOVERNMENT 99
for, instead of rearing up and pushing them back the best thing
he can do, it seems to me, is to get his councilmen one at a
time into a corner and show them what is the right thing to do,
and then get it done.
When I went to Beaufort, I found the city managership tied
up completely into a sort of Gordian knot. They had as city
attorney, a man who was a sort of antebellum fossil, who main-
tained that the city manager should have no power. We found
that every department in the city said it was willing to have a
city manager, but didn't want him in its department. So the city
manager was without any power and had no standing at all as
an officer of the town. Nevertheless, all the power in the city
was turned over to me in less than forty-five days' time, although
I came in under hostile colors and found a town split into two
most hostile factions so that persons who had been friends for
years would not speak to each other on the street. It is entirely
because of my experience in the city manager game as gained
in the theoretical university training at Michigan, I think, that
with this application of diplomacy and horse sense, to borrow an
expression from both sides of the house, I was able to accom-
plish the degree of success attained, and it seems to me that we
must apply the same principles if the city manager plan is to be
a success anywhere.
M. H. Hardin, City Manager, Amarillo, Texas : I am the
man from the water tank way out West, Amarillo, Texas. I
fully agree with what Mr. Waite said in regard to the duties
of the city manager and his relations with the commission, and
I want to express my disagreement with Mr. Childs. I enjoyed
his paper, but I happen to be a prime mover in the organization
of the City Alanagers' Association ; I sent out the call for that
first meeting in Amarillo, Texas, in 1914. I realized that I
needed co-operation, I needed to get in touch with other men
engaged in similar work, in order that we might compare our
experiences, become better acquainted with the situations we
might have to meet in this new profession.
I think that the small city should be recognized just as much
as the large city, and I fully agree with Mr. Cummin that the
man from the small city is having the greatest difficulties by
reason of the fact that he is unable to employ high priced help,
and in a great many instances has to do all kinds of engineer-
ing and accounting work. For that reason a greater burden
100 CITY MANAGER PLAN
falls on him. We have to devise our own system of records and
accounts and to put it in operation and in a great many instances
have to help to do the work. For that reason I hope that the
small city will always be recognized in the City Managers' Asso-
ciation. I appreciate the efforts that the National Municipal
League is making to help the city managers in their work, and
I believe it is their endeavor to help make our work easier and
to support the city manager plan of municipal government.
I think that Mr. Childs' statement was all right at this time.
It brought out some points that otherwise we would not have
had, and I appreciated it. I believe it will have a good effect.
Professor A. R. Hatton of Cleveland, pointed out that politics
could not be eliminated from the city government, if by politics
is meant the agency by which people of different opinions express
their opinions in matters of government. He stated that the
will of the people must be carried out by the city manager
whether he believes in the principles expressed or not. We shall
always have people grouping themselves along local lines, and
thus dividing into political parties; but these need not and
should not be confused with division into national parties upon,
national issues.
Mr. Foulke : I would like to ask a question of some of the
managers. There is a problem now up, suggested by the civil
service commissioners, proposing a new civil service law, and
I want to see how it would strike the city managers, and how
it would operate in manager governed cities. The proposition
is to appoint a state civil service commission, by competitive
methods. The governor is to select a special examining board,
composed of three persons, first a member of some civil ser-
vice commission, or examiner or secretary of a commission ;
second, a man who has been for at least two years engaged in
employing men for some kind of professional or technical ser-
vice; and third, a judge of a court of record. This board is to
hold a competitive examination among applicants for the position
of civil service commissioner, and is to appoint the highest
upon the list. The man who is so appointed is to hold office by
an indeterminate tenure, and can only be removed upon charges
of misfeasance, or gross negligence, or conduct bringing scandal
upon his office, after trial before a board composed of two nisi
prius judges, and a third man appointed by these judges. This
state civil service commissioner is to appoint by similar competi-
OF GOVERNMENT loi
tive examinations the commissioners for the cities, these com-
missioners holding upon the same tenure, and this state com-
missioner is to have entire charge practically of the whole state
service, and the city commissioner practical charge of the city
service, in the matter of promotions, transfers, removals, etc.
The power that has been exercised by the city manager in the
right to dismiss subordinates would under this law be changed
so that no subordinate could be dismissed except by filing charges
with the city civil service commissioner. That commissioner,
once appointed in this manner, is to have the entire and exclu-
sive control of all the civil service of the city.
HoRNELL Hart, Milwaukee: May I ask also as part of the
same question, whether the city managers think that civil ser-
vice reform is necessary at all under a city manager, properly
installed?
Mr. Waite: There must be for some years to come some
of civil service protection. That protection should be in the ap-
pointing power. It is a great help many times in the selection of
men, to have a civil service board of such character that good
men can be turned into the service. In Dayton, we have called
upon the civil service board to hold competitive examinations
for positions which are not inside the civil service regulations
at all.
But if you are going to look to an executive for results, he
must have and should have the power of dismissal. You can
strengthen the power of your government by giving this authority
to an executive, who is building on a basis of efficiency and who
stands on a record of efficiency. To curtail an executive in his
management of the affairs of the city, by saying to him that he
cannot dismiss his subordinates absolutely, is the beginning of
the end of efficiency in that organization.
I cannot see how any man could tie himself up to an organi-
zation over which he had no control, so that he might not say
to a man, regardless of how insubordinate he may be, how ineffi-
cient, that he would have to leave the service. You are not
giving your executive an opportunity to carry on the affairs of
the government in an efficient manner, and you cannot get effi-
ciency if you do not have control of your organization.
Mr. Cummin : I can strengthen what has been said by Mr.
Waite, by calling attention to one easily conceived condition
which might arise when the power of dismissal is withheld, for
102 CITY MANAGER PLAN
that is what it practically means i£ you are obliged to get a
hearing before a civil service commission on charges. Anyone
who has ever handled bodies of men knows that the most dan-
gerous man in an organization is very often the man who is not
frankly insubordinate, who is not inefficient in the way that you
can put 3'our finger on him, yet he is absolutely dangerous in
small things, for in ways that you cannot definitely locate he is
disrupting your organization. It is worse than if you had a most
inefficient man, because you can take such a man before the
Civil Service Commission and show that he is insubordinate or
inefficient or anything else. I do not see how you can get
efficiency unless the power of dismissal is left with the executive.
As far as the other question is concerned, the more efficient
the civil service board is in securing good men, I think the
better the city manager would be pleased.
Mr. Hardin : I fully believe that every city manager we now
have in this country is only too glad to secure the very best men
that can be secured, and he is only too anxious to get rid of
any dead wood he may have about his office force. The wise
method, of course, of getting rid of the man who is useless is to
have the power of dismissal; hence, if the manager is fully
satisfied that the person is worthy of dismissal, he should get
rid of him. Sometimes it is very difficult to prove charges. You
know, we are very often fully satisfied that certain crimes have
been committed, and that a certain individual has committed the
crime, and yet it is extremely hard to make out such a case as
would convict that man. The same condition will arise in an
executive or administrative office.
Mr. Foulke : Mr. Childs is now entitled to the last word.
Mr. Childs: When the subject was originally selected for this
evening, another topic was chosen but I thought I could start a
much better scrap on another subject. Accordingly, my instruc-
tions were to go ahead and get up a dog fight if I could, but I
did not expect to be the bone !
A great deal has been said about theorists this evening. I am,
frankly and absolutely, a theorist, and am proud of it. You
know, the chief difference between a theorist and a practical
man is that the theorist knows just where he wants to go, but has
no facilities for getting there. The practical man gets there —
and finds he is in the wrong place. I suppose sonle of you
city managers, who have just picked your way out of the shell
OF GOVERNMENT 103
and looked out upon the world and thought you discovered
America, considered it rather an assumption for me to offer all
this practical fatherly advice; but while the number of years
involved are few, I want to have you know, without seeming
to claim glory, that I was sawing wood on the commission man-
ager plan years before any of you ever heard of it. The first
city manager charter was drawn in my office, under my direc-
tion, and was peddled around to various cities, and was finally
sold to the Lockport chamber of commerce and became known
as the Lockport plan for a time. Some three or four years ago,
at the Richmond meeting, this Lockport plan was the subject of
discussion by one of our committees. Then Sumter, South Caro-
lina, adopted it, and it become known for a while as the Sumter
plan, but it was nothing more than what had been brought out
originally as the Lockport plan. Accordingly, I hope I may be
pardoned if I seem to act a little bit like an old hen with ducks
when I consider where these plans are going to.
I did not mean to sneer in the least when I talked about Po-
dunk. The small town, with a population under 8,000, is cer-
tainly important, for the people who live in those towns are the
bulk of our population and the hope of democracy, and in that
field there lies probably a more difficult and bigger work for
social service on the part of city managers than in the larger
cities. In the big cities the duties of the executives are more or
less of the corporation type. On the human side, these smaller
jobs are the big jobs, and the suggestion of calling the men from
the smaller towns class A and the man from the large cities,
class D, suits me perfectly. I did not mean to sneer at them.
If I was so interpreted I am sorry.
There are a great many people, and some of them are city
managers, who think that the city manager ought to have a
definite status and a protected tenure in other ways, so that he
could, if he wanted to, "sass back" at the commission over him.
I want to say again that such a man has not the proper concep-
tion of his job. He is not at all in the same position that he
would be as manager of a private corporation. He is dealing in
this case with democracy. He is the agent of a commission
which has been chosen by the people, and the very fact that
there are conflicts shows that there are some city managers who
do not realize that they are the agent of a community, not of a
corporation. The manager should not assume to set up his own
104 CITY MANAGER PLAN
standard. That is what makes the job a big job and a useful
job; and I am glad to see that most of the city managers see
that and feel that ; glad to see that they realize that democracy
comes first, efficiency and economy second; that their function
is to carry out the popular will as it is expressed to them, not
to seek to oppose or to control the current of public opinion.
Lieut. Shaw, Norfolk, Va. : I should like to ask Mr. Childs
this one question. He spoke of those little cities of 8,000 as
constituting the hope of democracy. Is it not the fact that the
germ idea of the city manager plan came from one of those
little towns about three years before the Lockport plan was
evolved?
Mr. Childs : The idea of the city manager, not the idea of
the commission manager plan, came from Staunton, Virginia.
Lieut. Shaw: I merely wanted to get that little act of justice
for Staunton, Virginia.
Mr. Childs : I was the minister who performed the mar-
riage ceremony between the city manager plan as first thought of
in Staunton, and the commission plan in Des Moines.
FIRST ADVERTISEMENT FOR A CITY
MANGER, SUMTER, S. C.
"October 14, 1912.
"The City of Sumter hereby announces that applications will
be received from now till December the first for the office of
City Manager of Sumter.
"This is a rapidly growing manufacturing city of 10,000 popu-
lation, and the applicant should be competent to oversee public
works, such as paving, lighting, water supply, etc.
"An engineer of standing and ability would be preferred.
"State salary desired and previous experience in municipal
work.
"The City Manager will hold office as long as he gives satis-
faction to the commission. He will have complete administrative
control of the city, subject to the approval of the board of three
elected commissioners.
"There will be no politics in the job; the work will be purely
that of an expert.
OF GOVERNMENT 105
"Local citizenship is not necessary, although a knowledge of
local conditions and traditions will, of course, be taken into con-
sideration.
"A splendid opportunity for the right man to make a record
m a new and coming profession, as this is the first time that a
^permanent charter position of this sort has been created in the
United States."
THE FIRST COUNTY MANAGER: A MODEL
COUNTY GOVERNMENT
On February 27th San Diego County, Cal., votes on a pro-
posed new charter under the home rule provision of the Cali-
fornia constitution, whereby counties are permitted to frame
4heir own form of government just as the cities do. It is a
most original and progressive instrument and exceedingly sound,
[t shortens the ballot radically, eliminating or consolidating
about a dozen technical offices that are now elective. A board
of supervisors nominated from districts but elected at large for
a term of four jears, in rotation (five at one time and four
others two years later), is made the governing body of the
county with authority' to hire and fire the county manager under
whom is concentrated the administrative business of the county.
The sheriff and district attorney are the only other elective offices.
The supervisors receive their actual expenses but no salaries.
Sweeping powers are granted to the supervisors, sufficient, it
would seem, to eliminate the need for special enabling acts in
the future.
The manager, the coroner, county clerk, county counsel, pub-
lic defender, superintendent of schools, treasurer, etc., are all
appointed by the board of supervisors from the civil service
commission's eligible lists.
Certain consolidations of offices are interesting. The coroner
is made ex-officio the public administrator. The assessor is ex-
officio tax collector and license collector. The county manager
is ex-officio road commissioner and the count}^ clerk is ex-officio
registrar of voters, clerk of the board of supervisors and clerk
of the superior court.
* Reprinted from "The Short Ballot Bulletin," February, 1917.
io6 CITY MANAGER PLAN
The civil service commission is appointed, one member by the
governor, one by a majority of the judges of the superior court
of the county and one by the board of supervisors, the terms
being six years, expiring in rotation. They are removable by
a vote of seven supervisors. Their support is guaranteed by a
specific tax and practically all officers are put under their juris-
diction. They certify the pay-roll, advise virith and assist the
supervisors in fixing salary schedules and no compensation for
any position under civil service may be increased or reduced
without their consent. From its own certified lists it appoints
the county auditor and the county assessor. The manager
may remove any of the appointive officers (except the auditor
and county counsel) after warning and subject to reversal by
the commission.
The auditor compiles the annual budget which goes to the
supervisors accompanied by the recommendations of the county
manager, and the board of supervisors may reduce items but
not increase them beyond the manager's recommendation.
The elimination of various township officers is facilitated
by the provision whereby the county on request from any of
the townships must take over various items of work and per-
form them at cost.
The department of public welfare, doubtless for some special
local reason, is separately constituted altogether, consisting of
seven members, two appointed by the governor, two by the
court, and three, of whom the county manager must be one,
appointed by the board of supervisors. The countj^ manager is
chairman. The terms are six years, in rotation, and a specific
tax of twenty cents per hundred dollars is provided for this
department's support. It has charge of the hospital, the poor,
the indigent dead, the detention home, and probation, and it con-
stitutes the board of health.
The freeholders have produced a most interesting pioneer
document and a splendid contribution to the literature of county
government reform, regardless of whether it is adopted or not.
(This charter was defeated.)
AFFIRMATIVE DISCUSSION
THE COMING OF THE CITY MANAGER PLAN*
Instead of 3,894,173 as in 1911, commission government now
rules a population of 7,086,225 and the number of towns and
cities under this form has increased from 93 to 300.
The Des Moines charter is still the standard.
Nine cities have followed the Grand Junction (Colo.) varia-
tion which provides the preferential ballot. The device has
proven workable and economical and the extension of its use
deserves encouragement.
The recent city manager variation, hereinafter described,
embodies the first significant change in structure.
One much mooted question has always been whether commis-
sioners should be elected for specific posts (as in Lynn, Mass.)
or on a general ticket with power to divide the departments
among themselves after election (as in Galveston and Des
Moines). The tendency of charter makers since 191 1 is toward
the Lynn system. The Kansas law has been amended after a
trial of the Des Moines plan and the Lynn plan substituted.
The argument for the original general ticket plan is based on
the grounds that the people will in either case elect on issues
of representation rather than on issues of the technical fitness
of candidates, and that in such case the commission by intensive
close-hand investigation of the experience and ability of its
members can make best use of the material available. More-
over election to specific office tends to create five city govern-
ments instead of one, diminishes the influence and control of the
commission over its individual members and thus interferes with
the "unification of powers."
Advocates of the "specific-office" plan point out that candi-
dates are entitled to know what their positions will be in the
government and the voters, too, are entitled to know what de-
partment a given candidate, if successful, will direct. A candidate
may not desire to run luiless a certain department is to be his
* Report of the National Municipal League's committee on the commis-
sicn form of government. The committee consists of Wiljiam _ Bennett
Munro, Harvard University; Charles A. Beard, Columbia University; Ern-
est S. Bradford, Washington; Clinton Rogers WoodrufE, Philadelphia, aiid
Richard S. Childs, New York, Chairmaq.
io8 CITY MANAGER PLAN
and the voter may willingly vote for a man as candidate for one
department but not for another department.
A majority of your committee believes that neither solution
is as sound as that offered by the city manager plan in which the
whole question disappears (see "6" below).
The city manager variation
Definition of the city manager plan. A single elective board
(commission) representative, supervisory and legislative in func-
tion, the members giving only part time to municipal work and
receiving nominal salaries or none. An appointive chief execu-
tive (city manager) hired by the board from anywhere in the
country and holding office at the pleasure of the board. The
manager appoints and controls the remaining city employees,
subject to adequate civil service provisions.
History. The first city manager charter was presented to
the legislature of New York in 191 1 by the Lockport board of
trade and widely commented upon as "the Lockport plan." It
failed of passage in the legislature.
In 1912 it was adopted by the South Carolina legislature in a
special act for the city of Sumter (population 8,109) and subse-
quently adopted by that city, going into effect January I, 1913,
and thereafter known as the Sumter plan.
In 1913 it was adopted by Hickory, N. C. (population 3,176),
and Morganton, N. C. (population 2,712) ; Dayton, O. (popula-
tion 116,577) ; Springfield, O. (population 46,921) ; La Grande,
Ore. (population 4,843) ; Phoenix, Ariz, (population 11,134) I
Morris, Minn, (population 1,885). Adopted as one of three
plans in a general optional law by the Ohio legislature, applicable
to any city.
It was also submitted, unsuccessfully, in Elyria and Youngs-
town, O.
The Lockport draft remains at present the model and the
Springfield charter is the best thus far put into effect.
Comments. The swift development of popularity for the city
manager idea ensures a wide and thorough trial of the plan
and its rapid spread may be confidently predicted.
This variation has both of the great basic merits which our
earlier report ascribed to the original commission plan, namely,
the "unification of powers" and "the short ballot."
At this point the committee divides.
OF GOVERNMENT 109
Majority report
Majority report as to the city manager variation of commis-
sion government by Charles A. Beard, CHnton Rogers Wood-
ruflf, William Bennett Munro and Richard S. Childs.
The city manager feature is a valuable addition to the com-
mission plan, and we recommend to charter-makers serious
consideration of the inclusion of this feature in new commission
government charters. Its advantages are :
1. It creates a single-headed administrative establishment
instead of the five separate administrative establishments seen in
the Des Moines plan. This administrative unity makes for har-
mony between municipal departments since all are subject to a
common head.
2. The city manager plan permits expertness in administra-
tion at the point where it is most valuable, namely, at the head.
3. It permits comparative permanence in the office of the
chief executive, whereas in all plans involving elective execu-
tives, long tenures are rare.
a. This permanence tends to rid us of amateur and transient
executives and to substitute experienced experts.
b. This permanence gives to the administrative establishment
the superior stability and continuity of personnel and policies
which is a necessary precedent to solid and enduring administra-
tive reforms.
c. This permanence makes more feasible the consideration
and carrying out of far-sighted projects extending over long
terms of years.
d. This permanence makes it worth while for the executives
to educate themselves seriously in municipal aflrairs, in the assur-
ance that such education will be useful over a long period and
in more than one city.
4. The city manager plan permits the chief executives to
migrate from city to city, inasmuch as the city manager is not to
be necessarily a resident of the city at the time of his appoint-
ment, and thus an experienced man can be summoned at ad-
vanced salary from a similar post in another city.
a. This exchangeability opens up a splendid new profession,
that of "city managership."
b. This exchangeability provides an ideal vehicle for the
interchange of experience among the cities.
no CITY MANAGER PLAN
5. The city manager plan, while giving a single-headed ad-
ministration, abolishes the one-man power seen in the old mayor-
and-council plan. The manager has no independence and the
city need not suflFer from his personal whims, or prejudices
since he is subject to instant correction, or even discharge, by
the commission. Likewise, in the commission, each member's
individual whims or prejudices are safely submerged and aver-
aged in the combined judgment of the whole commission, since
no member exerts any authority in the municipal government
save as one voting member of the commission.
a. This abolition of one-man power makes safer the free-
handed extension of municipal powers and operations unham-
pered by checks and balances and red tape.
h. More discretion can be left to administrative officers to
establish rulings as they go along, since they are subject to con-
tinuous control and the ultimate-appeal of dissatisfied citizens
is to the fairness and intelligence of a group (the commission)
rather than to a single and possibly opinionated man (an elective
mayor). Inversely, laws and ordinances can be simpler, thus
reducing the field of legal interpretation and bringing municipal
business nearer to the simplicity, flexibility and straightforward-
ness of private business.
6. The city manager plan abandons all attempts to choose
administrators by popular election. This is desirable because :
a. It is as difficult for the people to gauge executive and
administrative ability in candidates as to estimate the profes-
sional worth of engineers or attorneys. As stated under No. 13
in our 191 1 report, such tasks are not properly popular functions.
h. By removing all requirements of technical or adminis-
trative ability in elective officers, it broadens the field of popular
choice and leaves the people free to follow their instinct which
is to choose candidates primarily with reference to their repre-
sentative character only. Laboring men, for instance, can then
freely elect their own men to the commission, and there is no
requirement (as in the Des Moines charter) that these repre-
sentatives shall, despite their inexperience in managing large
aff^airs be given the active personal management of a more or
less technical municipal department.
7. The city manager plan leaves the lines of responsibility
unmistakably clear, avoiding the confusion in the Des Moines
OF GOVERNMENT in
plan between the responsibility of the individual commissioners
and that of the commission as a whole.
8. It provides basis for better discipline and harmony, inas-
much as the city manager cannot safely be at odds with the
commission, as can the Des Moines commissioners in their
capacity as department heads, or the mayor with the council in
the mayor-and-council plan.
9. It is better adapted for large cities than the Des Moines
plan.
Large cities should have more than five members in their
commission to avoid overloading the members with work and
responsibility, and to avoid conferring too much legislative
power per individual member.
Unlike the Des Moines plan, the city manager plan permits
such enlarged commissions, and so opens the way to the broader
and more diversified representation which large cities need.
10. In very small cities, by providing the services of one
well-paid manager instead of five or three paid commissioners,
it makes possible economy in salaries and overhead expenses.
11. It permits ward elections or proportional representation
as the Des Moines plan does not. One or the other of these is
likely to prove desirable in very large cities to preserve a dis-
trict size that will not be so big that the cost and difficulty of
effective canvassing will balk independent candidacies, thereby
giving a monopoly of hopeful nominations to permanent political
machines (see No. 11 in the 191 1 report.)
12. It creates positions (membership in the commission)
which should be attractive to first class citzens, since the ser-
vice offers opportunities for high usefulness without interrup-
tion of their private careers.
HOW THE COMMISSION-MANAGER PLAN I'S
GETTING ALONG'
It is getting along rather nicely, thank you ! Of course, il
is a very young thing, dating only from January, 1913, when
Sumter, S. C, first put it into effect. In this brief two years
and a half, however, the commission-manager plan has been
* By Richard S. Childs. In National Municipal Review. 4: 371-82. July,
1915.
112 CITY MANAGER PLAN
taken up by 25 cities and towns, and five states* now have op-
tional laws permitting their cities to adopt the plan by a simple
formality. None of the commission-governed cities, except Ama-
rillo, have changed over to the new plan yet ; but some of them
are planning to do so.
This represents very substantial material progress, and this
scheme of municipal government now has an assured standing
before any charter revision commission. In fact progress has
been so rapid that critics might be moved to scoff at the willing-
ness of our cities to experiment with new things, since there
has really not been time for the new plan to demonstrate
whether it is good or bad. I suspect that the spread of the plan
represents a new courage on the part of business men who
formerly have left municipal charters exclusively to the lawyers ;
but who now find that familiar principles of business organi-
zation may after all deserve a respectful reception in the myster-
ious counsels of a charter division committee.
The literature of the plan consists mainly of the report of
the National Municipal League's committee, a close analysis of
the plan from the standpoint of political science ; two pamphlets
by the National Short Ballot Organization, one a popular ex-
position to be distributed in local campaigns for the adoption of
the plan and the other a technical summary of the charters for
the use of charter commissions ; and the new book in the Na-
tional Municipal League's series by H. A. Toulmin, Jr., entitled
"The City Manager, a New Profession." This last is a little
shy on perspective and a little fond in its appreciation, but, like
its peer, Hamilton's "Dethronement of the City Boss" which
played a useful part in the early days of the commission move-
ment, it comes promptly, puts in orderly array all the material
thus far available, and makes good reading for laymen.
Thus far there is no visible tendency on the part of charter
makers to depart from the basic principles of the original Lock-
port proposal. The main difference of opinion seems to be in
the question of what appointments shall be made by the com-
mission direct in addition to the selection of the manager. The
coming model charter of the National Municipal League ar-
ranges to have the commission appoint the civil service commis-
sion and the auditor, in addition to the manager who is to make
all other appointments. The Dayton charter adds the city clerk
to the commission's appointments. The Springfield charter has
^Massachusetts, New York, Viririnla, Ohio and Iowa.
OF GOVERNMENT 113
the commission appoint the manager, city solicitor, city auditor,
city treasurer, purchasing agent, sinking fund commissioner and
civil service commission, which obviously is going much too far.
In various other cities the assessors, municipal judges, the
board of education, are, not improperly, appointed by the com-
mission instead of by the city manager. Several cities have gone
still further and have put the police department, for instance,
beyond the manager's authority, until the city manager has be-
come merely the city engineer or superintendent of public works,
and accordingly I have excluded them from the list of commis-
sion-manager cities altogether, inasmuch as in such cities the
manager cannot manage. Dayton is unorthodox in its civil
service provisions and has a freak clause subjecting the manager
to popular recall, thereby giving him two masters to serve, the
people and the commissioners.^ Except in this matter the
Springfield charter may be regarded as standard. The most
advanced charters are those of La Grande, Manistee, Cadillac
and Taylor, which include the important provision of the pref-
erential ballot.
The position of city manager, of course, is the central feature
of the plan and the ultimate theory of the scheme contemplates
that he should be an expert in municipal administration, selected
without reference to local politics, and even imported from out
of town.
In launching this plan of government we all feared that it
might be many years before any American town would con-
sent to having its best paid office go to any but home talent, and
until this provincialism could be broken down, the professional
city manager, giving his life to the science of municipal admin-
istration and advancing from the managership of small cities
to larger ones at increases in salary, would be impossible. Hap-
pily, however, this provincialism, while it gives the local poli-
ticians a talking point, has proven to be largely a bugaboo. The
first thing Sumter did was to advertise for applications for the
office of the cit)' manager, and, it hired one of the men who
responded to the proclamation. Dayton began by offering the
job to Goethals at Panama. Jackson w^as advertising recently
by way of a paragraph handed to the Associated Press. Hickory
put a little paid advertisement in the Engineering News.
1 See article of L. D. Upson in April, 19 is, issue of the National
Municipal Review, p. 266. — Ed.
114 CITY MANAGER PLAN
Still more astonishing, practically every city has chosen the
manager from out of town. Even Phoenix, where the charter
requires the city manager to be a local resident at the time of
his selection, chose an itinerant engineer who was temporarily
living there while engaged in a government project. Usually very
few local men are considered. Indeed, it often happens that none
apply. In at least one case where a well-qualified local man was
available, the fact seemed to be against him. Citizens as a rule
accept the idea of an imported manager as a part of the spirit
of the plan and criticism ceases on that point after the adoption
of the charter.
The transferability of managers from city to city also is
already an established fact. Springfield hired the former city
manager of Staunton, Va. Jackson offered its managership in
turn to the managers of Dayton, of Springfield and of Big
Rapids, and secured the latter at an advance in salary. Sher-
man, Tex., has hired the manager of River Forest, 111., after an
unsuccessful attempt to secure a man who had attracted com-
mendation as mayor of Paris, Tex. The profession of city man-
ager is thus securely established already. The American City
publishes monthly a very respectable little classified list of ad-
vertisements of would-be city managers. The National Munici-
pal League and the Short Ballot Organization both maintain an
informal roster of prospective city managers and the University
of Texas announces the formation of an embryo employment
bureau for them. Three universities, California, Michigan and
Texas have already projected courses for training city managers
and the young men who are training in the various bureaus of
municipal research have their eyes eagerly fixed on those posi-
tions.
In December 1914 the city managers had their first annual
convention at Springfield and formed the City Alanagers Asso-
ciation.
Only eight of the seventeen managers were present, and so it
was not very much of a conveijtion, but rather a "round table."
The proceedings have been published in full. The papers that
they read to each other were not very technical, with the ex-
ception of one on municipal accounting, which was submitted by
an outsider. It was clear that they took their new profession
very seriously and were proud of being pioneers in it. There
was genuine interchange of views, and humorous comparing of
OF GOVERNMENT 115
their troubles in "herding" their commissioners. A significant
touch is given by the appearance of paid advertisements in the
published proceedings, advertisements of asphalt, motor trucks,
steam rollers, chemical engines and sweepers. City managers,
who are likely to spend their whole life in municipal administra-
tion, are more worth the attention of a purveyor of municipal
supplies than the transient old-style mayors, and when the City
Managers Association grows to a good size, it is likely to
have from this source all the money it can use and the associa-
tion accordingly is capable of becoming of immense moment
in municipal administrative progress in America.
The question of where trained city managers could be found
has been answered in most cases by the selection of an engineer,
with more or less experience in municipal work. In small cities
this saves the separate salary of a city engineer. This seems to
be the natural solution because in small cities there is not enough
general administrative work to keep a man busy unless he is to
take intimate personal charge of public works. . Civil engineers,
as a rule, have knocked about the world a good deal and have
been forced to learn how to get along with people, while at the
same time they are trained in precision and method. The pro-
fession comes as near to filling the bill as any, although, of
course, the training is not broad enough to be entirely satisfac-
tory and something better must eventually be found. Even
Waite of Dayton, for instance, who is the ablest of all the man-
agers and able to earn his $12,500 a year elsewhere than in his
new profession, is by no means at home on matters outside of
engineering and freely admits that he would have been much
at sea many times but for the assistance of the local bureau of
municipal research.
The value of this new style chief executive is expected to
lie in the longer experience of the manager, as compared with
the transitory chief executive of the older plan, but of course
the plan has not yet been in operation long enough for this
advantage to develop and there are still many cities with old
style mayors who have had longer experience in municipal ad-
minstration than any of the city managers. I think I can see,
however, a more earnest desire on the part of the managers to
educate themselves. Certainly they all feel a greater incentive
and fondly hope that they are in the work of citj'-managing for
life with a long and expanding career ahead of them.
ii6 CITY MANAGER PLAN
I should like to be able to prove also by tangible evidence
that the indefiniteness of the manager's tenure and the inability
of the rank and file of the city administration to look forward
to any definite time when the present manager and his disturbing
ideas will disappear has resulted in giving to the manager better
control over the civil service than an ordinary mayor can secure.
Every new executive in private business or in public life runs
up against a "System," an instinctive resistance on the part of
his subordinates to new policies, and in municipal administra-
tion the "System" is frequently much stronger than the transient
executive.
Perhaps the washing of the streets of Dayton fits my case.
For a long time it had been desired to wash the streets with
water, but it required the co-operation of the fire department,
the water department and the public works department — and the
streets were not washed. The new manager was able to set the
thing going at once.
Undoubtedly the city managers work harder than the average
mayor and get closer to the details. In Manistee, for example,
the old government had authorized $80,000 on a new trunk
sewer; the existing sewer was 27 years old and was reported in
very bad condition. The new city manager spent $1,200 to clean
out the old sewer and after the removal of several tons of sand
and refuse it was found to be in perfect condition — and the new
one is not to be built. A less spectacular case is the incident of
the shovels in Sumter. Some shovels were needed for street
work and when the requisition for the purchase came in to the
city manager he refused it and sent for some idle .shovels from
the water department.
The easiest way to measure up the relative efficiency of the
commission manager plan as compared with the old government
is by financial comparison. In Dayton the total operating ex-
pense in 1914 was $1,067,062, an increase of $77,709 over the
year before, but the new regime gave $140,000 worth of new
services, or an improvement in efficiency of about 6 per cent
in the first year, without taking into consideration the fact that
the old administration used a considerable part of a flood pre-
vention bond issue of $800,000 for ordinary operating expenses
and thus made an ostensibly remarkable showing. In Spring-
field the operating expenses were reduced from $450,000 in 1913
to $400,000 in 1914, the first year under the new plan. A float-
OF GOVERNMENT 117
ing debt of $100,000 was wiped out in fourteen months. Mean-
while the town was getting more service than before. The
area cleaned by the street cleaning department was increased by
25 per cent. Garbage collection, formerly provided for only a
small portion of the city, was extended to every house. The
valuation of increased services is not available, but leaving them
out of the calculation, the new regime is apparently about 11
per cent better than the old.
In La Grande, the city manager found the city bankrupt, its
warrants so greatly depreciated in value that the banks were
refusing to take them at any price. Outstanding warrants had
reached $110,000, slightly more than a whole year's budget. In
the first year, $35,000 was cleared off and another $35,000 dis-
appeared during the first four months of 1915.
In Manistee, the 1913 budget was $104,000. The new regime
saved $20,000 of this and at the same time greatly increased the
city's service, including the restoration of ten miles of paved
street, which were in deplorable condition, as well as making
unnecessary the $80,000 bond issue previously mentioned for the
new sewer. Apparently, therefore, the new government in
Manistee is 20 per cent better.
In Taylor, Tex., the annual income was $49,000 and in the
first year and under the new plan, with the aid of less than $2,000
new tax revenue, the city manager wiped out a floating debt of
$9,600, a 15 per cent better showing.
Cadillac cut $6,000 — 13 per cent — out of the $47,000 of annual
running expenses while improving the municipal service.
Little Hickory, N. C., with running expenses of $32,000, cut
out $4,400 — 14 per cent — in the first year of the new plan,
squeezed in several thousand dollars' worth of extra service and
kept up the pace in the second year.
Another little one, Morris, Minn., spent $28,300 in the first
year of the new plan, which was $3,800 more than the year be-
fore, but the manager shows an increase of $6,000 in permanent
improvements and $2,500 more cash on hand — a 15 per cent ad-
vance.
Montrose, Col., reports that the old accounts were so mean-
ingless as to make comparison impossible, but the manager,
starting with smaller appropriations, saved in the first year
enough to reduce the tax levy 18 per cent.
ii8 CITY MANAGER PLAN
In Montrose the appropriation for 1913 was $43,810 and for
1914 $40,130. But the city did considerably more work with the
latter sum and had $13,000 more cash on hand at the end of the
year than at the beginning.
All the cities seem to have such stories to tell of increasing
service without correspondingly increased expense, of floating
debts being wiped out, of disbursements kept with appropriations,
of municipal accounts that tell the true story, of thrift in little
matters. All the managers seem to be keen to produce annual
reports that will be creditable to the new way of doing things.
Highly typical of the new spirit is the failure to fill the office of
director of public safety at Dayton and Springfield. It was a
charter position, but not altogether necessary, inasmuch as the
fire and police departments are already well unified and require
little overhead coordination. How long would such an exempt
position with its good salary have remained vacant under the old
regime?
One of the unsettled points has been how to prevent the
commission from interfering unduly with the manager. The
commissioners are not always business men and do not always
know how to delegate authority and keep their hands off. In
Port Arthur, Ontario, which has had a commission-manager
plan for six years, the commission, which is a large one, is in-
cessantly interfering with the manager and fussing over details
which ought to be delegated. In Sumter it was the same way.
The commissioners constantly went over the head of the first
manager and dealt directly with subordinates, so that the city
manager was often merely a helpless spectator. In Phoenix the
commissioners attempted to dictate appointments to the city
manager and to make him retain inefficient employees for polit-
ical reasons. The manager refused and was removed after a dis-
agreement which had the whole town by the ears, and another
man of presumably more complaisant temper was secured in his
place. This, curiously enough, was under the one charter which
attempted to set up defenses for the city manager, who could
only be removed for cause after a public hearing. (This made
the removal of the manager a question for the courts and for a
time Phoenix had two city managers, each claiming exclusive
authority. The Phoenix charter, quite properly, has been
amended so that there can never again be a question of the ability
of the commission to discharge a city manager.)
OF GOVERNMENT 119
The city managers are a little inclined to talk impatiently
about the need for a protected tenure, but if the commission is
to be held responsible ultimately for every detail of the city
management, the power to interfere must be left to it. Un-
doubtedly city managers will always be more or less impatient
with the amateurs in the commission, who will ask the impos-
sible, worry the manager with petty criticism and harry him with
ridiculous theories. Nevertheless this clash of the expert with
the amateur is just what we want. If the expert cannot convert
a commission which has had enough confidence in him to hire
him, it is probable that he would have difficulty also with the
people whom that commission represents, and until he can win
over that commission he ought not to be allowed to go ahead.
The commissions of Dayton, Springfield, and certain other
cities where the majority of members are business men, seem to
be giving their city managers little trouble. Manager Hardin
in Amarillo says : "I am the connecting link between the com-
mission and the employes. The commission has never attempted
to get out and instruct anj'^ of the employes, and the night I
qualified I told the commission, 'Now if you want anything done,
come to the manager' ; I told the employees 'if you want to know
anything or want to get in touch with the commission, do it
through me.' It will cost any man his job to go around me and
try to put anything over with the commission." In the long run,
this solution, informal though it is, is probably better than any
charter restriction.
When the commission consists, as it often does, of only five
men in a fairly large city, there is a certain inadequacy on the
representative side of the government. The Dayton commis-
sioners have been pained to discover that they have been step-
ping on the toes of numerous people without knowing it. Large
sections of the people find not a single man on the commission
who is of their own type. Upson of Dayton and Waite, the city
manager, are impressed with the problem and suggest propor-
tional representation to insure a proper diversity in the com-
mission.
Meanwhile much could be done by creating advisory boards
attached to the several departments. All the best engineering
talent that may happen to reside in the town could thus be called
in to study and report independently to the manager and commis-
sion on the projects of the public works department. The local
120 CITY MANAGER PLAN
physicians could be hitched up to the heahh department and on
other boards could be put citizens who manifest some interest, or
who have some special abihty or experience to contribute. Such
boards, acquiring familiarity with departmental problems, could
become highly serviceable. If the city manager determined upon
a good, but unpopular, policy, there would be a dozen members
of the advisory board prepared to explain it and justify it to
felloW' townsmen. If the policy was wrong, the unwillingness
of the advisory board to concur would perhaps deter the man-
ager and the commission from embarking upon it. The advisory
board's objections might warn the manager when he was un-
knowingly rubbing the people the wrong way. A hundred men
and women on such a group of advisory boards, having no
actual power and hence not being self-seekers, can be developed
by considerable treatment into a co-operative force of great
value and comfort to the officials without clogging the simple
machinery of the responsible government. In a large city ad-
visory boards could be provided with paid secretaries and in any
case their opportunities for inquiring should be unrestricted,
their equipment for investigation should be ample, their reports
should be public records.
The dissatisfaction expressed in Dayton by the attempt to
amend the charter out of all semblance to the true commission-
manager type is merely a phenomenon familiar in politics every-
where and akin to the fact that the mid-term congressional elec-
tion usually runs against the administration. Cadillac experi-
enced a similar reaction in the attempt to recall the commission
after six months. Numberless commission-governed cities have
seen the new plan subject to bitter attacks during the first years,
usually at the hands of those whose political power waned with
the coming of the new era.
In Dayton there is extra danger in the fact that the business
men at the beginning had things too wholly their own way and
elected a handpicked business ticket. Now business men com-
prise but a trifling percentage of the population and live a good
deal in a little social world of their own, and a good many cur-
rents of opinion can flow that business men know nothing of.
The business men supposed they had catered adequately to the
rest of the people when they thoughtfully put a labor representa-
tive on this ticket, but apparently that was not enough. ' Any poli-
tician in Dayton could, for instance, have warned them that the
OF GOVERNMENT 121
fixing of the city manager's salary at the unfamilarly high figure
of $12,500 would be pohtically risky. It seems Hkely that in
November Dajton will defeat the attempt to spoil the charter
and will put a politician or two on the commission. In general,
the cities that elect former mayors and councilmen to their
new commissions may be making haste more slowly and more
surely.
Other phases of the opposition to the commission-manager
plan seem trifling. The idea of a chief executive from out of
town seems to please more people than it disturbs. They dub
it "one-man government" sometimes, but even that seems to
fascinate and I have heard it seriously urged that the manager
be made independent and relieved from interference by the com-
mission. Some socialists have unofficially opposed it with the
same blind hatred which they are apt to vent on anj^thing that
originates elsewhere. Perhaps it was due in part to the incau-
tion of these same sapient business men in Dayton who naively
sent out publicity to the effect that the commission manager plan
was "the creation of Mr. Patterson, a multi-millionaire manu-'
facturer."
Socialists made similar attacks, officially, on the commission
plan, whose originator in Des Moines they discovered to be a
man of some means and therefore presumbly an agent of capi-
talism intent on subverting democracy. They tamed down and
withdrew from their position after a while and they are not
making the same mistake again on the commission-manager
plan. In Dayton they opposed the charter and are now being
used by the politicians who are stirring up all the discontent
they can. In Sandusky, Ohio, however, it was largely the social-
ists who put the charter through. Their own national informa-
tion department, tackling the problem of municipal government
constructively, arrived by inevitable logic at the commission-
manager principle. Their convention could not quite swallow
it, but the plan will gain a few more friends and become ortho-
dox except that the non-partisan ballot, wonderfully helpful
to them though it is, will doubtless remain taboo.
Our own Mr. Foulke has shaken his finger in solemn warn-
ing of the danger that elections may revolve around the question
of retaining or replacing the city manager. This would, of
course, be quite out of the spirit of the plan, but it will un-
doubtedly occur from time to time just as it occurs in school
122 CITY MANAGER PLAN
board elections when the superintendent becomes an issue. The
proper antidote is a becoming modesty on the part of the city
manager. In all dealing with the public the commissioners
should do the talking, the explaining and the glorifying. If the
commissioners hire a fine manager and thereby get fine results,
theirs is the glory; the manager is only their agent and private
adviser. The commissioners ought to be the ones to go around
making speeches; the manager ought to be on happy terms with
the reporters, but like the president, never be personally quoted
in their despatches. His opinions ought to stay under his hat
except when he is in consultation with the commission. He
should never appear in open conflict with the commission and
if he does differ with them, others must make the fight. In
other words, he must at all cost keep out of politics. That means
crawling into a hole out of the limelight and resolutely staying
there, and thus unobtrusively continuing manager through suc-
cessive administrations no matter how various may be the com-
missions that come and go over his silent head. Manager Ash-
burner of Springfield, with political experience as manager of
Staunton, Va., has kept pretty quiet and has now bought a home
in Springfield. Manager Chappell of Big Rapids and Jackson
does not even burst into print when the inexperienced Jackson
commissioners displace him in impatience with the cautiousness
of his innovations. But manager Waite of Da3d;on became a
national figure — and an issue for next November's election !
The Dayton pamphlet covering the first half year of the new
rule was the "Report of the City Manager to the Commission"
with an introductory letter by the city manager and the names
of the commissioners nowhere to be seen. The second pamphlet
six months later was the "Report of the City Commission,"
signed by the commissioners, beginning "One year ago we took
up the reins of government" and no mention of the city manager
anywhere ! Apparently practice supports the theory !
With the commission plan in small towns a commission of
three was better than one of five because their work was mainly
individual and executive. With the commission-manager plan
there is no advantage in making the commission so very small.
The short ballot principle is well enough observed with five,
or an even larger board can be provided if the teims expire in
rotation. The complaint comes from Sumter that the difficulty
with the commission of three is the tendency to meet by tele-
OF GOVERNMENT 123
phone or settle a policy on the sidewalk. Public business should
not be handled in that elusive way. A meeting of the commis-
sion should be a formal occasion at a set time so that the public
can look in and interject comment if it wants to. A Httle larger
commission is likely to meet with more ceremony and overhaul
each proposition more noisily.
Sherman, Texas, varies the plan in a way that will be worth
copying when larger commissions begin to come into vogue, as
they should and will. Sherman elects sixteen commissioners
with rotating tenures and the charter provides for an executive
committee of three within the commission, chosen by it and
holding office at its pleasure, to handle details and to work in
special intimacy with the manager.
The cities to watch just now are Dayton, where the plan is
under attack. Phoenix, where the commission has fired a man-
ager because he was being a patronage-broker, and Niagara Falls,
where the managership is viewed by some as a prize plum for
some local politician.
My final note is most significant of all. It concerns a letter
received a while ago from a California school boy. He admits
that he has not stood too high in his studies, but he has decided
that he could do great good to thousands of people as the man-
ager of some city, of course a small one at first, and can I
please tell him what and where to read and study as a prepara-
tion? Forsooth! Municipal administration in America an iri-
descent dream for youths !
HOW THE COMMISSION-MANAGER PLAN IS
GETTING ALONG*
In the year and a half that have elapsed since my last article
on this subject, very little of new significance has happened.
That fact in itself, while uninteresting, is rather important.
"Happy is the land that has no history."
The situation continues to be more than satisfactory. The
commission-manager plan is now five years old. In several
cities it has survived elections without causing any earthquakes
^ By Richard S. Childs, New York. In National Municipal Review.
6: 69-73. January, 1917.
124 CITY MANAGER PLAN
in the city halls. From all the cities come specific and circum-
stantial reports of economies effected, taxes reduced, new func-
tions undertaken, politics eliminated and popular aproval made
manifest. Some of the older cities have now reached that most
interesting stage where they present the fruit of their sowing in
most impressive fashion. Dayton, especially, is beginning to
reveal what good government really means. After you have got
the politicians out of the city hall, after government ceases to
mean a parcel of jobs to be contested for, after you have de-
veloped a public agency sensitive to the desires of the electorate
and at the same time efficient and dean in administration; then
what? The city having obtained at last a first class automobile
instead of a stage-coach, where shall we drive? Does it mean
merely a lower tax rate? Dayton is just beginning to answer
that question by exhibiting a government which delights in
undertaking high social service. Here is a city government which
is beginning to undertake the responsibility of looking after the
people of the city. It frankly and definitely proposes to abolish
private charity within the city by gradually taking over every
tested and necessary philanthropy. It tries to do something
about the cost of living. It reduces infant mortality 40 per cent.
It undertakes to restore human derelicts. It develops wholesome
occupation for children in little faim gardens. It abandons the
hisses faire policy and assumes responsibility for trying to make
Dayton a nice place to live in. German cities look after their
citizens in this way to conserve the national sinew. The job-
holders in a typical American city hall have no such vision.
Dayton seems likely to show how much, in human terms rather
than in financial statistics, good government means.
The other commission-manager cities are still busy cleaning
house, getting their finances in order, catching up with their
public works problem, repairing old neglect. When they get this
done, what will they do? Gild the dome on the city hall? Or
will they call in the social worker and follow up their surveys of
the administration by surveys of the people in the alleys? We
know at least that Dayton, the pioneer city, is leading in the
right direction, a fact which is due, I understand, largely to Dr.
Garland, head of the department of public welfare under Man-
ager Waite.
In this year and a half fifteen more cities have joined the
list of commission-manager cities, i.e.:
OF GOVERNMENT 125
Grand Rapids, Mich 1 30,000 San Jose, Cal 28,946
Alpena, Mich 12,706 Watertown, N. Y 26,730
Santa Barbara, Cal 11,659 Portsmouth, Va 33,190
San Angelo, Tex 10,321 Albion, Mich 5,833
St. Augustine, Fla 5,494 Brownsville, Tex 10,517
Westerville, Ohio 1,903 Petoskey, Mich 4,778
Elizabeth City, N. C 8,412 East Qeveland, Ohio 9,179
Webster City, Iowa 5,208
In this same interval fifteen cities adopted the commission plan
and three others gave it up. In fact the commission plan has
practically stopped spreading where the new plan is available
and the torch has been passed on to the new plan.
The new cities, like the old, have chosen their managers in
most cases from out of town. There has been one more case
of transfer of managers, i.e., Manager Carr of Cadillac, who
was hired at increase of salary by Niagara Falls. There are
several "lame ducks," managers who for one reason or another
are managers no longer. Two or three of the men have unmis-
takably failed on their jobs.
It is still too early to tell what the average tenure of the
managers is likely to be, but there is nothing to indicate that it
is likely to be short or that cities will be disposed to change
their managers frequently. No manager, I think, has yet lost his
job as the direct or indirect result of a popular election in the
town, but this may be largely due to the fact that most of the
commissions have been re-elected.
Business men continue to take to the commission-manager
plan like ducks to water. The old charters were subjects for
lawyers to discuss. Here is something business men under-
stand. One cannot imagine the rotary clubs all over the country
discussing a charter of any other type than this.
There continues to be a tendency to make heroes of the man-
agers. It is so much easier for the public to get a picture in
their minds of one manager than of five commissioners. This
tendency has its dangers. One manager, for instance, gets him-
self quoted at length in the daily papers nearly every day on
some topic or other. Publicity is a good thing. The more 3
municipal government gets itself talked about, the better. But
that manager would be less likely to be an issue in the next elec-
tion if he would get the mayor to assume the glory— and the
responsibility.
The city managers have now held their third annual conven-
126 CITY MANAGER PLAN
tion. Of course the conventions are still small aflfairs but they
are not as good as they ought to be. At present certain managers
take a subject, and with the aid of midnight oil and some ref-
erence books, prepare an essay, which if not actually amateurish,
cannot honestly be claimed to be an authoritative contribution to
the subject, for the managers are not specialists and do not
pretend to be. The managers, however, can command the time
and attention of the most eminent specialists in the country,
and if they wish to discuss the problems of marketing munic-
ipal bonds, why waste time listening to Manager So-and-so's
efforts on that subject when they can get a good Wall street
financier who handles bonds for hundreds of cities. The discus-
sions that result when the expert and the theorists clash with the
practical managers, who are face to face with immediate prob-
lems, would constitute real municipal reference literature of the
most important sort, and the proceedings of the city managers'
convention would become important, whereas now they are
merely interesting. The governors' conference has developed the
same idea that no one is good enough to address them but an-
other governor, with the result that the governors' conferences
have gone to seed.
The best feature of the managers' conference is the calling of
the roll of cities, when the managers rise in turn and report the
achievements of the past year. To a modest manager the pro-
cedure may possibly be painful, but it is a good thing for the
managers and undoubtedly does much to determine the spirit of
service which inspires the new profession.
Outspoken and organized hostilities to the commission-man-
ager plan may always be expected to survive for a few years in
every city, at least until there has been more than one election.
In some cases the opposition controls newspapers. A reasonable
amount of such opposition is a good thing, for it makes munic-
ipal officers careful to see that everything is properly and care-
fully explained to the public. Dayton has a delightful sheet
known as the Municipal Searchlight, devoted exclusively to
throwing mud at the government of Dayton. It says that Dayton
is afflicted with expertitis, a municipal disease which I, for one,
fondly hope will prove contagious. This ill-tempered little pub-
lication with its slender store of specifications and its. enormous
store of billingsgate furnishes to any open-minded man indispu-
OF GOVERNMENT 127
table proof that the opposition in Dayton is terribly hard up for
ammunition.
In Phoenex, Arizona, the first city manager lost his job for
reasons which seem to be on the whole creditable to him, and it
seemed logical to expect that his successor would be a man
more amenable to political control. It has not worked out that
way, however. The new manager has achieved a list of reforms
which demonstrate high ability.
At Niagara Falls before the plan went into effect, the news-
papers and the local political lights talked about the city man-
agership as if it were a fat job for some local man. But the
commission was true to the traditions of the plan and engaged
a non-resident expert. Manager Carr of Cadillac.
In Newburgh, a rather weak commission engaged a high-
class man from Cleveland. There was a legal tangle in the
charter which prevented the new manager from reorganizing the
city employees, and the commission removed him after he had
been in office only five months, before he really got going. There
was considerable indignation among the citizens and a demand
for a statement of the charges. No charges were forthcoming
and the commission gave no explanation. Even the manager was
only able to obtain trivial excuses and justification. It was said
that there had been a stormy private meeting in the councils
of the local machine a short time previous because the manager
"had done nothing for the Republican party." At any rate it
was evident that the commission had another man in mind, a
local business man and unsuccessful candidate in the election a
few months previous, whom it promptly appointed. The new
manager seems to be getting more action, but I think Newburgh
is one of the cities to watch.
I have saved Ashtabula for the last — Ashtabula with the
unique city charter that is the ultimate ideal, with its council
elected by the Hare plan of proportional representation. At the
first election, this method of election caused an Italian saloon-
keeper named Nick Corrado, to forge ahead of a young attorney
named Rinto. Professor Hatton, who studied the election on
the spot, commented that "the election of Rinto would have
improved the council, but the election of Corrado made it more
representative." The commission after quarreling long over the
appointment of a manager, selected one of its own number who
needed a job although he had no particular training for this one.
He undertook at the same time to remain as a voting member
128 CITY MANAGER PLAN
of the commission. The town, of course, was properly indignant
and mass meetings were held with the result that in a few days
the manager withdrew, after which the commission compromised
on the selection of the local postmaster, who had no special
claims to fitness for the job, beyond good political connections,
but who nevertheless is said to have proceeded to do well. Since
this episode Corrado has been indicted for murder.
Proportional representation undertakes to guarantee to every
citizen that he will have somebody of his own kind at the city
hall to represent him. In achieving this purpose the Hare plan
used in Ashtabula is unquestionably more scientific than the
ordinary method, and its advocates have nothing to apologize for
in Ashtabula. The tough element of a town is entitled to its due
share of representation. But this first American demonstration
of the plan in Ashtabula was almost too perfect !
CERTAIN WEAKNESSES IN THE COMMISSION
PLAN OF MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT. WHY
THE COMMISSION-MANAGER PLAN
IS BETTER'
Comparison of the two plans
The commission-manager plan preserves the basic merits of
the commission plan, namely, the short ballot and the unification
of powers in a single body. It eliminates the defects.
1. The commission plan provides five (or three) administra-
tions, for each commissioner is head of his department and to
some extent autonomous. Obviously the single-headed arrange-
ment of the manager plan is sounder and less apt to produce
continuous friction between departments.
2. The commission plan attempts to put the commission as
a whole in command of each member thereof in his capacity of
department-chief. But the commission has no power to remove
or discipline their confrere if he disregards their decisions.
They are in the unhappy position of a boss dealing with an em-
ploye who is sure of his job. A common result of this situation
is that each commissioner reigns supreme in his department and
resents "interference" from other commissioners, thus giving the
* Reprinted from a pamphlet published by the National Short Ballot
Organization.
OF GOVERNMENT 129
city five separate little governments and limiting consultation and
common counsel.
3. The commission plan gets rid of ward log-rolling but
substitutes inter-department log-rolling. Each commissioner in
order to get his way in his own department is tempted to swap
votes and to abstain from criticizing the other fellow's budget
— a situation that does not tend toward economy.
4. The commission plan, by implication at least, limits the
people in their selection of commissioners to men of the em-
ployer type who are competent to hire and direct the labor of
many other men. Any commission consisting solely of men who
earned such salaries and did such work in private life would be
utterly unrepresentative of the city's population, yet it is the
faulty theory of the commission plan that such men will be
elected. Of course, it does not work that way. In Wichita a
railway switchman was elected; in Topeka, a barber; in Des
Moines, a laboring man, etc. And as long as popular govern-
ment goes on, these things will occur, for a deep-seated instinct
in our people, an instinct truer than the reasoning of charter-
makers, insists on sending to city hall "our own kind" of men,
men who understand us and whom we understand. "Yonder
kid-gloved employer may be fitted to boss a big city department,
but he is likely to be more interested in making things pretty
up on the hill than in what goes on down here along the river
where he never comes. So we elect Bob Jones and maybe things
will not run smooth and he will have a lot to learn and he will
be getting more money than he ever saw before, but we will see
him once in a while and he will do anything he can for us and
we will not be expected to take off our hats if we go to ask for
something."
In other words, no matter if commission government does
omit to provide for representation and sets up simply five execu-
tive offices, all demanding broad administrative ability, the people
will nevertheless sweep aside the intent of the charter and elect
for considerations of representation just the same! The people
are right about it, but be they right or wrong, we must cut our
cloth according to the fact.
Now Dayton, at its first election under the commission-
manager plan, elected a printer — not a master printer, but a type-
setter who works at his case for a daily wage. As a member
of the commission he contributes his valuable viewpoint to the
130 CITY MANAGER PLAN
joint discussion of municipal projects. On some matters he is
an amateur and is due to be harmlessly voted down by his con-
freres. On other matters his is the most anxiously awaited
voice in the discussion and the other commissioners, merchants
to whom the views of Labor are mysteries, defer to his superior
knowledge of the popular effect of their proposed acts in certain
quarters of the town. But his value as a representative is not
tarnished by his personal inability to administer a large city
department successfully. He has no administrative work to do,
no subordinates of his own to discipline, no technical details to
supervise. The commission-manager plan puts him in the
position of a juror, for which he or any intelligent man is fitted,
whereas the commission plan puts him in the position of a judge,
which demands special training.
5. The commission plan ignores the value of experience and
permanence in the high executive positions. Elective executives
are transient amateurs. They do not usually stay in office long
enough to learn the job. The tenure is so insecure that it does
not seem worth while for a commissioner to study. His depart-
ment is at the mercy of his inexperience. He is liable to develop
pet projects, oblivious to the uncompleted projects of his pred-
ecessor. Then with his projects half done he goes out of office,
and his successor springs a fresh lot of schemes. Such vacilla-
tion is demoralizing. It is inevitable when policies are swayed
so largely by single minds instead of by the composite mind of
a group.
6. The commission plan, by putting these transient amateurs
in direct charge of departments, gives the people a correspond-
ingly weak and uncertain grip on the city's employees. A police
"system," for instance, organized in resistance to public clamor,
can laugh at this series of well-meaning short-term amateurs
who incessantly come and go above its head.
Such instability demoralizes the whole city service. Minor
city jobs become correspondingly insecure and unattractive to
good talent. Efficiency is a plant of slow growth. It does not
thrive in shifting sand.
Anyone who has followed the politics of a commission-gov-
erned city long enough will recognize much in the foregoing that
is familiar. Note that not one of these faults of designs is to
be found in the commission-manager plan.
OF GOVERNMENT 131
The lines of responsibility are clear and straight. They never
fork or leave you wondering who is responsible.
The plan gives a strong single-headed executive presiding
over all departments, co-ordinating their activities, acting as
a court of appeal in such cases of departmental rivalry or fric-
tion.
The people can select the truest representatives unhampered
by any considerations of the business experience or salary-earn-
ing capacity of their favorities.
Moreover, these representatives, after election, have in turn
a surer grip on the government through a manager than if they
were individually compelled to assume departmental direction.
Membership in the commission becomes attractive to the
ablest citizens since it offers opportunity for high usefulness
without interruption of their private careers.
Often a specific cash saving appears at the outset. A city
that is paying five commissioners $2,coo each can hire a $6,000
manager, pay the commissioners some nominal sum and save
money. And the one high-grade man should do a better quality
of work than the five low-paid ones.
THE COMMISSION MANAGER PLAN^
The city manager form of government can be made success-
ful. The American people are habituated to the idea of change.
It is customary when we have elected one party into power to
have the other party or parties immediately start a campaign
to show us why that party should be out of power. We are
restless for change. It is inbred in the nation. The results ac-
complished by the new forms of government now coming into
use can as yet scarcely be grasped by the very people who have
voted these governments into power. Each new improvement
offends some one's prejudice or purse. Too many new improve-
ments breed too many centers of discontent. As a people we
are fickle ; we learn by experience and slowly, and often through
waste.
These new forms of municipal government have many ups
and downs ahead of them. We love to live as we have lived.
1 By Henry M. Waite, Dayton, Ohio. In National Municipal Review.
4: 40-9. January, 1915.
132 CITY MANAGER PLAN
Changes with which we are not in complete sympathy we are
prone to define as whims.
Every citizen is an expert on all municipal questions. Our
duty, your duty, is to educate the people to appreciate the
possibilities of these new forms of government which we have
called into being. There, to my mind, lies the great work.
Publicity must be given to the results obtained by the new
governments. We must obtain an efficient citizenship. Interest
should be maintained through the schools. We need fewer elec-
tions, longer terms, and thereby greater efficiency. The com-
mission-manager form of government can be made a success. Its
permanency depends upon an intelligent citizenship, and their
continued determination to keep partisan politics out of munic-
ipal matters.
Immediately after the Home Rule amendment was passed in
Ohio, the thinking men of Dayton worked out a plan of action.
The new charter was the result of their efforts. This charter
comprises the basic form of organization used in all large cor-
porations.
Mr. Patterson, President of the National Cash Register com-
pany, the ruling spirit, used the rule of five which he uses in all
of his own organization charts. — Five commissioners elected at
large and non-partisan, and five departments. The flood of Day-
ton aided in bringing the people together. Party lines were
obliterated. Five sound business men were elected as commis-
sioners. They selected the manager. The manager selected the
directors of the five departments.
The director of law was on the charter commission as its
legal representative. The director of finance was a public ac-
countant. The director of welfare was a minister— broad and
intelligent.
In the month of June, July, August, September and October,
the death rate of babies of under one year has been reduced
40 per cent over last year. One general, and two tuberculosis
clinics have been established. School children have been joined
in a civic workers' league and help to keep the city clean. Prizes
have just been awarded to the school districts showing greatest
improvement. Children's and back yard gardens have been
awarded prizes.
Any family, or neighborhood willing to clean up empty lots,
was aided by the city removing the rubbish, and plowing the
OF GOVERNMENT 133
lots. Four hundred lots were cleaned and plowed ; four hundred
dirty spots were turned into four hundred gardens which fur-
nished vegetables to four hundred families, and gave a new
interest to four hundred families.
The civic music league has been established; concerts have
been given in community centers and choruses organized. A
series of six concerts to be given by foremost artists and sym-
phonies, has been arranged for this winter, at a rate of three
dollars and a half for the season. Twenty-five hundred seats,
which is the capacity of the hall, have been sold.
In ten months much has been accomplished, and economically
accomplished.
The director of service is an engineer trained in municipal
work and brought to Dayton for this service. The director of
safety has not been appointed; the manager is acting director.
All the men selected are trained for the particular functions
which they direct. I cannot tell you the political faith of the
commissioners, or of the directors. They are selected for their
ability. There were no political debts to be paid. Our energies
have been expended on progressive and constructive lines. We
have not attempted the sensational.
Careful, expert investigations have preceded all new plans.
Expert engineers have worked out intelligent plans for improve-
ments in the water works, looking well into future requirements.
Expert engineers have investigated and made report on the
proper distribution of city wastes.
Expert engineers are advising us in the plans for the devel-
opment of a comprehensive sewer system.
In a similar way, we have investigated crime and social con-
ditions, police and fire departments, parks and playgrounds, city
planning, and grade elimination.
In our finance department, our new accounting system is the
same as would be found in any large business. Our budget is
scientific. Every month the head of each department receives
a complete financial statement which shows the original allow-
ance, expenditures and balance in each account. We keep our
expenditures inside our allowances.
In August, we found that our estimated revenues were too
high. With our system of accounting and budget, we were en-
abled, in two days, to reduce expenditures $45,000 and reorganize
all work accordingly. It was customary to issue bonds for cur-
134 CITY MANAGER PLAN
rent expenses. This practice has been stopped. We inherited a
promissory note the first of the year for $125,00 in the safety
department, which was paid in February. This will be reduced
this year over $25,000.
All current funds in the treasury have been put into one.
It has not been necessary to borrow any additional money on
this note up to this time, and we will save $5,000 in interest.
Our purchasing department will save $20,000 this year.
Every department has unit cost systems. Efficiency is main-
tained in the deadly parallel.
Police and fire drills have been enforced. Civil service rec-
ords show merits and demerits. The men are listed on the re-
sults of examinations as well as by daily performances.
Policewomen are aiding in the handling of women derelicts
and domestic troubles.
The organization is keyed up to preventive methods.
The Fire Department is continually making house to house
inspections, reducing fire hazard.
Workhouse prisoners are used on municipal improvements,,
parks, cleaning and repairing streets.
A municipal lodging house has been established. The inmates
are worked one-half day.
All philanthropic and city nursing has been combined into the
welfare department, thus saving all duplication of effort.
District surgeons have been appointed : three baby clinics and
milk stations have been established.
All these are factors in Dayton progress during the past year
— a progress that is real, substantial and continually growing.
Following the reading of his address Mr. Waite sumbitted
himself to a cross-examination.
Mr. Shaw : What was done in the matter of investigating
the various departments after the municipal research era in Day-
ton?
Mr. Waite: The municipal research bureau was started in
Dayton prior to any work on the new charter. They are still at
work, and have been a great help to us. I have taken the trouble
on several occasions to go to cities that are contemplating such
a change. I advise them against rushing in too rapidly, when
they are not properly prepared. Before these changes of gov-
ernment are inaugurated a municipal research bureau investiga-
tion or something similar which is impartial, should be made.
OF GOVERNMENT 135
Having followed such a bureau in two cities, it is to my mind
necessary for three very primary reasons :
1st. The bureau can use the information which it gets as a
means of instructing the people of that community that a change
is necessary;
2d. When the government does come into effect, it is abso-
lutel}- necessary because 5'ou cannot expect support and help
from the people who are in office, and your bureau is the only
impartial body which has the information ; it is of wonderful
help in putting the new government into effect ;
3d. The information and the statistics which the bureau has
compiled are the only means by which comparisons, of the old
against the new, can be made.
Mr. Childs : In some of the other cities where they have
the city manager, particularly the only one I know that is not
in this country, at Port Arthur, Ontario, there is a tendency of
the elected directors or commissioners to interfere with the
manager in petty details. It often happens that the men elected
are not themselves good business men, and are interested in mat-
ters of detail work, without seeing the broad policies involved,
and use their position as members of the commission to inter-
fere in small details with what normally should be the work
of the city manager. Have you any trouble of that kind in Day-
ton, and if you have, how do you handle it?
Mr. Waite: We have had absolutely no such trouble. The
commission and the manager work cheerfully together, like a
board of directors and an executive. Of the elective body the
manager is reall}' nothing. He is supposed to carry out the
directions and the policy of the governing board. I personally
may have suggestions to make, or they may have suggestions to
make, as they always do. We endeavor to work shoulder to
shoulder all the time. We alwaj^s get together. We set aside
Tuesday morning to go out and look over any important sub-
ject, and have an informal meeting one evening of the week.
There is going to be a very great danger in my mind from the
fact that naturally the city manager is the person who is up
before the public all the time — he is the one that the public has
got its fingers on, and it's going to be difficult to get, as it should
be, the city manager in the background and the commission, the
elective body, before the people.
136 CITY MANAGER PLAN
Mr. Childs : I heard j'ou make this same comment before in
discussing the plan — that it's up to the people after all, and the
plan will succeed if the people take an interest and back it up,
and work with it and so on. What is the necessity of making
that remark as applied to the city manager plan? It is true of
any plan of government. Is it any truer than in the city man-
ager plan?
Mr. Waite : I suppose it is perfectly natural that I should
feel that it is. Of course it is not. That is the difficult thing to
accomplish in all changes of government and so-called reforms.
The electors are awakened and aroused through some particular
chain of circumstances or psychological movement. They effect
this change of government, and then they usually pass it up.
They think, "What a beautiful thing we have done." Then down
it comes. They do not stay under and hold it up. It is a diffi-
cult thing to keep the citizenship interested in the results which
they are obtaining through these changes.
Mr. Childs: You don't feel that the plan is more likely to
fail through lack of interest then?
Mr. Waite: It is more likely to succeed, simply for the rea-
son that it will hold the public attention longer and clearer,
because you have that centralized authority to which the public
are always looking.
Query: You say the saving in the purchasing of goods last
year amounted to $20,000. Do you mean to say that was saved
over and above the year before, and if so, what were your ex-
penditures, and by what method could you have saved $20,000
in one year?
Mr. Waite: The purchases made previously in Dayton were
made as they are in a great many cities, and in most states. If
A, at the head of a department, or B or C wants a dozen pen-
cils, or a lot of stationery, he goes out and buys it. The differ-
ent letterheads in the various departments represent the artistic
development of the head of each department. Coal was pur-
chased by each department. All supplies were purchased in that
manner. We have simply issued specifications for various ma-
terials. All supplies must be purchased through the purchasing
department. Requisitions made must first bear the O. K. of the
finance director that the funds are available. Then bids are
taken on large quantities of material.
OF GOVERNMENT 137
We have the bids. We have them opened publicly. Then we
commence to do our buying. $20,000 is the amount of money
which we have saved in the purchase of materials.
Mr. Childs : There is, I understand, a minority in Dayton,
which is more or less active in opposition to the whole plan and
the present regime. I know that there was a public meeting held
there which opposed the commission plan and the way it was
working, and that had a powerful influence on another city in
Ohio which was considering the adoption of the plan. I would
like to learn a little bit about the operations of that minority,
the arguments that they bring up against the plan — that is, of
course, if it won't get you into trouble.
Mr. Waite: It already has. I don't think that any form of
government is a success, can ever be a success, unless it has
some opposition. Opposition which we have at the present is
socialistic more than anything else. It has been active and above-
board ever since we started. They are against everything. There
is no satisfying them. They have no particular complaint against
anything that we do, except that we do not immediately buy all
the surface lines, electric lines and plants, and gas companies.
I don't consider them seriously. It has not grown. It is just
about the same as it was when it started. I do not mean that
municipal objection is confined entirely to the socialists, but that
opposition is a healthy one. It is a good, sound lot of fellows.
They are working hard. I go before them and talk to them.
We are pretty good friends on the outside, but they dig me in
the ribs every chance they get.
Their arguments are rather embarrrassing to me. They say
"I can't understand why you are not in favor of municipal
ownership. Your present form of government is an ideal time
to take over all these activities."
THE CITY-MANAGER PLAN OF GOVERNMENT
FOR DAYTON*
On August 12 the voters of Dayton, Ohio, approved a charter
giving to that city a "city-manager" plan of government — making
it the first American municipality of considerable size to secure
1 By_ Lent D. Upson, Director, Dayton Bureau of Municipal Research.
In National Municipal Review. 2:639-44. October, 1913.
138 CITY MANAGER PLAN
this form of government. To this feature of a "controlled execu-
tive" has been added a number of progressive administrative
ideas.
The power is vested in a non-partisan commission of five,
elected at large, in the place of the ward council. It was urged
by a number of authorities on municipal matters that the com-
mission would be more representative were its number nine or
seven, rather than five, but the latter number was agreed upon
in order to secure a shorter ballot. None of the candidates are
for designated offices, so the preferential form of voting was dis-
carded for the ordinary primaries with a later election — it being
thought impractical to ask voters to designate five first, five
second and five other choices. Consideration was given the Hare
proportional representation scheme, but it was discarded for the
time being, in the belief that its use would foster political align-
ment in municipal elections. Elections are to be held every two
years, the three candidates receiving the greatest vote at the
first election being chosen for a four-year term, the others for
two year. The candidate receiving the highest vote at the election
at which the greatest number of commissioners are elected shall
be mayor, to perform the few duties incumbent upon him by
general state law, and "for ceremonial purposes." All members
of the commission, as well as the city manager, are subject to
the recall upon a 25 per cent petition of the registered electors.
In distinction from the straight commission plan the duties of
the commission are purely legislative — passing the annual ap-
propriation ordinance, police and public improvement regula-
tions, with the usual legislative power to investigate the operation
of any department. The city manager, chosen to serve at the
pleasure of the commission (with the recall provision), is the
administrative head of the government, appoints and fixes sal-
aries of his immediate subordinates, including the principal de-
partmental and sub-departmental heads and their deputies, and is
personally responsible for the entire administration of the city.
There is a striking analogy between the functions and account-
abilitv of this officer and his superiors, as compared with the
similar position of the superintendent of public instruction and
the school board in many localities.
To comply strictly with managerial theories the executive
should be empowered to employ and dismiss such of his em-
ployees as he desires, and to stipulate such compensation as he
OF GOVERNMENT 139
deems necessary. In this instance civil service clauses are incor-
porated, which provide examinations to determine persons elig-
ible for appointment in all but a small unclassified service;
insure the standardization of wages and equal pay for equal ser-
vice in all branches of the government ; create a six months
probationary period before appointment; and which requires the
certification of all payrolls by the chief examiner — all features of
a modern merit law. However, it is further provided that the
manager, in consultation with the chief examiner, shall make
the designations for appointment from the entire eligible list,
rather than from the three highest. Such a rule conforms with
private business practice, but in public affairs will probably
secure employment for the politically desirable, and serve to
vitiate the entire merit system. Nor did the charter commission
carry their theory to independence in the selection of city em-
ployees to its logical conclusion — freedom to hire and dismiss at
pleasure : persons employed cannot be permanently relieved from
duty except by substantiation of charges before the civil service
board. It is doubtful if such a law meets the requirements of
the state constitution, which provides that appointments shall be
made according to fitness and merit.
As would be anticipated, the powers and duties of the man-
ager are a summation of all powers usually granted to the heads
of departments, boards, or units of government over whom he
will have supervision and control. Such duties will comprehend :
a. Supervision of departmental administration.
b. The execution of laws and ordinances.
c. Recommendation of legislative measures.
d. Appointment of officers and employes, subject to the
provisions of the civil service sections.
e. Preparation of reports.
/. Preparation of the budget.
After lengthy debate relative to the merits of leaving the
creation of departments and the distribution of their powers
to the legislative body of the city, such plan was adversely de-
cided upon. The departmental organization of the city conse-
quently has been specified in the charter, permitting fundamental
duties to be assigned to the more important departmental heads.
A reservation is made, however, by which the commission may
create additional departments, and may discontinue or distribute
their functions. The charter organization of the cit)', excepting
140 CITY MANAGER PLAN
schools and the courts controlled by general state law, is prac-
tically as follows :
I. The Commission (subject to initiative, referendum, recall
and protest).
A. City service board.
B. City Manager.
1. Department of law.
2. Department of public service, comprising the con-
struction and maintenance of streets, sidewalks
and sewers ; collection and disposal of waste ;
and management of public utilities.
3. Department of safety, comprising the divisions of
fire and police ; building inspection ; and the en-
forcement of ordinances relating to weights
and measures.
4. Department of finance, comprising the divisions
of accounting, the treasury, and the purchasing
of supplies.
5. Department of public welfare, comprising the
divisions of health, parks and playgrounds,
charities and correction.
A provision borrowed from Germany, but unique in Ameri-
can practice, recommends the appointment of a city-plan board
by the commission, and provides for such other citizen-boards
to act in an advisory capacity with departmental heads, as the
city manager may deem expedient. No powers are granted these
bodies, except as may hereafter be created by ordinance.
More interesting features of the proposed Dayton charter are
to be found in the administrative clauses which have been incor-
porated — features which have been notably absent in the funda-
mental law of most municipalities. The charter commissioners
were thoroughly imbued with the idea that inefficient govern-
ment is due to badness of methods rather than badness of men ;
and as a proposed remedy have included adequate provisions
governing budgetary and accounting procedure, a purchasing
department, granting of franchises, public improvements and
other subjects differentiated from the organic law of the city.
The appropriation estimates are to be compiled by the city man-
ager from detailed information obtained from the several depart-
ments on uniform blanks. The entire classification of expense
must be as nearly uniform as possible for the main functional
OF GOVERNMENT 141
divisions of all departments, and there must be presented in
parallel columns the following information:
a. A detailed estimate of departmental needs.
b. Expenditures for corresponding items covering the past
two years.
c. Expenditures of the present year including transfers.
d. Supplies on hand.
e. Increases and decreases in requests.
/. Other information required.
g. Recommendations of the city manager.
Provision is made for the publication and public hearings on
the budget estimate before it can be enacted into law, and an
additional proviso that the appropriation shall never exceed the
estimated income.
In connection with these budgetary sections there is an orig-
inal clause which will obviate a common difficulty met in munic-
ipal finance — the presence of more than ample money to the
credit of certain funds, while legitimate charges and pay-rolls
against other appropriations go unliquidated because of tempo-
rary financial stringency. It is provided in the Dayton charter
that
all moneys actually in the treasury to the credit of the fund from which
they are to be drawn, and moneys . . . anticipated to come into the treas-
ury . . . shall be considered in the treasury to the credit of the appropriate
fund.
The accounting provisions were arrived at after a lengthy
consideration of best municipal accounting practices including
New York and Cincinnati procedures, as well as the code in-
process of preparation for New Jersey. Difficulty was met, not
in determining what systems should be provided, but in reduc-
ing the outline of the procedure to fundamentals, and within the
limits of a brief charter. Two sections found in the proposed
Cleveland charter were finally incorporated, and which require
that
accounting procedures shall be devised and maintained for the city adequate
to record in detail all transactions affecting the acquisition, custodianship
and disposition of values.
A corollary clause, but the one upon which the above depends
for its interpretation, reads in part as follows :
the commission shall cause a continuous audit to be made . . . such state-
ments shall include a general balance sheet, exhibiting the assets and
142
CITY MANAGER PLAN
liabilities of the city supported by departmental schedules, and schedules
for each utility publicly owned or operated; summaries of income and
expenditure supported by detailed schedules; and also comparisons . . .
with the last previous year.
jE-p-iHTriENr Ai,
O-VCG^ N IZ ATJD M
0-H6A Ml-Z, AT I OH OF /In 4>ie-r?iCflw Bi^SiNE^i C0'RFOT?AT/aN
A strict accounting interpretation of the terms "income and
expenditure" will place the city accounting upon a liability basis
rather than the usual cash receipts and disbursements basis,
upon which most cities operate. Immediately following the in-
auguration of the new commission it is expected that ordinances,
now in preparation, detailing the departmental procedure neces-
sary under the foregoing clauses will be passed. Such ordinances
will specify the ledgers and records to be installed, the method
of central control, character of operation reports, unit cost rec-
ords — in brief will be the basis of an accounting manual for the
municipality.
OF GOVERNMENT
143
VOTERS OFDAYTON
In CT I ATI VE-FefeREnouM
Law
ii-i-icirY, Unip-ication or Powers, C entr ALiz.E.n Aor^iNisTH a n oN, the R(imc,ipleS
Of Business Oh s- a n iz. /vTiom Attliexi to City Qoverni-ient
■DAyTOM.OHIO "PoTOl-A-riol-J I 2. Sj O
Dovetailed to these provisions for financial accounting are
regulations for proper pay-roll control. It is provided that the
"head of each department . . . shall require proper time re-
ports for all services rendered ... to serve as a basis for the
preparation of pay-roll vouchers," and by which each depart-
mental head must submit "current financial and operating state-
ments exhibiting the transactions (of his department) and the
cost thereof." In this manner it is believed that adequate funda-
mental provision has been made for budget making, general
finance accounts, costs accounts and operative records.
Revenue systems and forms of taxation are prescribed by
general state law, not subject to charter modification. However,
complete detail has been provided for the financing of public
improvements, too lengthy to be discussed in a brief article.
Public utility franchises may be granted, subject to referen-
dum, but no franchises shall be exclusive, and each shall state
the terms under which the property may be assumed by the city;
10
144
CITY MANAGER PLAN
OF GOVERNMENT 145
or the municipality reserves the right to condemn public utility
property.
So brief was the time allowed for the preparation of the
Dayton charter, that in many respects the document has a
"scissors and paste" character; however, there are numerous fea-
tures which were given painstaking thought and care — notably
the plan of organization and the financial sections. No formal
survey of the local government was made, yet the commissioners
were familiar with the shortcomings of most of the city de-
partments — the absolute lack of modern accounting system,
the absence of efficiency, cost and operating records, the need of
budgetary procedure, the weakness of the health service, the
partisan and ineffective character of the merit system — sufficiently
familiar with these problems to mould a procedure and adopt a
program commensurate with the needs of the community. The
experience of Dayton will be a distinct contribution to the sci-
ence of politics.
AMARILLO, TEXAS'
Last year we were fighting over an ordinance and a lot of
other new legislation and we didn't get to do anything during the
first year, except answer kicks and defend ourselves. This year
we have been in position to plan work and do it. Our town is
of a very level nature, with no drainage at all. If we get six
inches fall to the block we are doing very well ; ordinarily we
get two. We have no storm sewer, but we have plenty of ground
to put one in with nowhere to empty it, without going to very
great expense. We have been working out a system for drain-
ing the town.
Our pure food ordinance was put through last year in about
eight months. This ordinance requires an inspection and score
of all places where food products are sold — dairies, grocery
stores, meat markets, confectioneries, drug stores. All persons
handling these things are required to procure a health certificate
once a year. The health officer is charged with the duty of look-
ing after these places. In the dairy division they have the tuber-
culine test. Our people very strenuously objected to it. There
^ By M. H. Hardin, City Manager. Speech before the City Managers'
Association, November 15-17, 1915.
146 CITY MANAGER PLAN
was a charge made of one dollar a head for testing the cattle,
but we didn't get the money. The veterinary got that and they
objected. I tried to get the city to take that over and hire a
veterinary to do the testing but the city attorney ruled that we
could do that for any dairies that were within the city limits,
but not for those outside. Last year out of 996 cows furnishing
the city of Amarillo with milk and butter we found 32 reactors.
This year out of something over 1,100, we have found seven so
far, and we have made a ruling that where the herd tests out
clear this year, that they may go two years, provided that they
take nothing into that herd except what is tested and that we
are notified of all changes in the herd.
We were paying $2,300 for sprinkling ten blocks of paving.
This year we are doing our own sprinkling at a cost the first
year of $1,987. $621 of this first year's expense was the cost of
the sprinkler and team. We have built a city barn with thirty
stalls. The main part of the barn is ninety feet long and thirty-
six feet wide. That houses our thirty head of stock and takes
care of our feed. We raise our own feed.
And another thing that we have accomplished was to abolish
a twenty year street lighting contract that was costing us $120
a year for 265 candle power arc light and $27.50 a year for a
sixty candle power carbon filament; in other words, a red hot
hairpin in a bottle. In lieu of that we procured a five year con-
tract whereby we got a 250 candle power gas-filled light for
sixty dollars a year and we raised our sixty candle powers to
eighty and reduced the price from $27.50 to $25.
HOW ONE CITY MANAGER SUCCEEDED^
Little old Beaufort is in the "southiest" part of South Caro-
lina. It has gained more than state-wide reputation for four
things; its history, its climate, its trucking industries and its
political fights. The city manager plan was adopted by a small
margin of votes in February, 1915, after a bitter campaign.
Three of the city's ablest business men were elected as mayor
and councilmen to form the new commission, but the 23-year-old
manager nearly wrecked the ship in the launching by siding in
with one of the old political factions and attempting to ride
roughshod over the heads of his employers. His dismissal led
* From the Short Ballot Bulletin. August, 1916.
OF GOVERNMENT 147
to recall proceedings against two of the three commissioners
and the fight was on.
The only "neutral" in town was Harrison Gray Otis, the new
citj' manager. He has stayed neutral ever since. The recall
failed and Otis has replaced factional favoritism and political
expediency with business efficiency. He is a Michigan man,
trained in municipal administration under the New York Bureau
of Municipal Research and the Graduate School of the Univer-
sity of Michigan. Otis takes his profession seriously. He spent
over a year studying the methods of city managers, visiting
Daj'ton and Springfield, Ohio, Jackson and Cadillac, Michigan,
and St. Augustine, Florida. He is the only white man in Beau-
fort who is not a Democrat. He is strictly independent.
The first year under the management of Mr. Otis ended
August 16. During the year every ordinance passed has been
upon his recommendation and there has not been a dissenting
vote. Every suggestion made to the commission by the manager
has been accepted. Not once has the cry of "politics" been
raised. And Beaufort has been converted into a little Dayton.
The annual report just published is written in snappy style
so the the citizens will read and understand. It sums up 34 defi-
nite achievements of which any city may be proud. A large
floating debt was wiped out and the year closed with a surplus.
This in the face of heavy loss of revenues due to state-wide
prohibition.
Modern accounting and a scientific budget system have been
installed.
A tax map, showing every lot and building in town, resulted
in putting several hundred acres of city real estate on the tax
books that had been escaping taxation. Many back taxes have
been collected without a protest.
Lawns, gardens and tennis courts have replaced dump heaps.
City purchasing has been put on a competitive basis and
accounts paid promptly with a great saving in prices.
"Clean-up Week" is just past and nearly 2,000 cartloads of
garbage and trash removed from private premises by city carts
without charge.
Mosquitoes and flies have been fought with oil can, drainage
and the strong arm of the law.
Building inspection to lessen fire loss has been enforced by
stringent ordinance.
148 CITY MANAGER PLAN
A scientific sinking fund schedule has cut down the annual
deposits 60 per cent and saved the former overcharge to the
taxpayers.
These are some of the things the city-manager plan has
brought to Beaufort. Strangers call it the cleanest town in the
state. It is clean, physically and politically.
FIRST ANNUAL REPORT OF THE CITY COUN-
CIL AND CITY MANAGER TO THE CITIZENS
OF BEAUFORT, SOUTH CAROLINA'
The first year under the commissioner-manager plan ended
April 30, 1916. It has been a period devoted largely to "pre-
paredness," to adjusting the various parts of the new adminis-
trative machinery so as to secure the mutual understanding and
co-operation essential to business success. The close of the year
finds the entire city government pulling together and unified in
its purpose of treating all citizens with equal fairness and giving
the tax-payer the most for his money. Every ordinance passed
has received the unanimous vote of the council. Many serious
problems have arisen. Some have been solved; some are still
unsettled and their solution awaits the coming year. The founda-
tion now laid presages twelve months of progress for 1916.
Government Reorganised. — A simple business organization
has replaced the old plan of council committees and unrelated
departments. This rearrangement has been gradual and the
change brought about without interference with routine work.
The city government of Beaufort is in accord with the model
charter adopted by the National Municipal League.
City Hall Equipped. — A city hall has been secured by re-
modelling the building formerly used as engine house. Four
rooms have been partitioned off and furnished. One serves the
combined purpose of central office and council room ; a second
is used as supply room for the water and light division, while the
others are turned over, rent-free, to the government demonstra-
tion agents to further the agricultural interests of the community.
The Chamber of Commerce is permitted free use of the council
1 Harrison G. Otis, City Manager,
OF GOVERNMENT 149
room for its meetings. The work of equipping the offices was
done largely by prisoners at practically no expense.
Budget System Introduced. — A complete modern budget sys-
tem, following the Dayton classification, has been introduced,
mapping out the year's work in advance. The budget for the
coming year forms a part of this report. Such a system makes
deficits practically iinpossihle.
Modern Municipal Accounting System.- — A complete modern
accounting system, comparable to any in the country, has been
installed at no expense. It is so simple as to require but little
bookkeeping, yet so complete that it furnishes any desired infor-
mation at a glance.
Deficit Turned to Surplus. — When the new government took
up the reins May ist, 1915, it faced a deficit in the current ac-
counts of over $3,350; $2,600 in the general city funds and the
balance in the water and light division, due for equipment. The
revenues for the combined departments have been $1,737 l^^^
than in 191 4, permanent improvements costing over $1,200 have
been paid for, and the first of May, 1916, finds a combined cur-
rent surplus of some $700.
Tax Collection Enforced. — For the first time in years the pro-
visions of the tax ordinance relative to penalties was enforced.
Penalties were exacted of 70 taxpayers; 23 collections were made
by executions and two pieces of property sold at auction by the
chief of police. In addition to this collection of current taxes,
over $3,000 of alleged delinquent taxes were collected by the
treasurer and the ex-city manager. These taxes were paid under
protest and suits for recovery are still in the courts. The funds
so collected have not been counted as revenue as they are held
in a special reserve fund pending the outcome of the suits.
Tax Map Survey. — During the latter part of the fiscal year, a
complete survey of the city has been made for the purpose of
drafting a map which will be used as the basis for the new tax
system. Over 400 acres of city real estate escaped taxation in
1915 by being omitted from the tax books, due to the lack of
a proper map.
License Revenue increased zvitbout raising Fees. — The amount
of revenue realized from trade and professional licenses ex-
ceeded the average of the three preceding years by approximately
$500. No fees were raised except on merchants carrying over
$10,000 worth of stock. A few new licenses were added, includ-
150 CITY MANAGER PLAN
ing the railroad and insurance companies, the latter being based
on the collections made.
"Streef Tax Introduced. To equalize the burden of taxation
and help cover the loss of the dispensary profits, an ordinance
requiring street duty of four days or a commutation tax of
$2.50 of all male residents of proper age and qualifications was
passed. The cash revenue received and the work done has
proved the plan a sucess.
Scientific Sinking Fund Schedule. — A sinking fund schedule,
for the liquidation of city bonds, has been worked out, showing
the exact condition of the sinking fund at any moment from the
present until the maturity of the bonds in 1930. This schedule
shows that if funds continue to earn 4 per cent compounded
quarterly, the entire issue can be redeemed at the earliest matur-
ity date by making an annual deposit of but $1,250. Following
the former plan of 6^ mills tax, the city put nearly $3,000 in
the sinking fund for the preceding year. A continuance of the
old plan would have piled up over $80,000 of the taxpayers'
money to pay $43,000 worth of bonds.
Competitive Bids for Supplies. — Most city supplies are pur-
chased through competitive bidding. Prices have been cut and
patronage given to those deserving it. Incidentally the price of
crushed oyster shell, for use on the roads, has been reduced
from $2.00 to $1.25 per ton by buying in quantities.
Free Water and Light Service as Dividend to City. — Begin-
ning January i, 1916, the city discontinued paying the water and
light division for its services. The value of this service is in
excess of $2,400 a year and as the duplicate plant has been paid
for, this amount will be declared a monthly dividend in the way
of free service. This is equivalent to a $2,400 increase of revenue
to the general city funds.
The water and light plant has produced a good dividend on
the investment as will be seen in the financial statement. Many
new customers have been added. Expenses have been cut by
combining the office with that of the other departments, eliminat-
ing rent and clerk hire. The profits have been sufficient to pay off
all outstanding indebtedness for the duplicate plant installed, to
extend the pole line at a cost of over $1,200, to give four months
free service to the city valued at $800, and to leave a snug sur-
plus with which to start the new year. Frequent chemical tests
by the state board of health prove our water to be of superior
OF GOVERNMENT
iSi
quality and free from all injurious substances. The depot road
has been equipped with street lights.
Liquor Laws Rigidly Enforced. — Backed by the Mayor and
Council, the police have waged a vigorous campaign against vio-
lators of the liquor laws with the result that several convictions
have been secured.
Collection of Garbage and Waste. — The city affords free
service in collecting all garbage and waste. While this service
has been performed heretofore, a more careful attention to
•
Citizens of beauforx.sc. ,
Lit. WolfS
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L.TT1.6 C.tY of 3.S-00 »e:4U«-o>!T,S a
schedule has increased its value and complaints are very infre-
quent. Throughout the year city gardeners have been employed
to attend to the cutting of grass and repair of sidewalks. Even
the raking of leaves has become a city duty.
Sanitation Increased. — Health measures have been passed by
the Council and enforced by the Board of Health and police,
greatly reducing the number of mosquitoes and flies. These meas-
ures include the oiling of all stagnant waters, the cutting of
weeds and proper care of garbage. Disinfectants are distributed
free to applicants and a large quantity kept on hand at all times
to forestall emergencies. Beaufort, from the physician's stand-
point, is "distressingly" healthful.
152 CITY MANAGER PLAN
Publicity of City Affairs. — An effort has been made to keep
the citizens in touch with the conduct of their government. A
column, dedicated to city affairs, has been maintained in the local
papers and acknowledgment is hereby made to the Beaufort
Gazette and Beaufort County Leader for the courtesies extended.
Handbills and posters have explained new ordinances. The pub-
lic is always invited to attend the sessions of the City Council.
CADILLAC, MICHIGAN'
Cadillac is a city of about ten thousand people located in
northern Michigan about one hundred miles north of Grand
Rapids. Let me say further that the Cadillac automobile is not
made in Cadillac City. However, we are now about to make a
Cadillac motor truck. We are situated in that part of Michigan
which, just a few years age, boasted of inexhaustible timber re-
sources. We are surrounded on three sides by stumps and on the
fourth side we rest on the shore of Lake Cadillac, a little lake
about six miles in circumference.
Our charter there was placed in operation on April i, 1914.
The reason for the adoption of the city manager plan of gov-
ernment was not because Cadillac was perhaps any worse than
the majority of our cities, but the people merely desired to get
one dollar's worth for every dollar expended. They wished to
get away from the regular annual city election and the attendant
regular annual mud slinging. They also felt that by centralizing
the administrative functions of government, they would be able to
eliminate a great deal of lost energy in their municipal enter-
prises. Last year our total money, expended for school purposes,
amounted to $62,000, for all other municipal purposes about
$78,000, that is — in 1914. A comparison of our expenditures in
1914, as against the expenditures of a like period in 1913, shows
an actual saving of $7,000, in running expenses of the city.
This saving was not effected by curtailing any of the efforts of
the city; on the other hand, the work was better done and the
personnel of the department was improved over what it had
previously been. The economy in expenses is not all apparent
^ By O. E. Carr, City Manager. Speech before the City Managers' As-
sociation, November 15-17, 1915.
OF GOVERNMENT 153
when I say seven thousand dollars was saved. We have spent
over two thousand dollars in correcting mistakes made by former
administrations, simply on account of the lack of good construc-
tion methods. For illustration, three years ago a trunk sewer
was built there, fifteen inches in diameter. This sewer was laid
considerably below the ground water level, and was constructed
so poorly that last spring, that is, in 1914, we were unable to
pass a two inch rod through it. The sewer was completely filled
up, by the infiltration of quicksand in which it was laid. In relay-
ing the section which it has been necessary to reconstruct, it was
found that in a section two hundred feet in length, four addi-
tional lengths of 24 inch tile were required. That is the best
illustration that can be given to show the way in which it was
loosely put together. In 1915, we had what was considered a
very ambitious program for improvements, including the grading
of two and a half miles of streets, the laying of one mile of
sewer, the laying of three miles of curbs and gutters, the laying
of one mile of sidewalks and one block of brick paving. All tlTis
work has now been completed. It has all been done by the city
forces with very few exceptions — that is, been done by day labor.
It is not possible to say what our saving in 1915 has been as
compared to previous j^ears. The figures are not ready except
in the detail of the laying of this concrete work, curb and gutter
and sidewalk. Early in the spring we purchased a concrete
mixer. We also purchased some steel forms for sidewalk, curb
and gutter. By comparison with the contract prices prevailing
in 1914, under which this same kind of work was done, we have
saved in this item alone, something over three thousand dollars
to the people of the city of Cadillac.
Now, I have outlined the work done during the past year in
the city by the revenue or as outlined in the city budget. The
work as shown in the city of Cadillac this last year does not stop
there. There have been constructed something over two and a
half miles of sixteen foot concrete road, reaching nearly one half
the way around our drive around Lake Cadillac. This has been
made possible by the generous contributions of our public
spirited citienzs. We have also this last year established the first
city play ground, the money for this being also donated by one
of our wealthy citizens. We have also installed a single unit
boulevard lighting system in our business section. The money
for this purpose was also entirely donated by our business men.
154 CITY MANAGER PLAN
The work as done this last year is probably more than has
been done in this city in the past five years. As far as the work
done by money contributed by our wealthy citizens is concerned,
there has been more work this past year than has ever been done
in the city previously. In conclusion allow me to put the matter
as one of the largest contributors stated it to me. This gentle-
man told me that the reason why the wealthy men of the city of
Cadillac were willing to give of their wealth for public improve-
ments in the generous manner in which they had done this year,
was because they saw that they were able to receive practically
one dollar in value for every dollar given in this way.
CITY MANAGERS' REPORT FOR 1916^
The annual report of City Manager T. V. Stephens, pre-
sented to the city commission and acepted by the body Wednes-
day night, is a history of Cadillac's city affairs during 1916.
The report is as follows :
A large amount of new improvements have been accomplished
during the past year, among which are the following :
One mile of six-foot sidewalk.
Two and a quarter miles of curbs and gutters.
Two and a half miles of 16-foot concrete road.
Eighteen hundred feet of sanitary sewer.
Twenty-eight hundred feet of storm sewer.
Twelve thousand square yards of new macadam.
Twenty-seven hundred square yards of brick pavement.
And a forty-five foot reinforced concrete dam.
Other than new construction work, much was done in the
way of repairs to streets, alleys, sidewalks and sewers. Over
10,000 square yards of macadam streets were resurfaced with
crushed stone and gravel. About 45,000 square yards of maca-
dam streets were treated with Tarvia "B" with very successful
results. This was done with the pressure distributor purchased
jointly by the city and Wexford county. The street surfaces
were treated with about one-third of a gallon per square yard,
the total cost being less than two and one-half cents per square
yard. More should be applied during the coming season in order
* From The Cadillac Evening News, February 23, i9i7.
OF GOVERNMENT 155
that our macadam streets may be kept in good condition at the
least cost of maintenance. About three hundred feet of storm
sewer were relaid, and several hundred feet were cleaned and
repaired.
The year's supply of cement and brick was contracted for
when the market prices were at the minimum. Manhole and
catch basin castings were purchased this year for 20 per cent
less than was paid in previous years, notwithstanding a 15 per
cent increase in labor and materials.
A contract for street lighting has been awarded for five years
resulting in a saving of over $1,240 as compared with the cost
for the past five years.
A contract has been made for furnishing electric current for
the sewage pumping station under a different rating thereby
saving the city over $250 per year for electric power.
A re-design of the Cobbtown trunk sewer was made by the
City Manager, representing a saving of $3,500 in construction
besides the great inconvenience caused by having to tear up
4,000 square yards of bitulithic pavement on Mitchell street.
The advisability of doing municipal work by day labor can be
questioned by none. A typical example of the saving resulting
from the employment of day labor under direct municipal super-
vision was the brick paving on Lake street for which bids were
received and rejected, the work being completed by the city with
a saving of 46 per cent for labor only.
Previous to the adoption of the commission-manager form of
government, no interest was realized from the banks on city
deposits. During the past year, over $900 in interest have been
credited to the contingent fund for the use of city's money.
An interesting feature of the reports for the past few years
is the balance of cash on hand at the end of each year. On
January ist, 1915, the treasurer's report showed a balance on
hand of $41.51; January ist, 1916, a balance of $9,830.62; Janu-
ary 1st, 1917 a balance of $17,899.48 in addition to $10,000 re-
ceived from the sale of bonds.
Although the labor situation was somewhat critical last sea-
son, the progress of the work under the program outlined was
not seriously impeded at any time. The bulk of our year's work
was completed at an early date and general satisfaction has
156 CITY MANAGER PLAN
voluntarily been expressed by our employers — the citizens. The
dividends of a municipal corporation are realized in an effective
and efficient public service, and it is with genuine pleasure that
we close such a successful year and recount the many improve-
ments and savings of the past season.
To the commissioners, are due the thanks of cooperation and
assistance, without which these conditions would have been im-
possible. Attention should also be called to the services of the
city employees, whose interest, good will and hard work have
contributed much to the success of the year's accomplishments.
CLARINDA, IOWA'
Clarinda, Iowa,
October 20th, 1916
To Whom It May Concern : —
Each mail brings many inquiries to this city requesting infor-
mation in regard to city manager form of government, which
has been in operation in this city since April 1913. The business
men, officers of the Commercial Club and City Manager find
it impossible to reply to all of these with a personal letter. At
the request of many who have received such inquiries I have,
in the following, made an effort to set out some of the advan-
tages found in the city manager plan of government over the
old system, in the hope that it will be of some value to those
seeking such information. Clarinda was the third city in the
United States to adopt such a plan. In April, 1913, the Mayor
and Council were elected with the understanding they would
adopt the city manager plan. At that time, the Iowa law did not
provide for the appointment of a city manager, and the Council
passed an ordinance creating the office. At the next session of
the State Legislature, in January, 1915, a law was enacted con-
taining the same provisions that were in the original Clarinda
ordinance. This law is found in Section 6791a Supplementary
Supplement of the Code of Iowa of 1915.
The city manager plan of government is just a plain busi-
ness proposition. If five or six men were the owners of your
city and they were required to conduct its affairs, they would
* By T. A, Wilson, City Manager, Clarinda, Iowa.
OF GOVERNMENT IS7
undoubtedly adopt a plan following in the direction of large
corporations and employ a manager to look after the details of
the business, and especially is this true if they had other private
interests to take up their time, as the ordinary councilmen have.
The plan is not a one man power proposition, as some of the
uninformed believe it to be. The Alayor and Council make the
laws and plan the improvements and direct the City Manager
to carry out the details of those plans, and see to the enforce-
ment of the ordinances and laws. If he fails to properly dis-
charge his duties and manage the affairs turned over to him, in
an economical manner, he is liable to discharge the same as any
executive of a private corporation.
It is found much more convenient and satisfactory to trans-
act business, filing requests and objections, with one man in
authority who is always on the job and may be reached within
five minutes at any time, rather than search out some council-
man, who may, or may not be, on the proper committee to con-
sider the matter before presenting it at the next meeting of the
Council for their consideration, subjecting the matter thereby to
a further delay incident to securing action through their instruc-
tions to the proper committee. In addition to the speeding up of
action, in every instance, the installing of sj'stem in every de-
partment, more especially that of accounting, affords an absolute
knowledge in every detail of the city and its affairs by the City
Manager, enabling him to conserve its resources in ways and at
times where it w-ould not be done by the Council committees ;
not only saving money to the tax payers but satisfying them by
prompt and efficient service.
Money is not paid out for bosses or commissioners in every
department. The City Manager superintends all of the work of
the various city departments, employs such help as it needs, and
discharges this help when it is seen that they are not giving
the city full value in time and labor for the pay they receive.
Politics have no place in the scheme and as the manager's job
and future depends essentially upon the results he produces, no
favors are dispensed as has been the regular custom under the
old council system, and campaign favors and promises must be
paid in some other manner than through municipal patronage.
The argument has often been advanced that if a poor man is pro-
cured for manager, the plan will not be a success, and that you
cannot pick up a man every day who will prove a success as city
158 CITY MANAGER PLAN
manager. This is true in the direction of all affairs where the
services of a manager are considered. Our large private corpora-
tions cannot at all times secure competent managers but that
does not necessarily prove that their business is not a good one,
or that their system is wrong.
No one would advance the claim that any large private cor-
poration could turn their business over to a new board of direc-
tors every two or four years, as is the custom in cities under the
old plan of government. In this city, new councilmen have been
elected about every two years. The Water Department was
given over to a committee from that Council who took full
charge of the plant, the value of which is one hundred thousand
dollars. The fact that the Water Committee had never had any
experience along that line, had never been inside of the plant
in their lives, made no difference. What is true in the Water
Department is true in all other departments of the city.
Any city employing a city manager and giving him authority
to manage the affairs of that city, as the board of directors give
the managers of large corporations authority, will find at the close
of the first year's business he has saved the city several times his
salary, and the people will have had better service. The lowest
bid for a storm sewer built here last year was $5,700, all bids
were rejected and the city built the sewer for $4,100, saving
$1,600. Time— six weeks, salary of City Manager $1,700 — twelve
months.
ONE YEAR OF CITY MANAGEMENT IN
DAYTON, OHIO'
In Dayton, Ohio, a city of 130,000 population, an effort has
been made by altering the type of government to remedy some
of the more apparent deficiencies common to municipal admin-
istrations in this country. It is believed that by eliminating par-
tisanship, concentrating responsibility, and providing for per-
manence in the tenure of administrative offices there should be
a decided increase in the efficiency with which public affairs are
conducted. Dayton has not pinned its faith for reform either
* By Lent D. Upson, Director, Bureau of Municipal Research. Re-
printed with additional matter from the Real Estate Magazine of January,
191S.
OF GOVERNMENT 159
upon improved governmental machinery or upon better men, but
has endeavored to combine sensibly these two factors.
Type of government
In the Dayton government the legislative power resides in a
commission of five, elected at large on a non-partisan ticket.
This commission has all the powers which formerly resided in
the city council. Their control of the city budget is in unusual
detail ; they pass improvement ordinances ; they enact police
regulations, which in Dayton as in most cities are concerned
with muzzling dogs and the preventing of "jay walking," and
finally they appoint a city manager or general head of depart-
ments.
All administrative functions are delegated to this city man-
ager, appointed for an indefinite term ; trained for his particular
job; and upon whom is placed the responsibility of securing an
economical and efficient government. He is purely an adminis-
trative ofiicer with administrative functions only.
Frankly, his position is predicated on the assumption that
while every American citizen is capable of governing himself,
not every citizen is capable of being elected to and administer-
ing the office of city engineer, city physician, city attorney, city
bridge builder or city chemist. These positions have nothing
whatever to do with the policies of city government, and if the
public money is to bring a maximum of results, these jobs must
be filled for ability rather than national political belief. The
rights of the public are amply protected through this organiza-
tion. Certainly the voter has little concern in technical details
of how administrative policies are carried out.
Financial results secured
The results which have been secured from this separation of
legislative and administrative powers, and the correlation of de-
partmental efforts have been notable. In the management of
pubhc funds alone new methods have more than justified the
change. Public expenditures have been kept strictly within the
income, instead of an annual deficit of $60,000 a year which pre-
vailed for the six years previous. An accounting system is being
installed equal to that of any private concern in the country, and
which will furnish a complete control over both funds and prop-
erty. Liabilities may not be incurred unless there are funds for
11
i6o CITY MANAGER PLAN
their liquidation, thus absolutely preventing over-drafts. Funds
are appropriated in accordance with a detailed budget classified
by activity of departments and character of expenditure. Sup-
plies and equipment are being standardized, and the purchasing
division is buying from the lowest and best bidder, and not from
friends of the administration.
In place of a record of cash receipts and cash expenditures
suitable to a cross-roads grocery, and which prevails in practi-
cally every municipality, Dayton has made possible a balance
sheet, supported by distinct schedules for each public utility and
industry owned; provided an adequate control over permanent
property, equipment and stores ; and has a definite knowledge
of accounts receivable and of liabilities incurred, so that no rev-
enues may escape collection, nor appropriations and allotments be
overdrawn. Adequate centralized accounting has insured the
payment of several thousand dollars of revenue formerly lost;
made overdrafts impossible ; discovered errors of over two
hundred thousand dollars in sinking fund calculations ; makes
all disbursements by checks ; and controls the cost records in-
stalled over street repairs, street cleaning, garbage and ash
removal, etc.
Purchasing supplies
It is in the purchasing of supplies that the most notable
savings have been made and which will amount to more than
$33,000 on an expenditure of $200,000. A department may not
purchase until its requisition has been approved by the manager,
and the purchasing agent does not order until he is assured by
the accounting division that appropriated funds are available and
have been properly encumbered therefor. Prices are ten per cent
to ninety per cent less than those formerly paid. Bills are dis-
counted at two per cent for payment within ten days after the
first of the month following. Recognizing that prices fluctuate,
larger savings taken at random are: printed matter, $1,000;
cylinder oil, $1,000; coal, $400; meat, $560; fire hose, $1,600, etc.
Public betterments
In public works the handicap of inadequate funds has been
overcome in part by increased efficiency. The extension of ser-
vice has been unusual. Inspection of public contract work has
been completely reorganized and contractors rigidly required to
OF GOVERNMENT i6i
conform to specifications. Street repairs are being made en-
tirely from public revenues with the exception of a balance from
bonds issued in former years ; there is almost double the amount
of street cleaning; streets in the business section are flushed for
the first time in the history of the city; collection of rubbish
and ashes has been resumed after a year of lapse and made effi-
cient, and reasonably adequate garbage collection is to be had
for the first time in ten years. In the division of water every
effort has been made to secure a supply more nearly equal to the
demand. Pumping machinery has been overhauled, leaks investi-
gated, pressure increased, and in the face of increased pumpage
there has been a decrease in the amount of coal burned. A mu-
nicipal garage has been established ; all cars are labeled, their
use placed under control, and record of costs installed.
The mention of public work improvements leads to a discus-
sion of the necessity of a program for the future. In Dayton a
conscientious effort has been made to outline work in many
directions. The water plans which have been recently completed
will cover sixteen years of construction ; a sewer survey costing
$30,000 is under way; a comprehensive study of public waste
disposal has been made ; an investigation of adult delinquency
is being completed, and upon its findings will be based the future
correctional policies of the municipality. The administration
may change, and the present appointed executives make way for
others, but their successors will have a definite plan for public
construction which they must follow or set aside only after con-
sideration. They will not be required to go ahead on guesswork,
or on the plane of only one or two years anticipated duration.
Work for public welfare
Dayton has definitely provided in its charter for a depart-
ment of public welfare which shall direct activities having to do
with the social and moral conditions of the citizen — health,
charities, recreation, corrections, etc. Civic progress through
this department has been extraordinary and the administration
may lean most heavily for support upon the results secured.
The health division was studied and reorganized. In addition
the nursing of the Visiting Nurses Association and of the Tuber-
culosis Society has been brought under city management. This
single control of public nursing has resulted in an infant death
rate from forty per cent to fifty per cent lower than that in
i62 CITY MANAGER PLAN
three years previous. The removal of insanitary conditions ; the
regulation of vacant property ; a more careful inspection of
dairies and places where food products are sold ; the stringent
regulation of quarantine ; and the inspection of school children
who have been exposed to contagion lessened morbidity and has
reduced the death rate by two points in a thousand, the equiva-
lent of some two hundred and fifty lives. This is notable, and
there is nothing of which the administration in Dayton may be
prouder than the fiftj-^-five babies' lives which have been saved.
'The facilities for public recreation have been extended far
beyond those formerly prevailing. A self-supporting public bath-
ing beach has been opened, in connection with which next year
there will be operated a municipal dance hall and restaurant.
Seventy-five families cultivated community gardens last sum-
mer ; there were twenty-two experimental gardens for hundreds
of school children under the supervision of an expert gardener;
and nearly three hundred vacant lots were prepared as gardens.
The number of playgrounds under public supervision has been
doubled, and new equipment secured until there are now thirty-
five play centers for young people.
In the treatment of adult delinquents, new policies are being
tried — the moral effect of clean clothing and plenty of baths has
been combined with outdoor labor which would otherwise have
gone undone. In frequent cases men and women have been placed
on probation and jobs secured for them. A municipal lodging
house has been established where a half day's labor is exacted
for a night's lodging with meals. A free legal aid bureau has
been established for those who are too poor to secure private
counsel. This division at a cost of $625 has handled over seven
hundred applications for services. The city's prosecutor on the
other hand has done commendable work in settling family
quarrels and back fence squabbles without appeal to the law.
Many improvements planned
Other progressive works of this city involve the regular
conference of department heads ; the gradual elimination of
public dumps ; a thorough investigation of the safety department
and pension funds ; the beginning of a school for police and
firemen; the purchase of motor fire apparatus; the establishment
of a municipal garage ; a new building code ; improved city car
service; a civic music league; new traffic regulations; efficient
OF GOVERNMENT 163
inspection of street contracts; the creation of street oiling dis-
tricts and many other worthy innovations — at least to conserv-
ative Dayton.
Costs involved
The tax payer, however, much as he may approve these im-
provements in government, naturally inquires as to the increased
cost. And if economies have been effected, what has been done
with the savings? The operating revenues for the year just
ending were $77,709 more than for the year preceding. With
this sum, plus savings, the following are a part of the additional
services rendered :
Ash and rubbish removal. No service in 1913 ; amount ex-
pended in 1914, $35,000.
Street repair. Increased this expenditure from income in
1914 over 1913, without issuing bonds, by $23,000.
Additional street cleaning. Almost double the 1913 appro-
priation was allowed in 1914 by an increase of $12,500.
Additional health service. Almost double the 1913 appro-
priation was allowed in 1914 by an increase of $15,000.
Parks and Playgrounds. Increased $8,000 in 1914, doubling
the number of playgrounds.
Police Department. Increased $6,700 in 1914 by the addition
of seven policemen and two policewomen.
Continuous audit. None in 1913 ; 1914, $2,000.
Purchasing. None in 1913; 1914, $3,900.
Special garbage investigation. None in 1913; 1914, $2,000.
Free Legal Aid. None in 1913 ; 1914, $625.
Police and fire pensions fund. None taken from income in
1913; 1914, $5,6co.
New Municipal Court. Increased $19,000 in 1914.
It must be remembered that as a result of flood emergency
bonds, the old administration operated certain departments for
several months almost entirely from bond money. Also the
operation of restrictive tax laws in Ohio has reduced municipal
expenditures to a point below that at which adequate govern-
ment may be secured. It is a happy circumstance that the new
government was able to secure a small addition in revenues, and
they have rendered a more than satisfactory account of their
increased stewardship. Lastly, cheapness is no more a criterion
i64 CITY MANAGER PLAN
of good government than it is of good clothes, good tobacco
or of good household necessities.
The government of Dayton is not ideal. Human frailties,
local prejudices, and inadequate funds will always combine to
make that a mark only to be approached. However, applying
any recognized tests, it has already outstripped in results any-
thing yet secured from commission government. Of even greater
value than material progress is the stimulation of citizen's inter-
est which has taken place. A greater degree of accomplishment
is being demanded of public officers than ever before, and it is
possible that in time an efficient citizenship will come to take
the part in government which it is proper and necessary that it
should.
DAYTON, OHIO'
City Commission
Regular meetings. Fifty-two regular meetings of the City
Commission were held during the year. These meetings were
held every Wednesday morning, and being public sessions, citi-
zens in greater or less numbers were nearly always present.
Nineteen special meetings were held and seventy-two confer-
ences were called, for the consideration of problems as occasion
required. Two hundred and ninety-four ordinances were given
consideration during the year, as well as eighty-nine resolutions,
fifty-three of which pertained to public improvements.
Inspection trips. The Commission took fifty-five trips over
the city during the year, thus keeping personally in touch with
all proposed improvements and all construction work under way,
as well as making such other investigations as were found advis-
able.
City Planning Board
The Board was appointed by the City Commission in 1914
to carry out the spirit of the charter, which allows the city to
plan within the area of the city and three miles outside. The
Conservancy Engineers had taken considerable topography which
has been added to, to a considerable extent, by the work that
^ High Spots of accomplishment as shown by excerpts from the annual
report of City Manager, H. M. Waite, for the year 1915. ' (Report pub-
lished by the City Commission June, 19 16. Copies may be secured from
the Bureau of Research, 13 Schwind Bldg., Dayton, Ohio.)
OF GOVERNMENT 165
these data in the hands of the city planning board, all proposed
new platting is turned over to them and passed upon before
adoption by the city. By this means considerable changes have
has been done by the city engineers on the sewer survey. With
been made which will obviate in the future the same unfortunate
dead end streets that we have at the present time.
It is hoped by the City Planning Board that they may event-
ually carry on the topography surveys beyond the city limits, and
submit to the Commission a complete plan for all future annex-
ations and developments.
This Board has been working on general boulevard connec-
tions, park lay-outs, and a civic center. This takes considerable
work and thought, so that the plans of Dayton for one hundred
years from now can be laid out and lived up to as the city can
afford the expense.
Civil Service Board
Uniform salaries for uniform work. All positions having
similar duties in the city government should have the same rate
of compensation, and this salary should be an adequate one,
based upon the importance, difficulty, responsibility and value of
the work. To-day unsatisfactory and unequal conditions exist
in numerous instances.
In order to standardize positions and salaries, by describing
the duties of all positions and determining what salaries each
should receive, the Board made a systematic and thoro investi-
gation of compensation paid by other municipalities and by local
concerns having analogous positions. When these facts, as well
as other considerations, are applied to Dayton, recommendations
will be presented to the City Commission.
Efficiency records kept. Daily efficiency records are kept of
employes in every city department, and a monthly report is sub-
mitted by the department head to the Civil Service Board. These
efficiency records are based upon the quality and quantity of
work, discipline, attendance, initiative and the ability of the
individual in his relations with the public. These records are of
value in securing the best service from the individual and are
one of the factors in determining promotion. During the year
14 efficiency examinations were given to 521 persons. The Board
compiles efficiency records for the year for every department
and each employe is notified of his annual record.
i66 CITY MANAGER PLAN
Office of the City Manager
City Manager the main spring. The beginning and the end
of all municipal administrative matters are vested in the City
Manager. In the holding of staff meetings once each week, the
Manager outlines with his five directors all policies ; intricate
questions are decided, grievances are disposed of, and decisive
action in regard to various administrative matters is determined.
This is a co-operative adjunct which facilitates matters and
brings forth results. From eight to eleven o'clock each morning,
the Manager is sought by Departmental Heads to determine
various questions that have come up, and which are solely within
his power to decide. Some of these matters are of great con-
sequence, and upon the Manager's decision hinges the expendi-
ture of thousands of dollars of the public funds. The Manager
attended all meetings of the Commission in 1915, besides holding
a weekly conference with this body each Monday afternoon, and
making a weekly trip with the members of the Commission over
public improvements in the course of construction.
Controlling the public purse. The City Manager is held di-
rectly responsible for all expenditures of money. Besides fixing
the salaries, he prepares all appropriations. In compiling the
annual tax budget and also the annual appropriation budget, the
City Alanager has the biggest job of any one man in the city
government. In 1915, facing a shortage in tax revenues of
$167,000 to meet the needed expenses of the municipality, the
City Manager was confronted with the gravest financial crisis
in the city's career. In 1914 he cut the estimated expenses of
the city $45,000 to keep within the cash income, and in 1915 he
cut the estimate $70,000. This work was done in 191 5 upon the
budget to operate the city for 1916. The fixing of these two
budgets being the most vital operation in the affairs of municipal
government, it naturally consumes great periods of times, study
and forethought. The complexity of the present tax law is such
that the duties devolving upon the City Manager in these in-
stances are most responsible. In detail, down to the merest cent
nothing can be overlooked. When these budgets are compiled,
the adding to an appropriation, or the cutting down of an esti-
mate upon which the appropriations are based, is so vital to the
city's interest, that the City Manager must be fore-armed with
all the necessary data before he can utilize his pencil in the
final shaping of these two budgets.
OF GOVERNMENT 167
Municipal exhibit held. The City co-operated with the
Schools and County in putting on a Municipal Exhibit, under
the auspices of the Bureau of Municipal Research. This ex-
hibit was one of the best of its kind ever given in any city. It
was held at Memorial Hall, October nth, thru the i8th, and
proved a highly educational affair. By means of charts, photo-
graphs and physical displays, the scope and method of operation
of every city department were shown explicitl3^ The show cost
$1,500 and had an attendance of nearly 45,000, including 8,700
school children. The cost was borne by public-spirited citizens.
The open sesame for co)nplaints. Not least among the Man-
ager's troubles are the daily complaints received in his office.
While each of the individual departments must spend a good
deal of time in answering complaints from the public, the bulk
is transmitted thru the office of the City Manager. While the
minor complaints are handled by the secretary in his office, the
larger and more serious are always taken up direct with the
City Manager. The public seems to demand the ear, time and
talents of the City Manager. Over 12,000 people last year talked
with the City Manager on matters ranging from minor com-
plaints to those of serious character. The slogan of the City
Manager is, "Action is the keynote of good government."
The City Manager and the school children. The City Man-
ager has long realized that, if the Commission Manager form
of government is the ideal success it ought to be, the citizenship
of Dayton must understand its government. In the study of
civil government in the public schools, there has been compiled a
history of Dayton which is to be a standard text book in the
Daj'ton public schools in matters of local history. In order to
acquaint the rising generation with the plans, purposes and ideals
and the results to be achieved for the people of Dayton under
the present form of government, however, the City Manager has
taken the position that not onl}- should the adult citizen be edu-
cated, but school children should be thoroly acquainted with all
the essentials of Civic Management. To that end, he has given
quite a few talks during the past j'car before the various grades
in the public schools, and during the year 1916 intends to offer
a cash prize to the school child writing the best essay on the
achievements of the Commission Manager form of government.
Street car re-routing planned. In an effort to provide better
transportation facilities on all car lines thruout the city, the City
i68 CITY MANAGER PLAN
Manager sought from the several companies a re-routing of
their lines and cars. The street car traffic is a big problem in
Dayton, by reason of the existence of franchises to seven dif-
ferent companies, some of which have several lines and divi-
sions. The views of the City Manager are looked upon favorably
by the car companies, which have named a special committee
to work out an entirely new re-routing plan.
Bond issue campaign successful. One of the most significant
events during 1915 was the favorable vote of the people upon
nine bond issues, aggregating $1,053,000 for permanent public
improvements, the benefits of which will affect every section of
the city. The issues were for extensive street and sewer con-
struction, two new fire stations and motorized apparatus, storm
water sewers, improving playgrounds and parks, providing a
new work farm, improving the central market house, and build-
ing a new bridge at Keowee Street.
Why the people were asked to vote these improvements.
The existing tax laws of Ohio require that the annual interest
and sinking fund to retire at maturity the bonds issued by the
Commission must be taken out of revenues coming to the City
out of its share of a I per cent tax on property. All operating
revenue from taxes must also come from this i per cent tax;
therefore, every issue of bonds authorized by the City Com-
mission reduces the amount of money available for operating
the city departments. If the Commission had voted these bonds
without the authority of the people, it would have crippled the
city service to a dangerous degree.
An additional section of the law, however, provides that by a
two-thirds affirmative vote of the people the City Commission
may issue bonds that take the annual interest and sinking fund
requirements from outside the I per cent tax. Therefore, the
people were asked to express themselves upon the matter of
these improvements — the government was carried back to the
people.
Endorsement of the administration. All the newspapers sup-
ported the issues, and all the civic organizations approved and
worked for the issues. The City Manager and other officials
conducted an educational campaign for two months prior to the
election, explaining the necessity of voting for these improve-
ments. The people manifested their endorsement of the admin-
istration's program by passing all nine bond issues by over the
necessary two-thirds majority.
OF GOVERNMENT 169
Department of public service
Eight hour day for labor. The eight hour day for laborers,
introduced by this administration in 1914, was continued this
year and affects this department more than others because of the
large amount of laborers employed. The eight hour law became
effective this year for employes working for contractors on pub-
lic improvements. As a result the cost to the city will be higher.
Planning sewers for future needs. A complete topographical
study of the city was made and an investigation of the condition
of all sanitary and storm water sewers reported. A plat of the
200 miles of sewers and 100 miles of drains was completed, and
over half of the final maps are now available. These maps will
prove of inestimable value in city planning, establishing grades,
laying out plats, and all other activities.
Three new bridge plans completed. Detailed plans and speci-
fications on the Fifth Street, Webster Street and Keowee Street
bridges were prepared, preliminary to advertising for bids for
their construction. The actual work of building these three
structures had to be held up pending decisions on Flood Preven-
tion. Particular attention is being given to making these bridges
of artistic design. The Stewart Street bridge approach was
completed by building a temporary bridge over the Canal, so
that this structure is now open for traffic without transgressing
private property.
Additional street oiling done. Three times as many petitions
for the oiling of streets were received in 1915 as in 1914.
Thirtj'-six miles of streets were oiled as compared with 11 miles
the year before. The contract price for the heavy asphaltic oil
used was reduced from $3.25 in 1914 to $1.95 in 1915. The cost
of this work is paid by special assessment on the abutting prop-
erty.
City markets enlarged. The Wayne Avenue market area in
the rear of the Market House was paved and additional lighting
provided, for the convenience of both the public and those
occupying these spaces. The interior of Central Market House
was renovated and decorated, and a new floor laid, at a cost of
$3,700. The city sealer was given quarters on the ground floor.
By an ordinance passed during the year leases on curb spaces
are now prolonged, resulting in great convenience to both tenants
and patrons. Additional free market space was provided on
170 CITY MANAGER PLAN
Fifth Street. A children's market, for the sale by them of their
own produce, was established on Fourth Street.
Garbage collection increased. The best indication of im-
proved service given in garbage collection is the falling off of
complaints. Additional territory has been covered, while the total
cost of collection has been reduced. A regular service every
week is now given for the entire city, except the downtown hotel
district, where the service is daily. The excellent results given
by this branch of service are shown below :
Year Tons Collected
Cost Per Ton
1912 14,800*
$2.60
1913 14,900*
2.49
1914 12,600*
1.82
1915 15,500
1.60
One-half or more water.
New garbage reduction plan built and operating. A garbage
reduction plant was constructed during the year at a cost of
$59,000. It is located at Whitfield, about 6 miles southwest of
the city, and was placed in operation in December, so that all
of the city's garbage is being reduced. The sales of the by-
products will pay for the operation of the plant, interest on
investment, depreciation, and also leave a substantial profit.
Formerly there had been no return from garbage, as the city
had been burying it, and consequently there was no revenue
whatever in connection with this service.
Ash and rtibbish collection improved. The territory covered
by the collectors has been enlarged and collections are made
every two weeks thruout the entire year, instead of every fourth
week as prevailed during part of 1914. There was no collection
whatever in 1913. Reduced costs are also shown in this service
— an average of 38 cents per cubic yard for 1915 as against 43.8
cents in 1914. "Spring Clean Up Day" was handled by this
bureau, the city being divided into several sections, each having
a definite collection day, and the result being the removal of a
very large amount of rubbish. Reduced costs of conducting this
activity will be possible thru the taking over of many horses
from the division of fire, due to motorization. • Fourteen ash
wagons each of 5 cubic yards capacity were also purchased.
This Bureau now has 31 head of horses.
Additional ivater works supply. Much was done to remedy
OF GOVERNMENT 171
the inadequate water service previously existing thruout the
cit>'. All the vi^ork done and planned gave due regard to a gen-
eral plan of development adequate to take care of the future
growth of the city, and all the important work received the ap-
proval of the National Board of Fire Underwriters. Tate's Hill
Station was completed early in the year, affording an additional
supply of 10,000,000 gallons per day. Owing to the wet season it
was but little called upon, but its value is inestimable in case of
a big fire or a dry season.
Mileage of water mains extended. Twenty miles of water
mains were laid in the first 8 months of the year. For the past
10 years Da^ion has suffered from a serious shortage of water
during the dry season. Its supply of water for even domestic
purposes was wholly inadequate. Some sections of the city, as
Dayton View and Edgemont, were unable to get water at all on
some days or at certain hours of the day. This has now been
overcome entirely, and no section of the city suffers from the
shortage of water. The water works system was begun about
1870, and during the 45 years of its life about 200 miles of pipe
were laid until 1915, when in this one year the mileage was
increased 10 per cent.
Examples of big savings. An immense main was laid across
the river just above the Dayton View Bridge, to increase the
water supply in Dayton View. This main was finished in Sep-
tember, despite many delays due to frequent rains and conse-
quent rises of the river, and when finally completed the direct
cost was about 18 per cent lower than the only bid received
from contractors for the work. The 24-inch main laid under the
river just above the Fifth Street bridge, to give additional water
to Edgemont, was connected up in March. The entire cost of
this extension was $3,500, while the lowest bid received from
contractors was $8,000.
Water service planned for future growth. Comprehensive
plans have been prepared, calling for improvements in the source
of supply and in the distributing mains, in order to care ade-
quately for the population of the city when it has grown to more
than 200,000. Every piece of construction work in the Division
of Water is done in accordance with this plan, and the best
engineering experts in the country on the subject of water sj'S-
tems are consulted on it before the work is started.
172 CITY MANAGER PLAN
Department of public welfare
Prisoners given profitable employment. A probation system,
entirely new in the history of workhouse administration, was
established in April, 191S, whereby prisoners are secured work
in shops at regular wages. Their earnings are used to support
their families, pay off debts, purchase clothing, etc. No liberty,
other than the privilege of working outside of the workhouse,
is allowed. Thirty-six men were put on probation under this
plan, and only three violated the confidence. Four homes were
rehabilitated. The total earning of these men was $2,025.70 in
eight months.
Vagrancy reduced in the city. The problem of vagrancy
was solved by requiring lodgers in the municipal lodging house
to bathe and do one-half day's work. During 22 nights in
December, 1915, with bath and work made cumpulsory, 424 men
were housed ; during 22 nights in December, 1914, without re-
quiring bath and work, 1,220 men were housed. All lodgers with
a written agreement from employers to provide them with work,
or who presented time checks, were not required to work one-
half day, but were given lodgings two nights or until earnings
were received. Seven resident and six non-resident lodgers thus
secured work in the city the second or third day.
Free legal service to the needy. Legal advice and assistance
was given in 1915 to 863 people who were deserving but could
not ^fford to pay for it. This service cost the city $1,222, an
average of $1.41 per case. Much money was saved the applicants
for aid as well as the collection of $670 being effected by the
office for those who could not make the settlement for them-
selves.
Recreation work extended. The work done by the city to
afford recreational privileges to the public was more extensive
than ever before. At Bomberger Park there were conducted
199 classes for men and boys, and 213 classes for girls and
women ; the hall was opened for dances thruout the entire sea-
son ; 13 lectures and entertainments were given ; and a basket
ball league played 150 games. The total attendance at this park
was 60,330.
Playgrounds. Eighteen playgrounds were operated for ten
weeks under the supervision of the Division of' Recreation.
Thirteen of these were financed by the Playgrounds and Gar-
OF GOVERNMENT 173
dens Association, and the rest by public funds. Supervisors of
these playgrounds were selected by examination, taken after a
course of lectures in the work.
Play festival. For the first time in the history of Dayton a
magnificent play festival marked the close of the season. Four-
teen playgrounds were represented by 328 children, the children
being in the costume of some particular nation, and the festival
representing the folk games and folk dances of fourteen nations.
ADiericanisation Day. On July Fourth, Americanization Day
was held, the Mayor presiding, when formal welcome was
given to 134 lately naturalized foreign born citizens of Dayton.
Addresses were made in several languages, and a fitting pro-
gram carried out.
Decreasing death rate. A fair measure of the effective ser-
vice being given the city by this department is indicated in the
death rate :
1913 157 per thousand population
1914 13.7 per thousand population
1915 13.007 per thousand population
Saving babies' lives. A continuous campaign to save the
lives of babies in Dayton, thru education of the mother in mat-
ters of feeding, dressing and caring for them, has resulted in a
lowering of the rate of infant mortality from 95.8 per thousand
in 1914 to 88.8 in 1915. This low rate is equalled by few, if any,
cities in America.
Extensive medical and nursing service. The five district
physicians reached 1,601 patients; conducted 161 clinics; re-
sponded to police and emergency calls; treated city prisoners;
and made 838 school inspections for a total of 180,062 pupils.
Four nurses employed bj' the city, and eight from private funds,
co-operated with the Division of Health in making 48,000 calls
during the year. These were public nursing, instructional, pre-
natal, quarantine, tuberculosis and school absentee calls. The
City Laboratory made the necessary analysis and tests, diph-
theria cultures and other examinations in connection with this
general health work and the prevention of the spread of disease.
Department of law
Investigation of gas question. The contract for gas street
lighting was taken to the Supreme Court, which determined that
174 CITY MANAGER PLAN
the contract let several years ago was invalid, and a temporary
arrangement was made with the gas company until the natural
gas rate could be adjusted. The negotiations with the gas com-
pany relative to the rate for natural gas have taken much time,
and resulted in an appeal to the Ohio Utilities Commission.
Ohio tax laws require close study. Difficulties with pur-
chasers of bonds of the city, due to objections of their attorneys
to Daj^on bonds because of tax limitations, called for an exten-
sive study of this subject, and the adoption of the plan of sub-
mitting bond requirements to the vote of the people. The action
of the County Budget Commission in reducing the city's portion
of the levy led to a suit in mandamus against the Commission
in the Supreme Court of the State, and resulted in a complete
adjudication upon the powers of the Commission by the Court.
Department of public safety
Educational society formed by policemen and firemen. A
society composed of members of the divisions of police and
fire formed an educational society, incorporating under the State
laws. The objects are to advance the knowledge of the division
members in their work, and to effect a closer co-operation be-
tween them. A Field Day was held at the Fair Grounds, which
netted about $3,000, and this money was expended in sending a
traffic squad to Detroit to study traffic conditions there. A
company of 17 men from both police and fire divisions was sent
on a tour of the large Eastern cities, to study general conditions.
They brought back much valuable information to be applied to
Dayton. A moving picture of the work of the divisions was
also prepared and paid for out of these funds.
Reorganization of the division of police. In order to effect
a more efficient force a reorganization of the entire division
was made on June i, assigning to each member his proper duties
and fixing his authority.
A new and complete system of reporting was introduced and
reports are now kept up-to-date. The principal one is the con-
solidated daily report, which in a concise form shows the entire
activities of division for the day previous. This report goes to
the Director of the department each morning.
Provision was made for the handling of all complaints, which
are now recorded at any time during the twenty-four hours of
the day. The entire time of a clerk is devoted to this service,
OF GOVERNMENT 175
and facilities are provided to give any complaint the necessary
attention at once.
Policewomen. A wide field of corrective work was covered by
the two Policewomen during 1915. Their investigations involved
abnormal domestic relations and girls and children in danger
from immoral conditions; supervision of dance halls and places
of amusement, and complaints against disorderly houses. Spec-
ial attention was given to a strict enforcement of the city's
regulations for dance halls and the character and behavior of
those attending. Also the youngest boys and girls who were
selling papers on the streets were taken off. There were 1,156
cases handled by the Policewomen, 872 representing family
work and 284 probation cases. The large increase in cases of
irregular family conditions emphasizes the need for a Court of
Domestic Relations.
Department of finance
Accounting procedure improved. Progress was made in
arranging for monthly reports from the various divisions, which
are in accord with the central scheme of accounting. Monthly
statements of each of the funds are now prepared ; and the
voucher system of payment was improved to be handled promptly.
Paymaster saves costs in paying wages. Thru having a pay-
master travel around to the various places where labor is work-
ing, instead of employes coming to the Treasurer's offices, savings
of $1,350 were effected.
Gasoline at 9 cents. An instance of anticipating market price
increases is indicated in the year's contract for gasoline at g
cents per gallon, made in August, 1915, and the present market
price is 24 cents.
Centralized purchasing and stores successful. Articles of
every description were purchased thru this office, and 5,236
requisitions from all departments received. Specifications were
prepared on about twenty-five of the largest consumed commodi-
ties — as coal, fire hose, stationery, cement, paint, etc. Thru the
establishment of a central storeroom largely used supplies were
purchased in great quantities, for delivery to the departments
as needed, and large savings made.
Sound financial condition of city. The condition of the Gen-
eral Fund shows a material improvement when compared with
the previous year. On December 31, 1914, the net deficiency in
12
176 CITY MANAGER PLAN
the General Fund amounted to $72,122.02. This deficit was
reduced to $24,925.15 in December 31, 1915. The net bonded
debt of the city was increased from $6,463,775.35 to $6,917,403.55
or a total of $453,628.20. New bonds to the amount of $797,800
were issued during the year, mostly for a Garbage Reduction
Plant, Water Works improvements and for Sewer, Bridge and
other permanent improvements. Bonds to the amount of
$330,300 were redeemed during the year.
GROVE CITY, PENNSYLVANIA'
It is a long jump from Dayton to Grove City, not in distance
but in size. Grove City is a town of about five thousand people,
seventy miles northwest of Pittsburgh in Northwestern Penn-
sylvania. It has always had the name of being a very progressive
little town. Some two years ago Grove City had an epidemic of
typhoid fever, the result of lack of care in the water supply.
Wells had been driven along the creek bank, the casing got out,
and the creek water got in. As a result a committee was ap-
pointed by the council to look up a man for manager. I went
to Grove City on the 15th of April, 1914, and I have not had
very much rest since. The first thing I found was that there
was some opposition, sly opposition working as an undercurrent.
The good people of the town, business men were with us; so
was the Commercial Club.
The Council in adopting this plan passed an ordinance which
they thought was very good, but I found they didn't make it
comprehensive enough. They did not put the books of the secre-
tary of council in my office, so that I can not keep comparisons
as the secretary's records are kept entirely different from my
own. Mine are cost data. I handle all the money, except local
expense, and help expense, which I O. K. but do not have any-
thing to say as to its expenditure.
The first thing I ran up against was a street paving job for
which proceedings had been partly under way. In the first place
one of the workmen they had — the engineer they had hired by
day work — had gotten some $2,100 out of them for services,
mostly for paving and sewer work. They wanted rhe to do the
^ By J. S. Ekey, City Manager. Speech before the City Managers'
Association, November 15-17, 1915.
OF GOVERNMENT 177
work and not give it to a contractor. I wanted them to give the
contract. Finally I compromised and took the short street, some
three thousand yards and gave the longer street of some twelve
thousand yards out to contract, so I had something to compare
with. I finished the job and my curb and concrete curb and
gutter by hand while the contractor did his with machinery. I
beat him only six per cent on it which I considered good con-
sidering the length of my job and the fact I only got organized
on it, you might say. Then we took up the water works trouble
and we spent some thirty thousand dollars in remodeling the
whole system, drilling new wells, moving our pumps, putting up
standpipe and laying new mains. We saved four thousand dol-
lars, including engineering expenses, on that.
We are like some others that have reported here — we have
recently put in a storm sewer of some 1,400 feet, 24 and 20 inch,
and I made an estimate of what that would cost — $2,100, and I
did it for $1,800. We saved $300 in addition to the contractor's
profit which is about 20 per- cent in that country on sewer work.
I have figured up the overhead .charge on the year's business,
practically putting in everything in the office as overhead charge
so as to satisfy them all and I figure that my overhead charge
is about 3 9-10 per cent. One little comparison I had there from
the year previous on the paving work, I found the engineer had
charged them at the rate of 4 9-10 per cent for his services as
engineer on the paving work. I figured 2 4-10 per cent.
HOW THE CITY MANAGER PLAN WORKS IN
HICKORY, NORTH CAROLINA^
Having so many requests for information relative to the
commission manager form of government and how it is working
here, I have gathered the information generally requested in
concrete form, and herewithin present it with the hope that it
will serve a useful purpose in enlightening the public on the
commission manager form of government.
Hickory being one of the first cities in the country to adopt
this form of government, it has had the most experience, and can
give some valuable suggestions and ideas to anyone contempla-
ting this form of government.
1 By S. C. Cornwell, City Manager.
178 CITY MANAGER PLAN
I have been an ardent advocate of the commission form of
government for several years, and have made a special study
of it and am convinced that it is the best and most practical way
to administer the affairs of any city.
We have a Mayor and four aldermen composing the City
Council. The Mayor and two aldermen are elected each year,
the Mayor for one year and each alderman for two years, there-
by keeping two old men on the board at all times.
The City Manager is employed by the Board and holds office
at their pleasure. He is the administrative head of the municipal
government and has charge over all departments.
From the auditor's statement it is apparent that there has
been an actual saving of $4,394.52 the first year and $8,043.63 the
second. In addition to this saving, the city expended nothing for
permanent street improvement the last year under the old sys-
tem, but under the new it spent $7,489.97 the first year and
$7,817.63 the second year. In addition to all this, the city has
given to the graded schools $1,500 more each year under the
new form of government and has not increased the tax rate.
So you see this form of government has saved the city in
actual cost $13,384.49 the first year and $17,361.26 the second year.
We find that under this form of government that collections
are much better than under the old, due to the fact that every-
thing is concentrated under one head.
This saving has not been accomplished by cutting salaries and
buying second grade materials, but by increasing salaries, and
buying the best grade of material. Men have been employed
regardless of politics and paid for what they can do rather than
for service to the party at election time.
This form is absolutely out of politics here, and must be in
order to make it a success. As evidence of this fact, I do not
know the politics of all the members of the City Council. The
subject is never brought up.
Our charter here is a model one. Of course there are some
defects, but taken as a whole, it is one of the best in the country,
and our system of dividing the affairs of the city into several
departments and keeping records of each department is an ex-
cellent one. A complete itemized statement of all receipts and
disbursements in each department is published each month.
For the size (5,000 population) Hickory has a lower bonded
indebtedness and more public improvements than any city I
OF GOVERNMENT 179
know of. We have two and one-half miles of Tarvia Streets,
seven miles of improved sand clay streets, and over eight miles
of granolithic sidewalks. Our bonded indebtedness is only
$146,000.
IOWA FALLS, IOWA
This is a letter received from Mr. Marriage in answer to a
request of Mr. Waite in regard to his accomplishments in the
last year.
Mr. H. M. Waite, City Manager,
Dayton, Ohio.
My Dear Sir: —
Probably one of our best showings has been made in our
water works department.
A year ago today we were pumping on an average about
15 hours per day to supply our water patrons who at that time
were not on water meters, and our quarterly revenue amounted to
about $1,600.
Today we have metered practically all of our consumers, and
are pumping only according to daily reports filed with me by our
engineers, 7J^ hours per day, and our quarterly revenue for the
past two quarters has been over $1,800 each quarter. Which
shows that we have made a big saving at our pumping station
on fuel, water, and labor, and are getting $200 more revenue per
quarter for half as much pumping as a year ago.
By a careful investigation and elimination of useless funds
and levies, and after making a budget of our expenses for next
year, we have cut our city tax levies 9J/2 mills this year, and this
will give us plenty of funds to carry on our work. The levy
last year and prior was 43J/2 mills, this year 34 mills.
Since a year ago, when this plan went into effect we have
drained, graded and gravelled all of our roads leading into the
city, as far out as the city limits, and where it was almost im-
possible to haul a load a year ago, we have fine gravelled pikes
today. This is a great item in an agricultural country like ours
where the farmers haul their products to town, and they have
appreciated our efforts really more than our town people, except
the autoists.
i8o CITY MANAGER PLAN
We have put in the past year, about 13 blocks of asphaltic
concrete pavement in our residence districts and will put in the
coming year about 63 blocks more of it. We had in about 40
blocks before the management plan went into operation, but it
was scarcely visible because they seldom cleaned it, and it became
coated with about 3 inches or more of dirt and mud. However,
we have a regular sweeping time with a dustless sweeper and
our streets are kept as clean as any. Under this plan by efficient
management we greatly reduced our incidental expenses on our
paving work over the incidental expenses of the paving work put
in under the old plan, and at that we employed an expert inspec-
tor from the Chicago Paving Laboratory, all the time our as-
phalt was being laid. For instance, without any efficient inspec-
tion the incidental expenses on the paving put in prior to our
administration amounted to 10 cents per square yard of paving
laid. Under our new plan our incidentals, including an expense
of 2j4c per square yard for expert inspection, totaled only 6^2
cents per square yard. This incidental expense is for engineer-
ing, advertising, inspection and gratings for catch basins, speci-
fications and all printing.
In the past year we have put in an extensive sewer system
which was practically all rock digging, with automatic flush
tanks, and the people who have lived here for some time and
watched the improvements constructed say that it is the finest
piece of work ever laid in this city.
I am sorry to state that we have some sewers that were laid
a few years ago, that absolutely are N. G. Rotten construction
work and no proper inspection are the causes of this condition.
Some of the sewers actually flow backwards. That sort of con-
struction does not go any longer here.
Under our ordinance the property owners have to buy their
water meters from us, as we will not sell water except through
a meter, and we consider the meter a fixture in the house, or
part of the interior plumbing system.
We bought and are buying an $8 meter with connections,
reducers, seals, sealing wires and sealers, for $6 in a contract
to purchase 400 or more of these meters. We sell this meter
and all connections, etc., to the consumers here for the same
price we paid for it. This naturally pleases our consumers, as
under the old form of government, they only had on about 40
meters, which cost the city $8.60 and they made the consumer
OF GOVERNMENT i8i
pay $10 for it. Our idea is to give our people the advantage
of anything that we can buy in this Une, of the lowest price or
actual cost.
RESULTS ACCOMPLISHED IN JACKSON,
MICHIGAN^
Our accomplishments as I see them are about as follows :
We have taken city employees out of politics, installed modern
accounting systems, passed an annual budget on a classified basis,
installed careful cost accounting on city construction work,
separated the sinking fund, which was then in the general fund,
and put it to work, started a waste water survey that will save
about 400,000 gallons per day, started a centralization of the
water department, bought coal on B. T. U. and ash basis, have
done all purchasing through a purchasing agent, taken all cash
discounts, put back over $300,000 on tax duplicate formerly ex-
empted without legal reason, started a careful study of the sewer
system, giving the city its first decent repair of unpaved streets,
installed a modern boulevard lighting system with peculiarly
advantageous contract, installed patrol system of repair on im-
proved gravel streets, given food and milk inspection, centralized
nursing organizations, organized charities, poor relief, humane
officer and city health work under one head in the city offices,
given efficient sanitary inspection, are making a census of privies,
have made City Hospital and Training School a model so far as
its building will allow, equipped and opened a tuberculosis hospi-
tal, equipped and opened two branch libraries, started work on
a new 520 acre park, are adding to the fire department two pieces
of motor apparatus a year, are completing a building code, are
giving efficient electrical inspection, are inspecting weights and
measures, have given band concerts in parks each Sunday
through the summer, had a municipal 4th of July celebration at
municipal expense with no accident or fire alarm for that day, and
started a simplification of existing ordinances, bringing them
up to date at the same time. We found a great many unclassi-
fied ordinances. We are getting everything on one subject in
1 By Gaylord C. Cummin, City Manager. Speech before the City
Manager's Association in convention in Dayton, Ohio, November 15-17,
1915.
i82 CITY MANAGER PLAN
one division and we are cutting the ordinances down to about
one-fourth size of the present volume.
We have reduced the outstanding debt $50,000 this year, will
give $10,000 extra service not figured in the budget, will pay off
floating indebtedness of $14,000 and will end the year with a
balance of over $10,000. We are starting the next year by reduc-
ing our tax rate one mill.
JACKSON, MICHIGAN'
Finance
A modern system of accounting has been installed and is now
in working order. This is a double entry system with control-
ling accounts and enables a close check of receipts and disburse-
ments. This system was based on an audit and an appraisal of
the city's property.
The appropriations for 1916 were made by a segregated
budget, with a uniform classification of expenditures by kind,
to enable intelligent comparison from year to year, and to enable
the people to know how their money is to be spent. Public
hearings were offered on this budget before its adoption, but
unfortunately a total of only six citizens attended. I would
emphasize the importance to the citizens of attendance at these
hearings so that full and free discussion may be had of the
appropriations for the ensuing year.
Taxes were levied on the basis of 8J^ mills as against 9 mills
the year before.
The assessing both for taxes and special assessments was
centralized under a full time assessor, with a great increase in
efficiency.
$383,000 worth of property exempt without legal reason was
returned to the rolls.
Purchases of materials and supplies for all departments were
made through a purchasing agent, resulting in great savings in
many items, although the fullest results can not be obtained until
a city storehouse is established, for which at present we have no
space.
1 Report of Gaylord C. Cummin, City Manager, to the City Commission
in 1915.
OF GOVERNMENT 183
.[terns of considerable importance were purchased on careful
specifications with good results. A study on the subject of fire
hose resulted in the purchase of hose at 52 cents per foot instead
of from 80 cents to $1.10, with no decrease in quality.
All cash discounts were taken, these discounts amounting to
enough to pay all the expenses of the purchasing, without count-
ing the savings made in reduced prices, etc.
Not one dollar's worth of bonds were issued for any purpose
during the year.
$25,000 of bonds were retired, the sinking fund balance in-
creased by almost $11,000 and a floating debt of about $20,000
(due to practice of paying the last month's payrolls and some bills
out of new appropriations) was wiped out, making a total reduc-
tion in the net debt of the city of about $56,000.
As the balance sheet shows, the city ended the year with a
cash balance exclusive of sinking and trust funds of $9,690.53.
No bonds were issued for anj^ purpose and as $78,740.50 was
paid for permanent assets out of current revenue, we feel that
our financial condition is unusually good.
The sinking fund balance of $27,799.21 will be largely in-
vested in future bonds of the city of Jackson, thus making this
balance which cannot be used except for paying off the funded
debt of the city, a source of revenue.
Interest to the amount of $2,542.83 was earned on city
deposits during the year, these funds having been previously
deposited without interest.
The city treasurer was put on a salary basis and the fees
amounting to over $4,000 turned into the general fund.
Public Safety
A general reorganization both as to men and methods is
being worked out in the police department with a view to in-
creasing its efficiency.
A general plan for motorizing the fire department has been
worked out and the first step will be taken in 1916 by the pur-
chase of two 800-gallon motor pumpers.
The state law demanding every fourth day off for firemen
was complied with, without adding any men or weakening the
crews.
i84 CITY MANAGER PLAN
Public Relief
The city combined its relief work with that of the Organized
Charities of the city under a trained social worker, so that there
would be no duplication of work. All deserving persons received
adequate relief, and undeserving persons were eliminated from
receiving public aid. The work was very efficiently done and the
thanks of the city are due the Organized Charities for their
co-operation.
Streets and Sidewalks
The unpaved streets of the city were found in very poor con-
dition, which was much aggravated by the heavy rains. Repair
was not so much needed as construction. Attempts to hold the
street surface where built of the native soil seemed waste of
money, and so while efforts were made to keep streets in a pass-
able condition by filling holes, etc., the main efforts were concen-
trated on the building of good gravel streets starting on main
thoroughfares. Approximately four miles of these were built,
but of course it will take several years to get all the main thor-
oughfares in decent condition as funds at our disposal will not
allow any faster progress, but what was done this year will not
have to be done over next year.
The proper maintenance of these new streets being absolutely
necessary if adequate results are to be obtained, has received a
good deal of study and a sj^stem has been evolved which will
keep these streets in good shape at a minimum expense.
Sewers
The heavy rains of the summer exposed the total inadequacy
of the present sewer system and after a short preliminary study
had shown practically every sewer in the city to be under size,
it was determined to make a careful study of the whole situation
in order to plan relief in such a way that every possible cent of
value in our present investment, that can be saved, will be saved,
that the relief measures will be adequate, and that future exten-
sions will fit in with the general system. If this had been done
twenty years ago, we would have saved many thousands of dol-
lars, and the amount to be spent now will be saved many times
over in the future.
Studies will be made at the same time of the sewage disposal
problem and measures taken to correct the grossly polluted con-
OF GOVERNMENT 185
dition of Grand River, our present plant being both ineffective
and inadequate.
These studies will be based on a thorough topographic survey,
which while absolutely necessary for this work will be of great
use both to the city and citizens for many other purposes.
Water
The city waterworks is in good financial shape as is shown
by its earnings of $13,589.93 for 1915, and it is believed that a
considerable reduction in rates can be made without injury and
without preventing such additions to its physical equipment as
are necessary to put it in efificient operating condition.
This has been a headless department in the past but after the
first of the year it will be placed under the charge of a competent
superintendent.
A pitometer survey is being made for detection of main leak-
age and this has developed the fact that the valves are in very
bad condition, twenty-six being found closed, many of them for
so long that they were rusted shut, and besides there was a large
number found that were not in operating condition.
Plans are under way for the installation of much needed
reinforcing mains to give adequate fire protection to all parts of
the city, the work to be done in 1916. Plans also are complete
for a reserve supply of water of half a million gallons to be
used in taking care of the peak load.
Lighting
A modern system of boulevard lighting was installed on Main
street in place of the suspended incandescent lights, the amount
of candlepower on the street increased by 8,000 c. p., the lamps
to burn all night instead of until 11 :30 o'clock, and at a saving
of $720 per year for lighting the same territory.
The above are the high spots of accomplishments in the past
year.
The dividends of a municipal corporation are public service.
The city government is now in process of rebuilding, and we
should look for increasing dividends in the future.
More than a dollar's worth of public service for a dollar of
taxes is the goal.
i86 CITY MANAGER PLAN
FIRST YEAR UNDER PLAN C GOVERNMENT
IN NEWBURGH, N. Y/
Report on the first year of commission-manager government
in Newburgh, submitted to the City Council on Monday by City
Manager Henry Wilson, is a record of progress and achievement,
of improvement and betterment, of economy and efficiency such
as must be a source of satisfaction and pride to every public-
spirited taxpayer and citizen. The report with its facts and fig-
ures proves beyond all question that the most advanced form of
municipal government is a success in Newburgh. Plan C is all
that and more than was claimed for and expected of it.
Long before the first year was up the City Manager was able
to announce that the day of a high tax rate is past. Today he
reports the beginning of the year with a large cash balance,
which will greatly reduce if not obviate borrowing for current
needs pending the collection of taxes. The city instead of pay-
ing interest to the banks for borrowed funds is receiving interest
from the banks on its own funds. But for a number of unusual
requirements, as set forth in the Manager's report, there would
be a reduction in the total of the budget for the ensuing year.
Projects are being taken care of in the budget which formerly
it was the practice to issue bonds for. Thus the municipality
with a reduced tax rate, compared with former years, is cur-
tailing the issuance of bonds and it also is making most sub-
stantial progress in retiring bonds issued years ago, effecting a i
double interest saving and permanent reduction in burdens.
Newburgh has a much smaller bonded indebtedness than
either Poughkeepsie or Kingston and its policy is to steadily
reduce its debt. It is building up sinking funds which will take
care of bonds as they fall due and will endeavor to avoid a
refunding of any obligations, this plan being wasteful and im-
posing on taxpayers a large interest charge.
The gratifying financial showing under plan C is not the
result of curtailment of any necessary expenditures. The past
year has been notable for the improvements made and the ex-
tension and betterment of service effected. Economy has come
from the application of strict business methods in every depart-
ment of the government. The municipality is being conducted
* Reprinted from The Newburgh Daily News, January 9, 19 17.
OF GOVERNMENT 187
much as a successful large business corporation is conducted,
with responsibility centralized, capable, ready and resourceful and
actuated by only one consideration, the best interests of the city
and its people.
Splendid as are the first year's results, they are only the be-
ginning; of what may be looked forward to as one of the best
governments if not the best government of anj' municipality in
the country. As methods are perfected and new problems are
taken up and solved, Newburgh's government will advance to
higher standards of efficiency and economy. Newburgh will be
in the front rank in improvements ; it will be famed for its pub-
lic advantages, finely paved and shaded streets and beautiful
parks ; and it will be noted for its comparatively low bonded
indebtedness and tax rate. It will grow rapidly in industry
and population.
The City Manager's report should be read in full by every
citizen. No more interesting and illuminating municipal docu-
ment has ever been presented in this city.
NEWBURGH, NEW YORK'
Outstanding Features of the Report of City Manager IVilson
Tax rate for this year $2.69, is the lowest in years.
Balance in city treasury at present, $110,952.70 probably the
highest sum in city's history.
Balance in Sinking Fund, in addition to foregoing, $65,963.96.
Probability that it will not be necessary to borrow money in
anticipation, with resultant saving of $2,500 in interest.
City bonds paid last year $68,744.34.
Placed in sinking fund $29,676.43, to provide for payment of
future bonds.
Total reduction in city's debt during the year, $98,420.77.
Balance in water department at close of year, $19,303.57.
Cost of tarvia on streets 5^4 cents a lineal foot, much less
than the cost of sprinkling.
Unusual expenses for year, which could not be anticipated,
but which were paid from current funds $26,111.
Presenting the report of his stewardship after one year under
Plan C form of government yesterday afternoon Dr. Henry
* From The Newburgh Daily News, January 9, igi7.
i88 CITY MANAGER PLAN
Wilson, the city manager, read a document which was heard
with more interest than has ever been accorded the annual re-
port of a Newburgh official ; and it is only mildly stating the
fact, that when Dr. Wilson had completed his exposition of the
city's status, had told of the results and economies effected, and
had outlined the condition of affairs and the accomplishments of
the year, he had a surprised and, on the whole, a most delighted
audience.
The most casual student of local affairs could not have failed
to recognize an increased efficiency in the city government in the
ordinary conduct of business ; but no one, aside from the mem-
bers of the City Council, was quite prepared to hear what the
City Manager had to say. The most friendly and hopeful critic
of the administration had not expected results so great; the
indifferent were raised from their indifference, and the captious
and unfriendly critics were absolutely silenced. If there were
any present who went to scoff, they remained to praise.
Excerpts from the City Manager's First Annual Report
To the Honorable Council of the City of Newburgh.
This being the first annual report rendered under the new
form of municipal government, more than usual interest will
necessarily be attracted to it. Changing from one form of gov-
ernment to another naturally requires time before the new is in
full effect; but the experience of the past year has demonstrated
that the commission-manager plan is ideal for the administration
of the city's affairs, and the year 191 7 will find the new modus
operandi in full operation, and the results are bound to prove
satisfactory.
CITY FINANCES
The new system of accounting, based on an audit by expert
accountants and an appraisal of the city's property, enables a
close check on receipts and disbursements, and a true estimate
of the financial status of the city. The appropriation for 1916
was made with a uniform classification of expenditures to per-
mit intelligent comparison from year to year, and enable the
people to know how their money was spent.
The administration takes a pardonable pride in the fact that
the financial statement shows the largest amount in cash, or its
equivalent, on hand at the end of any year in the history of the
OF GOVERNMENT 189
city, amounting to $110,95270, exclusive of the $65,963.96 in the
sinking fund, but incUiding the Water Department balance.
TAX RATE LOWEST IN YEARS
This cash balance has permitted of a substantial reduction
in the amount of the 191 7 budget, and brings the tax rate for
the year down to $2.69 per $100. Starting the year with this
amount of funds available may make it unnecessary to borrow
money, as usual heretofore, thereby saving the city about $2,500
interest.
CITY BOND ACCOUNT
City bonds to the amount of $68,744.34 were paid during
the year, and the sum of $29,676.43 was placed in the sinking
fund, making a total reduction in the city's indebtedness of
$98,420.77 during 1916.
DEPARTMENT OF WATER SUPPLY
The revenues of the Water Department for the year
amounted to $64,557.87. There were water bonds to the amount
of $13,250 redeemed during the year, and the sum of $17,621.50
paid out for interest on water bonds.
By a careful and economical administration of this depart-
ment, we have accumulated a balance of $19,303.87.
BEAUTIFICATION AND MAINTENANCE OF STREETS
Special attention is being given to the improvement of the
appearance of our city streets by tree planting, and a number of
Norway maples have been set out this fall. This work will be
continued in the spring, and all who desire trees in front of
their properties along city streets, will be accommodated free of
cost. This plan of tree planting is sure to result in enhancing
the beauty of our streets and add to the attractiveness of our
city.
There has been considerable effective work done on our city
streets, including the permanent improvement of Mill Street
and the resurfacing of Gidney Avenue and several other out-
lying thoroughfares hitherto neglected. Several new sewers
igo CITY MANAGER PLAN
were built during the year and a number of needed silt basins
installed.
*****
The proper maintenance of the dirt and macadam streets is
absolutely necessary. The system evolved of treating them with
oil and tarvia has resulted in producing a surface on our streets
that has caused favorable comments from all who visit us.
This class of improvement is effected at a minimum expense to
those who are benefitted, costing about 5J^ cents per running
foot to each property owner on the street so treated — less than
it would cost for sprinkling.
IMPROVED STREET ILLUMINATION
The installation of the modern incandescent street lamps for
the old style arc lamps, by the Central Hudson Gas & Electric
Company, has made a great improvement over the former sys-
tem of street illuminating. The result is a much more brilliant
light, which adds very materially to the appearance of our city
streets at night time. This work, which involves an expenditure
of many thousands of dollars, is being done without cost to the
city or any increase in the rates paid for the old service.
HEALTH DEPARTMENT
The efficiency of our Health Department has given us an
enviable reputation throughout the state.
During the year the poliomyelitis epidemic taxed its service
to the limit. While Newburgh was considered a danger zone,
owing to its being a great excursion center, the efforts of our
Health Department resulted in safeguarding our people against
this dreaded scourge to the extent that only 1 1 cases, 6 of which
were extremely mild in form, appeared in our city, while the
surrounding towns and villages were badly afflicted. The work
done by our Health Department was of a character to elicit
special commendation and praise from the State Health Depart-
ment in Albany, and reflects credit which should not be lightly
forgotten by our people. It is complete in its several branches
and is equipped with a first class bacteriological department.
OF GOVERNMENT 191
The dividends of a municipal corporation are realized in
effective public service. More than a dollar's worth of public
service for each dollar of the taxes is the goal.
In conclusion I wish to express to the gentlemen of the
Council my sincere thanks for their hearty co-operation and
assistance, without which results would be impossible, and ex-
tend to them sincere congratulations on having achieved a suc-
cess in the first year of the commission-manager form of gov-
ernment unequalled by any other city in the United States
administered under that plan.
From every section of the country come reports of suc-
cess under city managership, but it remained for Newburgh to
achieve results, as shown by our financial statement, that out-
class all other cities to a degree that does not even admit of com-
parison, our cash surplus exceeding the total yearly expenditures
of many.
Henry Wilson,
City Manager.
NORWOOD, MASSACHUSETTS'
Norwood is a town of between eleven and twelve thousand
population about twelve miles out of Boston. We work under
the old town meeting New England charter. I have worked in
a good many cities and I thought the scheme was rather clumsy
at first but it is very good. Our biggest saving has been in
combining departments, for instance, fire, water and highway
departments, taking them away from three separate superin-
tendents and putting them under one superintendent of public
works, and we have combined our fire alarm telegraph and elec-
trical departments. The same with the public improvement and
street departments. We do all work ourselves in paving, im-
provements and sewer. We have found a great saving in crushed
stone. We have crushed about 12,000 tons this year which form-
erly cost $1.26 a ton but now costs us 68 cents a ton including
overhead and supervision, so on the 12,000 tons we have saved
some $7,000. In our electric light department we have put in a
new reading arrangement and the water and light meters are
* By C. A. Bingham, Town Manager. Speech before the City Ma»
agers' Association, November :s-i7« lO'/-
13
192 CITY MANAGER PLAN
read at the same time by the same man instead of making two
separate trips. In our police department we have installed street
phones and call lights and motorcycles in the outside districts.
We save a good deal of money in purchasing.
To show you the pulse of our citizens, we had a town meet-
ing to vote on $100,000 worth of granite paving, and under-
ground electric wiring. There were two hundred attended the
meeting. We had but three votes against the proposition out of
the two hundred. We have started a form of sewage disposal
plant.
ROCK HILL, SOUTH CAROLINA*
I am not so well prepared to state all the things that I have
done in nine months. Rock Hill is by mileage 604 miles from
Dayton. I don't know how far from New York, but it is west
of the Atlantic Ocean. It is a very progressive town. I can't
say that I have made such a howling success in the way of
changes as some of the other men seem to think that they have.
Rock Hill is a unique town. In 1893 the city voted a bond issue
of $60,000 to locate a certain college there, which was a good
investment at that time to the city. It has rather made the town
an educational center. Dr. J. G. Johnson of that institution was
recently elected president of the National Educational Association
at San Francisco. The institution has had a great influence, I
think, on city government in keeping up a high standard.
When I went there on February ist, I found that they had
matters in pretty fine shape. They had installed at that time a
cabinet costing about two thousand dollars, with maps of the
different wards, locating all of the property in the city. There
was a cross-index system of cards showing the names and num-
bers to each lot, the assessed valuation of the different proper-
ties for taxation. The city manager form down there has done
some things, and I believe that the people appreciate them. One
is the consolidation of the entire city forces. There have been
savings in other lines. I know as I was originally the superin-
tendent of public utilities there before accepting the position as
manager and probably comparisons would cast some reflections
upon me, as I occupied the position there for three years previous.
^ By W. G. Barnwell, City Manager. Speech before the City Man-
agers' Association, November 15-17, 19 iS-
OF GOVERNMENT 193
We buy our electricity from the Southern Public Service
Company at one cent and a half per kilowatt hour delivered on
the switchboard at the distributing end. We don't buy very much
coal. I used to hire teams from stables to unload coal, carry
pipe around the city for extension of water mains and also for
hauling the poles for replacements and extensions in the electric
light plant.
Now as to some of the things we have accomplished in the
nine months : we have put in 2,200 feet of drain sewer in a part of
town where there has been a muck hole. We have drained a
section comprising fifty acres which will be valuable property
close in the city. We have also built a road that had been under
discussion for four years connecting some of the cotton mills
with the city, at a cost of $2,500. We have also built more
streets, without bond issues. Last year they put down about a
mile and a half of asphalt and concluded they wouldn't ask for
a bond issue this year. The twelve teams, owned by the city,
instead of dragging the streets after each rain to smooth it,
have been used in the building of permanent streets or as near
permanent streets as possible. We have put down about two
miles of distintegrated granite, nine inches thick. I think it will
answer the purpose very well until the permanent pavement
comes up.
We have also secured a new United States court house. We
have an additional electric service department which wasn't there
before. There was absolutely no opposition to the city manager
proposition. Rock Hill stands for progress and if the town
progresses as well in the future as in the past, the people will be
satisfied with the government.
ST. AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA'
You all know that St. Augustine is located on the east coast
of Florida and is the oldest city in the United States. I know
it is old because very shortly after Ponce de Leon started the
town they commenced laying storm sewers and they have not
cleaned any of them yet. The population of St. Augustine,
permanent resident population, is about 8,000, the winter popula-
* By W. L. Miller, City Manager. Speech before the City Managers-
Association, November 15-17, 1915.
194 CITY MANAGER PLAN
tion is about 16,000 to 18,000. The crop is principally tourist.
The budget last year was $100,000.
We have been operating at a cost of about $S,400 a month,
or $3,000 a month saving, and still giving all the service hereto-
fore rendered and some additional service, including about the
same proportion of permanent improvements that have been put
in from month to month in the past. A centralized purchasing
office has been established showing a saving of from five to
eighty per cent in materials and supplies purchased. Unit cost
records have been installed in some departments and are being
installed throughout all departments. One of the first things we
did in order to show the whole force that we meant business
and would give everybody a fair show and expected them to
come up to our standard, we fired the fire chief, and believe me,
that was a howling success. The old administration left us
practically bankrupt, and thought we would either have to quit
business or call a general election to issue bonds or borrow
money, but today we are still doing business and we have not
borrowed money or issued any bonds. We did have to collect,
however, $22,000. We had on the books which we have been able
to stir up by an audit $22,000 of unpaid past due paving assess-
ments, and last month we collected about $5,000 of that and they
are still coming in. We ran into of course the usual petty
opposition to the plan as soon as we started, the former mayor
being the chief offender. Heretofore there has been a serious
lack of engineering. Provided the city wanted an engineer for
any particular local improvement, they went out of town and em-
ployed some engineering firm, the specifications were drawn by
that firm, and the plans and any contractors bidding on the work
were compelled to go to the other city and get the plans and
specifications in order to bid. We know some work has been put
in, we have some visible indications ; we have no idea that there
ever has been any engineering except we see the receipted bills
on file in the office and endorsed check that the city has paid
for that service. No plans or profiles or specifications or any
data are in the city records of past construction work, and this
is particularly true of the underground work. When we look
up any underground work now we are compelled to start from
one curb and dig across the street until we hit it. We have
simply to investigate as we go along and it is being permanently
arranged for the future by the employment of an engineer, also
OF GOVERNMENT 195
out of town, who is starting his work by a topographic survey to
be followed by a general storm water sewer survey and a sani-
tary sewer survey.
Heretofore they have had a health office, the president of *he
Board of Health had his own health officer, an honorary position,
a city physician on part time with a small remuneration, and
one appointed by the mayor and one by the council and of course
each worked against the other. We have combined the two
offices and started in on a health code. We are considering the
employment of a visiting nurse and organizing under one head
all the relief work and charitable work in the city so as to pre-
vent not only duplication of effort on the part of those actively
engaged in the work, but duplication of relief to any family. I
found that the police reported at six o'clock in the evening to the
chief and went out on their beats and didn't report until six
o'clock the next morning. We now have the police reporting
every fifty minutes. At first their eyes were kind of thick on
account of loss of sleep, but they are getting accustomed to it.
Fire inspection has been started, the city ordinances have been
codified and as rapidly as we can, they are being revised to meet
the conditions of the charter and the present needs of the city.
Municipal music has been provided by city subsidies and a mu-
nicipal band, white; and a municipal band, colored, has been
organized. The white band gives concerts in the down town
district, and the colored band in the colored settlement once a
week, and they are both developing very well. In addition to
that, the white band contributes its service once a month to a
municipal dance which is held on one of the principal streets
down town. The programs for these dances are varied each
month. For instance, on Hallowe'en we had a big masquerade
ball on the street. The concerts each week bring out an interest
on the part of the public. We have provided in the budget for
street gardens and back yard gardens, following the Dayton plan.
W^e have provided a playground and turned it over to the young-
sters, but on account of the lateness of the season and the con-
dition of the treasury, we have had to postpone some things in
that line until next year, although it is on our program for 1916,
to push our playground activities.
We have employed a special water works engineer to come to
St. Augustine and make a complete survey and give us a com-
prehensive survey of the needs for providing an adequate water
196 CITY MANAGER PLAN
supply and distribution system, neither the supply nor distribution
system being full and adequate, not only for domestic service,
but for fire protection.
We have increased the tax duplicate over last year, say two
million dollars. The levy was thirty mills, the charter providing
that the levy was not to exceed 7^ mills exclusive of the sinking
fund and maintenance, which necessitated of course in figuring
in first, the ordinary operation fund, and second, the permanent
improvement fund, which comes in under our charter as a fixed
levy. The valuations have been equalized now and the dupli-
cate brought up to eleven million dollars, and the levy of course
will be increased in a corresponding degree.
THE SANDUSKY SITUATION*
The somewhat embarrassing situation that existed for about
the first month that the commission-manager form of govern-
ment was in force in Sandusky was not due to the provisions
of the new charter, but altogether to the five persons constitu-
ting the city commission. For the most part at least the commis-
sioners are men who have more than fair ability, who are honest
and in good standing in the community. The prospect was,
therefore, with the election of these gentlemen, that Sandusky
had every assurance of an efficient and businesslike administra-
tion.
It developed, however, shortly after the new form of govern-
ment became effective that the commission could not get together
on organization and it appears largely for the reason that they
were hopelessly divided on the election of their chairman, who
under our charter becomes the mayor. For almost two weeks the
commission failed to elect its president, and the dead-lock which
existed during that time seemed to have caused dissension among
the members of the commission to such a degree that for some
time afterwards each member of the commission on general
principles opposed everything that any other member might sug-
gest, with the result that instead of administering the affairs
of the city at its meetings these were occasions only of affording
1 From a letter from a well-knowti member of the Sandusky bar printed
in the National Municipal Review, April, igi6.
OF GOVERNMENT 197
the members of the commission an opportunity to vent their per-
sonal feelings.
The commission did elect after considerable agitation a city
manager, and doubtless made a wise selection in Kenneth Ward,
as well as in the selection of the city solicitor and the present
treasurer. The failure of the commission so far to produce
satisfactory results is further due to the fact that its members
are not yet fully acquainted with the spirit and letter of the
charter. The past few weeks, however, have demonstrated that
the commission is becoming acquainted with its duties and that
its members are able to discuss city afiEairs dispassionately.
Probably the chief reason why the new form of government
has not more creditably demonstrated itself is the same as would
be attendant upon any radical change in either governmental or
business affairs. A period of adjustment is always experienced
under such changes. It is hoped that within the next few months
the commission-manager form of government in Sandusky will
come up to the fondest expectations of those who furthered the
adoption of its new charter.
This view of the Sandusky situation is held by many of the
people of the city.
THE CITY MANAGER PLAN IN SAN JOSE*
I have had a brief experience as City Manager of San Jose,
and I am informed that I am to tell you tonight what I would
have said had I read you a paper or talked to you at the regular
session of the Convention at which I was scheduled to appear.
It will of course seem personal on my part, but from the nature
of the topic assigned it cannot well be otherwise. Will there-
fore without further apology give you a bit of the experience
of a city manager in a city which, while it is no mean city, has
been infested, I think, in the past, by some of the meanest politics
that has been perpetrated in any portion of the state of Cali-
fornia.
Now, I went down to become a city manager as an entirely
innocent college professor— and the college professor is reputed
» By Thos. H. Reed, City Manager. Delivered at the Spanish Banquet
given to the delegates Thursday evening, October i2th. Reprinted from
Pacific Municipalities, vol. xxx, no. ii, November, 1916,
iqS city manager plan
to be a peculiarly innocent type of man. I had drawn the char-
ter of the City of San Jose, and had been interested in the prob-
lem of the city manager form of government theoretically, and
when I had the opportunity offered me to try to work the theory
out practically, I accepted. I was warned by my own brother,
for example, that I had always been a theoretical man, and that
therefore I should hesitate to tackle a practical job. And of
course, lots of people said, "Oh, he's just a professor." All of
which roused my pride, and made me want to do it all the more.
And whether I win or lose, at any rate, I am going to make one
good, hard try at it, and there will be some satisfaction in that —
at least for me.
The city manager form of government, theoretically, means
that the city council employs a manager who bears the same
relation to the city council that the general manager of a cor-
poration bears to its board of directors. He, in turn, appoints
and is responsible for the other officers of the municipality. In
San Jose, with the exception of the city auditor and police judge,
who are elected by the people, and the city clerk, who is ap-
pointed by the council, and the civil service commission and citj'
planning commission, each being a little aside from the ordinary
cases of administration, the officers are all appointed by the man-
ager, including the members of the board of education, and
library trustees. The manager may remove any member of the
city administration. That is, his power is absolute, so far as the
administrative side of the matter is concerned. So long as he is
in favor with the council, so long as they respect his judgment,
he is in command, and he is responsible for what goes well or
what goes ill in the institution.
Now, I did not know whether the plan would work or not, of
course, no more than any one else. I thought it would. It
seemed to be sensible. It seemed to be reasonable. It was the
form of organization which we had found most successful in
private corporations and school districts and in the government
of many of our state institutions, where the governing board
employs some one to carry out its functions. And so far, if
three months is in any wise a fair test, it has worked well.
Nobody has got up a lynching party yet. There have been no
very determined protests or serious denunciations. Everything
has been sweet and pleasant.
OF GOVERNMENT 199
We have not accomplished wonders yet. I think that every
man who undertakes a task of this kind, indeed, every man who
goes into any municipal office, feels that the first thing that he
wants to impress upon the public is that they must wait a rea-
sonable time for results. The public has a peculiar habit of
expecting that a reform administration, when it comes into
office, is going to succeed in a few weeks in revolutionizing the
course of years and years of municipal development. That can
not be done. It is a slow job to reverse the wheels and make
them revolve in the opposite direction, smoothly and without
friction. We have proceeded slowly in San Jose. We did
abolish the office of City Treasurer as a paid office, and deposited
the funds of the city in one of the banks at 2.52 per cent interest
on average daily balances. The bank was tickled to death to
take the money at that rate, not so much because they wanted the
money, but because they wanted the advertisement of having
their cashier designated as City Treasurer. We saved the city of
San Jose about $5,000 a year by that transaction.
We have installed a modern system of purchasing, buying on
scientific principles. We have already made reforms which will
result in a saving of approximately a thousand dollars a month
merely on supplies that are bought for the city of San Jose.
We have reformed some of our departments, for example,
the Health Department, in which formerly we had a Health
Officer, a doctor who gave such of his time as he could for a
salary of $100 a month. A busy practicing physician of a suc-
cessful sort is not able to give very much of his time for that
compensation. Under those circumstances you can well realize
that our health department was inadequate for the needs of a
city of 40,000 population. We have now a thoroughly organized
public health department, with a fulltime deputy health officer,
occupying all of his time in the work of the city, and we are
putting that department on a basis where it will be able to stand
at the front of all the health departments in the state of Cali-
fornia.
We wanted to get a man for the health department, to take
charge of the work, and a lot of our people said. "You must
take him from San Jose." We said, "No. We will give an exam-
ination, an open, competitive examination, for the position of
assistant health officer, and we will fill that place with the best
man that comes forward to take the examination, irrespective
200 CITY MANAGER PLAN
of where he comes from." And Mr. Gray, at that time health
officer of Palo Alto, came forward and took the examination
and passed it with lOO per cent, and we appointed him. We feel
that we have a prize in Mr. Gray, who is not a physician but a
civil and sanitary engineer trained at the University of Cali-
fornia to be a health officer. We have a health department that
is moving like a buzz saw now into the bad health conditions.
We have done a number of other little things. We have
secured the services of the firm of Haskins & Sells to install a
modern accounting system. When I went down to San Jose, I
discovered that it was almost impossible to find out how much
the various services in the various departments had cost. No
comparative data of an administrative sort, such as are laid
upon the desk of the manager of a private corporation for his
enlightenment in handling the affairs of his corporation, were to
be had. We are going to have just that sort of thing. We are
going to have the best and most up-to-date form of accounting
that can be secured, and it will be a form of accounting much
more similar to that made use of in first-rate private corpora-
tions than the usual traditional forms of municipal accounting.
And then there are a lot of other little things that we have
done — all kinds of things. A city manager is expected to do
almost anything, apparently, from reconciling the marital diffi-
culties of certain people in the population to straightening out
the difficulties of saloon keepers. It all comes into the city man-
ager's office, and as time goes on, there is more of it coming in.
We have notified everybody in the city of San Jose to enter their
complaints with the manager. We published that he could be
reached at San Jose 88, and San Jose 88 wires are hot all day
with this, that, and the other thing. We find out quite a lot by
it. In the first place, we find out what we should do to satisfy
the public, and in the second place, we find out something of
what our various officials are doing in their official capacities.
We get the outside opinion. There is one kind of a complaint,
however, that we pay no attention to — I suppose you have all
had acquaintance with it — and that is the anonymous com-
plaint. It is a typical piece of American cowardice. People will
come around and say, "Here is a gambling joint running down
here in defiance of law." "Here is a nuisance that damages the
neighborhood." "All right. Come forward with the evidence,
and we will shut up the gambling place ; we will abate this nuis-
OF GOVERNMENT 20i
ance." "Oh, no," they say, "Don't use my name. I am very glad
to give you the information, but keep me out of it." It is a
cowardly performance. The American people have the idea that
public officials can vicariously atone for all the sins of the com-
munity. When they elect a man to public office, they feel that
they have done all that is expected of them, and that these
officers are going to solve the problem, alone, and unaided. It
cannot be done.
We have learned some things about the city manager form of
government. We have learned something about what its merits
are. It has two merits. One is that it demands the careful and
intelligent selection of the various officers to fill the various posi-
tions. A manager must make good — that is all there is to it.
It does not do him any good to play politics because he can not
make good by playing politics. He must make good in his work.
In order to make good in his work, he must select the right
kind of men for subordinate positions. It means, in other words,
that under the manager plan you get the right personnel in your
city government.
Then there is another thing. It means that you have a single
head, there is no place in this world for a two-headed man or a
five-headed man, outside of a side show. They are interesting
as objects of study, and as matter of scientific observation, just
like a five-legged calf, but for the purposes of administration,
they are bad. When you have a single head, you have the con-
dition under which you can enforce responsibility, and responsi-
bility is the most sobering and correcting influence in govern-
ment.
Most of the evil in municipal government is the evil that is
done by slovenly or careless, only infrequently by corrupt people,
who are guilty of their particular pieces of carelessness and
slovenliness in the dark — in the obscurity of divided responsi-
bility.
I have learned one thing about drawing charters. I would
not draw a charter again in which the manager was made the
ceremonial head of the city as well as the going executive head.
As a matter of fact, I was not responsible for that provision in
our charter. Colonel McClure, who happened to be visiting San
Jose, got that inserted in the charter in the hands of the Board
of Freeholders. I think it is a mistake. The manager ought not
to be obliged to welcome every thing and shake everybody's
202 CITY MANAGER PLAN
hand, and dedicate this and open that, and all that kind of thing.
He has enough to do without having to be delivering himself
of platitudes on all possible occasions.
We haven't done a great deal yet, naturally. We have just
started to do things. We are correcting slowly. A lot of people
question why we have not done more than we have, why we
haven't changed more heads of departments and revolutionized
more offices. We are proceeding slowly. We do not want to dis-
arrange the whole mechanism of the city government. We make
changes only when we know they are going to work improve-
ment. It is going to take us some time to work it out. You
will be interested in watching the results. And they are going to
be the best results that the hard and diligent service of myself
and the men with me can give.
Somebody asked me the other day here if I was giving my
whole time to the city of San Jose — if I was not running up to
the University and giving some lectures, and so on. I told that
man I was giving the whole of my time from eight o'clock in the
morning until one o'clock the next morning, pretty steadily, to
the affairs of the city of San Jose. That is the sort of thing
that my assistants, my colleagues in the work are doing at the
same time. In a few cases, where we have brought in a man
from the outside to take a position in the government, people
have said we were giving favors to outsiders. Now, I do not
consider a job in the city government of San Jose a favor. If
anybody thinks working 15 or 18 hours a day, is a sinecure,
he is welcome to the impression, but it is a false one. The work
of our city employes is hard work. Our positions are respon-
sible and difficult. And we are getting together a mechanism of
government that is going to move harmoniously and effectively
for the interests of the public.
Now, we may not succeed. We may run into some great
popular snag or other. We may be checked over night by some
problem that may arise from the infinite vagaries of the public
mind. Such things are beyond the ken of man to prophesy. But,
given a fair chance, we are going to work it out.
OF GOVERNMENT 203
SHERMAN, TEXAS'
Sherman is in Northeast Texas just over the boundary from
Oklahoma. It has about 16,000 people, is in an agricultural sec-
tion and raises principally cotton. It has a number of schools,
considered very good in Texas, and has a few^ industries, princi-
pally cotton oil refineries and flour mills. I have been manager there
less than six months. The principal things that we have done I
will try to outline. A thorough audit was made of all the books
and an accounting system was installed. Perhaps, as is usual in
most cities, it was found the books were in very poor shape. In
the water works a shortage was found of several thousand dol-
lars; an attempt is being made to recover this. Four or five
thousand dollars delinquent rents in the water department are
now being collected. A cut-off rule is being rigidly enforced.
There has been a purchase order system installed which while I
have made no comparisons I am sure is resulting in economy in
purchasing. We are also taking advantage of discounts. We
found practically nothing in the way of engineering records.
There were no maps of the sewer systems or I won't say there
were none, but there was no complete or comprehensive map of
the sewer system or water system or street system or any plant.
We are working these out and have several of them completed.
In order partly to get the support of the citizenship and partly for
the real benefit and information to be derived, we have taken
advantage of the feature of the charter which provides for the
appointment of advisory commissions to some extent. We have
appointed a city planning commission for the usual purpose of
working out a plan for future improvements. We have appointed
a charity commission which has some definite idea in view, not
to conflict at present with the Associated Charities although it
may possibly take that over after a little time. We have appro-
priated one hundred dollars and will appropriate more to pay
water bills for those who are really poor. We are going to insist
on water bills being paid. Heretofore there have been a great
many people very lax about their bills under the excuse of
charity.
We are looking into the matter of establishing a day nursery
» By Karl Mitchell, City Manager. Speech before the City Managers'
Association, November 15-17, igiS-
204 CITY MANAGER PLAN
and also a work yard. We have also appointed a health com-
mission of physicians of the city and we have arranged for the
appointment of a civic music commission. In the fire department
we have instituted fire inspection and are making regular inspec-
tions both of the premises for hazardous conditions and also
for violation of the fire ordinances and to familiarize the firemen
also with the buildings in case of fire. In the water department
we have initiated an inspection of every service in the city and
a test of every meter in the city. In this way we hope not only
to find the inaccurate and slow meters but to locate leakage not
only for our own benefit but for the consumers. We have also
discontinued making allowances on account of leakage, making
the claim that water is a commodity and there is no more reason
for making an allowance for water delivered to the person than
anything else although heretofore they had been accustomed to
making allowances for that purpose. We are drawing an ordi-
nance which is considerably more rigid than our present ordi-
nance requiring or which will provide for concrete meter boxes
and cut-oflfs and will possibly also make a slight reduction in rate
and probably provide for a discount period which we do not now
have in our ordinance for payment. We are also proceeding to
complete the metering of the town. It is probably about ninety
per cent metered and we expect our new ordinance to provide
that all churches and schools and all users shall pay for water
although at a reduced rate. These are now getting it free. We
have two water plants. The steam plant is idle a good part of
the day although we maintain a full corps there and maintain
steam under the boilers. We are working at plans to consolidate
our two plants and will get better efficiency in pumping. I fully
expect to save from ten to twenty thousand dollars a year in the
operation of our water plant.
There is a feature in our Texas law which some of you
may not have to contend with, our homestead act, which makes it
very difficult to get any public improvements in the way of
streets and sidewalks. We can't compel a man who has a home-
stead to put down any improvement whatsoever, no matter where
it may be located. He may not have the money and in order to
eliminate that feature, in so far as it is truthful, we have organ-
ized a Municipal Improvement Association and capitalized it to
start with ten thousand dollars for the loan of money for this
particular purpose on reasonable terms to be paid back in install-
OF GOVERNMENT 205
ments. I found when I went there considerable work on sewers
under way which had been started some months previous during
the rainy season. The sewer would have to be pumped out and
it cost several times what it ought to construct a sewer. I have
no comparative cost figures but we cleaned seven thousand feet
with a very much smaller gang than they were working before
and much more rapidly. We found several sections of sewer
on top of the ground that couldn't be used. One or two cases
were found where they were trying to run the sewer up hill.
Considerable expense was incurred in making those changes.
VVe are working out a plan for the extension of the sewer system
so that we will have something to work to and avoid errors. We
are now working out plans for the installation of a sewerage dis-
posal treatment plant. We also have under contemplation, the
construction of a certain amount of storm sewer. They started
to put in pavement in this town without any storm sewer, think-
ing they could carry the water off on the pavement, and inas-
much as the town is hilly, there is some reason for that, but
at the same time they need some storm sewers which have not
been provided.
We have installed a dry closet collection system for privies,
which is unique, I think, and one of the most modern of its kind.
We are completing a mile of pavement which was contracted
for before we went there and for which they had no plans or
specifications. We are negotiating with the light company for
a reduction in rate and are also considering the advisability of
instalHng a commercial lighting and power plant. They are
now charging a 14 cent rate, less ten per cent. We figure that we
can pretty near cut that in half. We have just passed a pure
food ordinance and an inspector has been appointed and work
will be started immediately. I discontinued a considerable num-
ber of positions, and the net results so far, the first few months of
operation shows that our total expense for current operation is
slightly less than last year, although it includes considerable new
equipment. We have also installed the auditing system, rear-
ranged all the offices, and provided new offices.
2o6 CITY MANAGER PLAN
SPRINGFIELD, OHIO*
Springfield is the best 60,000 city in America, and is located
close to Dayton, both physically and in our feelings. A floating
debt was reduced from approximately $120,000 to $40,000 in the
first year. The last of this indebtedness will be paid February
20th, 1916. The tax rate in 1914 was $1.50 per $100, in 1915
$1.40 and in 1916 it will be $1.31. The net saving in operating
expense was $51,600 or 17 per cent. Bonds are only issued to
mature during the life of the improvement. We have paid oflE
this year the first $5,000 worth of bonds issued for fire depart-
ment equipment some years ago, which we have just changed this
year. The revenue in the Water Department increased $10,799,
by an additional outlay of $270 in operating expenses — this with-
out increasing the water rates. A new pumping plant of I2j^
million gallons capacity has been installed. In street cleaning
$8,614 was saved in an outlay of $31,000 Fire hose was pur-
chased at 53>^ cents per foot which formerly cost from 90 cents
to $1.15. Street lighting was changed to a more efficient lamp
saving $5,545 on a $47,000 investment.
Twenty-one streets were paved, with asphalt or sheet asphalt
or wood block and so on, increasing the area of paved streets
in Springfield thirty-three and one-third per cent. Forty-six
streets were resurfaced. Twenty-seven sewers were constructed.
$10,022.21 was saved in Legal Advertising, the actual investment
being only $548.58; in other words, we only expended $548.58,
which was $10,022.21 less than the year before.
A cluster lighting system in the business district is being in-
stalled, the conduits are all in and we will have the entire district
illuminated with cluster lights in the course of a couple of
months. We have inaugurated a system for examining all under-
ground structures before paving streets. No streets are paved
until every lot has water, sewer and gas connection and where
it is a repaving job, everything is inspected and examined before
the street is repaved, and then we do not allow a street to be cut
into for five years for any purpose. The whole business district
has been repaved with wood block. A water belt line of fifteen
* By C. E. Ashburner, City Manager. Speech delivered at the second
annual convention of the City Manager's Association, Dayton, Ohio, No-
vember 15-17, 19 1 5
OF GOVERNMENT 207
miles was constructed around the city which secures water pre*
sure on all streets from the center out and from the outside in.
The equipment is ordered to entirely motorize the fire depart-
ment and after sixt}' days from now we won't have a horse in
the department. The street cleaning department has been motor-
ized. The city prisoners have been put to work in the parks
instead of remaining in jail. An accounting system has been
installed and a budget, a centralized purchasing bureau and ac-
counting department and a department of dairy and food inspec-
tion. We are also loaning the surplus in the water department
to ourselves at three per cent, instead of borrowing from the
banks, and a building code is about ready for adoption.
14
NEGATIVE DISCUSSION
THE COMING OF THE CITY MANAGER PLAN'
Greater unity in city government, which is coming to be
demanded in some commission governed cities, can best be
secured by giving the mayor more power than the other com-
missioners, thus placing him in the position to properly co-
ordinate the activities of all departments and to compel, if
necessary, unity of action. This is in line with previous rec-
ommendations of the National Municipal League, which has
favored a strong mayor. It is doubtful whether the idea should
be carried as far as it is applied in Houston, Texas, but it may
be desirable to experiment in this direction. The mayor would, in
this case, become the managing and directing force of the city.
The city manager plan departs in several respects from com-
mission government lines, and it is doubtful whether it should
be classed as a mere variation of commission government rather
than a brand new plan. It contemplates, we are told, the elec-
tion of a commission unpaid, or receiving only nominal salaries.
Most commissioners are paid, under the commission form, some
well paid ; many devote their entire time to city affairs.
The city manager plan permits election by wards. Every
commission governed city so far has abandoned ward elections.
The city manager plan should be tried and the results secured
under its operation impartially examined; but it should not be
classed under the head of the commission form until it is very
clear that it substantially agrees with the important features of
that form. The same credentials should be required of this new
plan as were held necessary in the case of the commission form,
i.e., evidence that under it municipal conditions are better than
they were under the aldermanic form; and in addition, the evi-
dence should be clear that the city manager plan is superior to the
commission form, before the latter, now tested for ten years and
more, is relinquished for a new and untried type of government.
I By Ernest S. Bradford. Minority report of the National Municipal
League's committee on commission form of government.
210 CITY MANAGER PLAN
SOME CAUTIONS ABOUT THE CITY MANAGER
PLAN'
It seems to me this entire question of the preference of
one system over the other is a question of the adaptability
of the particular form to the habits, to the prejudices and to
the political status of the different cities to which they are to
be applied. I take it that in the end the municipal manager
system will be found the one best adapted to cities in a gen-
eral way. But when it comes to applying it now to cities
which have been accustomed to political methods, and are still
subject to boss rule, I am inclined to believe it might be very
injurious.
This is a kind of reform we should not hurry too much; we
ought to await developments, and I am very glad that the city
manager plan has been preceded by the commission form of gov-
ernment, and that over three hundred cities have already adopted
that form. This will do a great work in eliminating the boss
systems by which our municipalities in the United States have
so largely been controlled. It will thereby lead public opinion to
regard city governments more and more as largely business
affairs and to be administered, if not entirely upon business
principles, at least upon principles of common decency and
morality. After they have reached that state and after politics
in its worst form has become eliminated, is the time for the
city manager system to be applied.
For the present, however, if you apply that system, I can
see what the result will often be, that it may not be an improve-
ment of the commission plan, but will be even worse than the
old plan by which we have been governed. I think I can see the
man who has been our mayor for a great many years, although
we now have got him out. I think we know exactly how Doc
Zimmerman would act if the city manager plan were now put
on in the City of Richmond. He would lay his plans for the
place before the election — the place, not of mayor, but of city
^ These are the stenographer's notes of the remarks of the- Hon. William
Dudley Foulke, president of the National Municipal League at the discus-
sion of the above report at the Toronto meeting of the League.
OF GOVERNMENT 211
manager, and he would have his slate of five commissioners who
would go in and vote for him, and he would get men who were
personally popular and knew how to pull the ropes. His skill
as a politician is much better than that of the men who would
oppose him. He would have his five men who would vote for
him, and the issue before election would be, Are we to have Doc
Zimmerman for manager or not?
It is far better to vote for a man directly instead of indi-
rectly, as we have done in the election of United States senators
and in the election of the president of the United States. When
the Constitution was adopted it was considered that the best way
to elect a president was not to have the whole body of people
vote, but to have a selected body or college who would meet and
find out by some means — by the inspiration of the spirit or some-
thing — who was the best man to become president of the United
States ; the people could not be trusted to do that work. It
was the same way in electing senators — not to trust the whole
body of the people, but to have the legislature think the thing
over and choose the man they wanted. But the people of the
United States have now determined by constitutional amendment
that it is better for the people to choose by direct election than
by this indirect method which confuses and obscures the issues
and often degrades the electoral bodies and makes mere dum-
mies out of the men who compose them. That would be the
result in cities still subject to the political usages which now
prevail in many parts of the country. Therefore, it would be a
very bad thing for the National Municipal League to recommend
the immediate adoption of a system like that to places that are
not ready for it.
Let all cities that are ripe for business administration, all
cities that have abolished political ideas in their city government
— let them take the city manager plan. But for those which have
not, which do not yet know how to get rid of the bosses, I
think it would be a dangerous experiment.
Suppose instead of calling him the city manager, you call him
the city boss; you can see how the plan would work out in a
community habituated not to a manager, but to a boss. So let
us go slow.
"How many things by season seasoned are
To their right praise and true perfection!"
212 CITY MANAGER PLAN
There is a doubt as to whether the manager system has yet
been tried far enough for us to express a definite opinion as to
whether it is yet preferable everywhere to the other system,
though I believe that this will ultimately be the case.
THE EVOLUTION OF TYPES OF CITY GOV-
ERNMENT IN THE UNITED STATES'
In the entire evolution of municipal government in the
United States there has been nothing so unprecedented as the
rapid development within the last decade or so of our two most
recent and somewhat related types of government, the so-called
commission and city-manager types.
Both of these types of government in ultimate analysis rep-
resent an obvious return to something of our municipal begin-
nings — a return to the principle of concentrated power and re-
sponsibility for the entire government of the city in a single
group. In respect to commission government this return is
striking. However important to the success of this plan of gov-
ernment may be its usual accompanying features, I cannot re-
gard them as vitally affecting the type of government. They
are no more and no less essential to the success of commission
government than they are to the success of any other type of
organization in which responsibility for performance is fairly
located. Stripped of these accessories, commission government
is council government, the government of the colonial and post-
Revolutionary city, with the single councilman as an adminis-
trator substituted for the administrative councilmanic committee,
a government in which policy-determining and policy-executing
functions are united in the same group.
In respect to the city-manager type, the return to our begin-
nings may not be so manifest at a glance ; but I think it is none
the less a reality. It is the council that is completely responsible
for the character of the administration. It is true that the
method of exercising this responsibility is somewhat new. The
council is empowered to direct the manager or his subordinates
only through the medium of ordinances. They can legislate but
* "The Commission and City Manager Types." By Prof. Howard L.
McBain, Columbia University. In National Municipal Review. 6: ig-30.
January, 1917.
OF GOVERNMENT 213
they cannot actively participate in the administration. On the
other hand, they can remove the manager at will. In other words
they must exercise their control over actual administration by
acting upon the manager per se and not upon his individual acts.
It is easy enough to write this arrangement into law, but the
actual operation o£ the letter and spirit of that law will of
necessity depend upon the degree of co-operation that is main-
tained between the council and the manager. So far as the
scheme itself is concerned, I can readily conceive of a manager
who, by reason of his dependence upon the council for the re-
tention of his position, would allow himself to become little more
than a chief clerk for a council which actually dominated and
controlled the entire administrative operations of the city. Such
a result might be a violation of the spirit of the law ; it would
not be a violation of its letter. Even with a manager of ability
and independence and a council imbued with a desire of realizing
the spirit of this type of government, I can conceive of the
development of a d-egree of councilmanic control over actual
administration through the medium of warnings in advance of
dismissal. The truth of the matter is that you cannot write into
law, a precise division of function between two authorities where
the tenure of one is absolutely at the mercy of the other. The
authority in control of the tenure can always, if it chooses, con-
trol the discretion of its subordinate even within the written
sphere of that subordinate.
I say this not in criticism of the city-manager plan of gov-
ernment. I consider it a type of government that has much to
commend it. It has, indeed, so much of virtue in it that it seems
to me unnecessary to ignore or gloss the facts about it. It does
not of necessity involve a separation of policy-determining and
policy-executing functions. It does not of necessity result in
administration by experts. The degree of separation and the
degree of expertness that result must be ascribed not to anything
that inheres in the form of government but to the practice under
that form as it has developed under the compelling force of
enlightened public opinion.
I do not wish to seem captiously legalistic; but there is cer-
tainly a difference between that which is law and that which is
public opinion. From the viewpoint of the law, there is little tlip.t
is new in the city-manager type of government. It is a return
to the system of councilmanic control. The only new feature is
214 CITY MANAGER PLAN
that the council must exercise that control through the agency
of a single chief-subordinate instead of acting directly upon a
number of subordinates. Under the New York charter of 1830 a
city-manager plan of government might easily have been in-
stalled. When the Dayton charter of 1913 vested in a "govern-
ing body" knovi^n as a commission the power to "pass ordinances"
and to appoint and remove a "city manager who shall be the
administrative head of the municipal government," there was no
reason why a partisan or corrupt commission might not have
dominated the entire administration through the choice of a
manager wholly subservient to their designs.
It may be that neither the commission form nor the city-
manager type of government is the last word in municipal or-
ganization in the United States. To my mind they are of less
interest as types than as an expression of a manifest and com-
pelling need, on the one hand, and the proof of a change of
public mental attitude on the other. They express the need for
simplicity in municipal organization. Democracy cannot function
properly through a complicated organization which it cannot
visualize and cannot comprehend. Pinning our faith to the
catholicon of reorganization, we early began to emerge from
simplicity in municipal organization. For more than half a cen-
tury we reaped the reward that might have been expected from
the complications we introduced. We are now in the era of a
return to simplicity. It is a sign that is full of hope, whatever
may be the specific type of government in which the movement
finds expression.
I do not ignore the importance of governmental form in a
democracy. But I am profoundly convinced that we have laid
and are laying too great stress upon this matter of form. This
or that type of government is of importance only to the extent
that it lends itself to the smooth functioning of democratic con-
trol. We cannot assume that any organic form will give the
people of a city a better government than they desire. The
fundamental assumption of democracy is that the people actively
and positively desire the best government possible. The machin-
ery of government is of interest and importance only in the
degree that it facilitates or obstructs the realization of this desire.
I am inclined to believe that had the commission or the city-
manager type of government been established a generation or so
ago it would have been a dismal failure. In an atmosphere of
OF GOVERNMENT 215
public indifference, of inactivity, of lack of heart or of interest,
it would have lent itself admirably to the machinations of pro-
fessional politicians and spoilsmen. We should hesitate to give
to the genius of a designer credit that is in fact due to a nevf
motive force — in this case to an awakened, vitalized, and actively
operating public opinion. Unstinted laudation of the virtues of
these types of government may be justified as a means for
keeping public opinion upon its mettle ; but is the danger not real
that it may also result in convincing a busy and not too exacting
people here at last, after all the futile searching of the years,
they have come upon their long-sought Eldorado — a super-gov-
ernment, a government so perfect in type that they can wind it
up at periodical elections and, with supreme confidence in its
ability to run itself, turn their attention to other things?
DEFECTS IN THE DAYTON CHARTER'
At the present time when the agitation in favor of the so-
called city manager plan of city government is becoming so
wide-spread as to attract nearly universal attention, it is well to
distinguish between the merits of the plan per se and the fea-
tures of any particular charter that may be cited as putting that
plan into effect.
The charter most frequently cited in this connection within
the last few months is that of the city of Dayton. Dayton being
the largest city in this country that has so far put the plan into
actual operation interest is naturally centered on that place, and
copies of the Dayton charter are in great demand wherever any
interest is shown in the new movement. It is especially desirable
therefore that a general indorsement of the city manager plan
be not misconstrued into an indorsement of all the features that
are found in this charter, which has assumed more or less,
through the recommendations of the Dajiion bureau of municipal
research, the role of a model charter for other municipalities
desirous of following along the new lines.
It is quite unnecessary here to discuss the merits of the plan
for expert city administration of which the city manager move-
1 By Herman G. James, Director, Bureau of Municipal Research and
Reference, University of Texas. In National Municipal Review. 2:95-7.
January, 1914.
2i6 CITY MANAGER PLAN
ment is properly considered as the chief exponent. On the ad-
vantages of expert city administration students are agreed, and
it is also true that the city of Dayton has definitely declared it-
self in favor of the application of the principle, and to that
extent deserves the admiration and congratulations of the sup-
porters of efficient city government throughout the country.
But there are some features of the Dayton charter which
seem to be undesirable and yet which, unfortunately, would be
just as likely to be copied in other city charters as would the
commendable ones.
Three of these defects deserve particular mention, one of
them in fact being of a nature to destroy in a measure the very
benefits which this new plan is meant to secure.
The first of these weaknesses is found at the very beginning
of the charter where in section i an enumeration of the powers
of the corporation is attempted. Now it is a well recognized
fact that the practice of enumerating the corporate powers of
cities has been the source of great inconvenience, in this country.
No enumeration can ever be complete and so it is necessary to
add, as has been done in section 2 of the Dayton charter, that
"the enumeration of particular powers by this charter shall not
be held or deemed to be exclusive, but, in addition to the powers
enumerated herein, implied thereby or appropriate to the exercise
thereof, the city shall have, and may exercise all other powers
which under the constitution and laws of Ohio it would be com-
petent for this charter specifically to enumerate." Even if such
a blanket provision affected its purpose, namely, to confer upon
the city all local powers so far as possible under the laws and
constitution, we would at least have to conclude that the enu-
meration in section i is surplus verbiage. But that is not all,
for courts have repeatedly taken the view that the principle of
inclusio unins, cxdusio alteriiis will be applied whenever there is
an enumeration of such corporate powers, and that a blanket
clause like that of section 2 above will not be given effect.
Hence such an enumeration so far from being of any benefit
may be a positive detriment. Much better, therefore, would it be,
to make a general grant of powers subject to the limitations
imposed in the charter.
The second feature of the Dayton charter which it would
seem undesirable for other cities to copy relates to the nomina-
tion provisions. More than two pages are taken up with regu-
OF GOVERNMENT 217
lations concerning primary elections, when it would have been
much simpler to provide for nomination by mere declaration, on
the English plan. Primary elections are no doubt superior to the
old packed convention system of party nomination, but where it
it is the avowed purpose to a charter, as it is that of the Dayton
charter to have "party politics eliminated" it is unnecessary to
have any kind of formal nomination procedure. Primary elec-
tions double the cost of elections, and what is worse they double
the burden of the elector, which means just that much less par-
ticipation by the voters, especially the best fitted ones. If a mul-
tiplicity of candidates is feared, it is suggested that the prob-
ability of minority candidates being chosen as a result of many
applicants is on the one hand not a real danger and on the other
can be met in a simple manner. That facility in becoming a can-
didate does not necessarily lead to a plethora of aspirants is
shown by the experience of England. But even if it should do
so in this country the danger of minority choices can be met by
the use of the preferential ballot.
The third objectionable feature of the Dayton charter is of
much greater significance because it seems to strike right at the
heart of the city manager principle. By section 13 of the charter
the city manager is viade subject to recall. Now it seems clear
that the ver>^ first step in the direction of expert city administra-
tion was to take the choice of the experts out of the hands of the
electorate and to put it into the hands of some other organ, the
council or the mayor as the case might be. It was felt that this
offered greater opportunity of getting an expert man in the first
place and of having him administer the affairs of the city ener-
getically, without continually weighing in his mind, the probable
effects of enforcing this or that administration measure which
might be disagreeable to this or that influential political individ-
ual or group. If it is characteristic of the city manager plan to
make the commission or council responsible for choosing the
best man for the place, what possible justification can there be
for making that same man subject to recall by the electorate. If
he must "make a hit with the people" to keep from being re-
called, he is scarcely in a better situation than if he has to make
a hit with the people to be elected in the first place and his
motives will inevitably be influenced by the contemplation of
what response this or that proposed improvement will meet w-ith
in the minds of the voter.
2i8 CITY MANAGER PLAN
We have made a long stride in the right direction when we
discard the fallacy of trying to elect expert administrators by
popular vote. Let us not slide back half way or more by allow-
ing popular vote to determine whether or not such an adminis-
trator shall continue in office.
EXPERIENCE OF SANDUSKY, OHIO*
The city manager plan went into operation in Sandusky, Ohio,
the first of the year (1916). The commission of five mem-
bers had scarcely organized before a split disclosed itself. There
is little doubt that the spHt was due to the fact that Commis-
sioner Stubig and Commissioner Graefe were the representatives,
in fact the leaders of two contending factions. The struggle
opened over the election of the president of the commission. It
was at this time that Stubig won the support of Commissioner
Koegle, who was elected president of the commission, and thus
secured control of a majority of the commission. The first cli-
max in the conflict between Stubig and Graefe was reached
when the majority of the commission ousted Auditor-treasurer
Cheney from office. Thereupon the two minority commissioners
Graefe and Mitchell in a signed statement published in all the
newspapers, advocated the recall of the entire commission on the
ground that its lack of harmony was seriously hampering the
proper administration of public affairs.
The two daily papers pushed the movement for the recall of
the entire commission. The basis of their attack was that the
commission was out of joint with itself as demonstrated by the
fact that the vote on every important question was three to two,
and that the majority of the commission had subverted the
charter by introducing politics. They had removed the auditor-
treasurer, an expert called in from the outside, before he had
been given sufficient time to prove his merit in order to put in his
place one of their own friends. They had in order to build up
patronage seriously hampered the city manager in his appoinN
ments even to the extent of dictating the appointment of his
stenographer.
\ Reprinted from "Some Recent Uses of the Recall," by F. Stuart Fit/-
Patrick, in the National Municipal Review, July, 19 16.
OF GOVERNMENT 219
Stubig's Weekly which represents the majority of the com-
mission replied to these charges with vigor and no little feeling.
It charged that the whole recall movement was a conspiracy on
the part of the two minority commissioners in coalition with
certain powerful clubs of the city and the two daily newspapers
to gain control of the city administration by means of a new
election. It justified the dismissal of the auditor-treasurer on
the ground that he was an expert accountant who knew nothing
of municipal affairs. It stated that the city manager, whom they
had secured from the outside in order that he might make fair
and impartial appointments, had upon coming to Sandusky
lodged at one of the clubs where he fell in with a society out of
sympathy with the ideals of the people, and had without con-
sulting the commissioners made his appointments on the recom-
mendations of this society. It was, consequently, the imperative
duty of the commission to supervise his appointments. The com-
mission, not its hired appointees, was on trial before the people.
The recall movement, if it may be termed such, initiated by the
two minority commissioners, spent itself in mutual recrimina-
tions and threats. Commissioner Stubig, however, did get under
way a ceal movement to recall minority Commissioner Graefe,
at least preliminary petitions are being circulated among the
south and west end residents. It is doubtful whether the petition
will receive sufficient signatures since Commissioner Graefe
"is a prominent man and a banker who is greatly feared in
politics."
It is difficult to evaluate the recall in a situation such as
exists at Sandusky. That city is torn apart by bitter factions,
and the chief issue is one of personalties rather than of efficient,
serviceable government. The recall, like every other instrument
of government, can be used as a weapon in a factional conflict,
and as such it is neither more nor less legitimate than any other
instrument of government. The recall did not introduce con-
fusion into the municipal politics of Sandusky. It is doubtful
whether it is able to dispel any of the confusion. The electorate
could make use of it to oust its "wrangling" politicians. One
of the factions could make use of it to defeat its opponents.
The real crux of the matter here, as always, is the level of public
opinion.
220 CITY MANAGER PLAN
ASHTABULA'S EXPERIENCES'
Ashtabula's Experiences. — Early in 1915 Ashtabula, Ohio,
adopted a charter embodying the city manager plan. An ac-
count of how this charter was amended so as to provide for
choosing the council by the Hare system of proportional repre-
sentation and of the first election under the amended charter was
given in the previous issue of the National Municipal Review.^
Since that article was written a manager and other administra-
tive officers have been chosen by the council and the new plan of
government has gone into operation. Difficulties that arose in
selecting a manager have been given such wide publicity that an
account of what actually took place and a statement of the pres-
ent situation may be of some interest. What is here written is
based on a knowledge of conditions in Ashtabula extending over
several years, and on a recent investigation made on the ground.
The council of seven elected in November, 1915, took office
January i, 1916. Their first and most important duty was to
choose a city manager. In the performance of this duty four
councilmen at once showed a disposition to play very personal,
very cheap and very undesirable politics. Three of this group of
four had been members of the council under the old city govern-
ment, and the fourth was the one socialist elected under the new
charter. The other three members of the council acquitted
themselves with credit, sometimes voting to select a manager
from outside the city and sometimes voting for a distinctly capa-
ble Ashtabula man with a good record of public service.
The Ashtabula charter does not specifically forbid the council
to choose one of its own members as manager though such a
choice would be entirely at variance with the spirit and funda-
mental principles of the manager plan. After a good deal of
jockeying and fruitless balloting councilmen Briggs, Corrado,
Earlywine and Hogan united in voting for Briggs. The city
was outraged. While not undesirable as a councilman, Briggs
has no qualifications for the managership except that just at
that time he was badly in need of a job whereby to support
himself and family. A storm of public disapproval broke over
the council and centered itself on Briggs. Here the advantage
of the concentrated responsibility and authority provided by the
^ By A. R. Hatton. National Municipal Review. 5:660-2. October, 1916.
* Vol. V, p. 56.
OF GOVERNMENT 221
charter manifested themselves. After twelve days of hesitation,
Briggs yielded to the pressure of public opinion and declined
the managership. The council returned to its balloting. Finally
on January 25, and after one hundred ballots had been taken,
Corrado, Briggs, Earlywine and Hogan voted for J. Warren
Prine, a well known citizen of Ashtabula, and he accepted the
managership at a salary of $2,500 per year.
Probaby no one alive to the spirit of the manager plan and
appreciating its possibilities would regard the choice of Mr. Prine
as better than mediocre. Material of superior quality could have
been found in Ashtabula. He is fifty years old, has been active
in politics as a Republican, was postmaster of Ashtabula for
twelve years prior to January, 1915, has conducted a coal and
builders' supply business for a short time and, on the whole, can
be said to have had no training that specially qualifies him for
the position of manager.
On the other hand it should be said, in fairness, that the
citizens of Ashtabula seem to see nothing inappropriate in Air.
Prine's appointment. He has a reputation for honesty and is
undeniably popular with all classes. He appears to have more
than the ordinary equipment of common sense and has turned
to his new duties with an earnestness that may go far in com-
pensating for his initial deficiencies. In order to acquaint him-
self with his work he visited Dayton and Springfield, the two
most prominent commission manager cities in the country. The
people of Ashtabula seem to regard him with considerable confi-
dence. He has stated that political considerations will play no
part in his appointments, but that subordinates will be selected
upon the basis of fitness alone. The few changes that he has
made seem to meet with general public approval and are un-
deniably in the interest of efficient and economical government.
«
ONE EDITOR'S OPINION OF THE CITY MAN-
AGER PLAN IN NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y.'
In brief, the people voted to adopt this plan in November,
1914, and out of the seven thousand or more voters of this city,
less than one-half gave any expression either way. The two
party organizations were opposed to it, but did nothing — believing
^ A letter from E. T. Williams, Editor-Manager of the Niagara Falls
Journal.
222 CITY MANAGER PLAN
that the proposition would be defeated at the polls. A year
later, officers were elected under this plan which as you will
see embraces a mayor and four councilmen elected at large, who
appoint the city manager. When these officials came into office
they adopted a set of ordinances purporting to put into effect
Plan C, but Attorney-General Woodbury, of this state, handed
down an opinion shortly afterward to the effect that some por-
tions of Plan C were unconstitutional. A bill was thereupon
prepared embracing the ordinances which had been passed by
the councilmen, which was passed by the Legislature and signed
by the Governor.
An outside man was appointed City Manager at a salary of
$5,000 per year, which is double any salary ever paid for any city
office in Niagara Falls.
Public opinion is divided as to the efficiency and general
desirability of the city manager plan. The only other city in
New York state that has it is Newburgh. Voters of several cities
to whom this plan has been submitted, in New York, have re-
jected it. The consensus of opinion here now is that if the plan
were submitted to this City at this time, it would be disapproved.
It has now been in effect virtually for one year and two months,
but under the provisions of the law the question cannot be sub-
mitted until the expiration of four years.
The mayor and four councilmen were all elected upon the
Republican ticket, and contrary to the predictions regarding it,
the city government of Niagara Falls is largely a partisan gov-
ernment. Two of the councilmen are to be elected again next
fall, while the mayor and other two councilmen serve four years.
The prediction is made that, although this city is normally
strongly Republican, the two councilmen elected next fall will
be Democrats.
CATARACT JOURNAL COMPANY,
E. T. Williams,
Editor-Manager.
OF GOVERNMENT 223
ARGUMENTS AGAINST THE ADOPTION OF
THE CITY MANAGER PLAN IN PASADENA,
CALIFORNIA'
On November 21, 1916, the citzens of Pasadena defeated
the city manager charter by a vote of 4,640 to 4,041.
Existing Commission Plan Has Been Successful
In the twenty-six years since I have been in Pasadena our
city government has existed under a number of different plans
and I think it can be fairly said that under all of the different
plans we have had a good city government.
At first the city was incorporated under the statutory charter
of a city of the sixth class, planned for the smallest class of an
incorporated municipality with a board of trustees.
Then, years after we had outgrown that charter, a free-
holders' charter was prepared by a large board of freeholders,
who labored for many months, with great care, to work out the
details properly. And I remember that at that time, the theory
of having much power vested in one man was much discussed,
and the office of mayor was created with that design in view.
Although the utmost care was taken in the preparation of the
freeholders charter, it has been found necessary from time to
time to make some modifications of the same.
Then, years after we had outgrown that charter, a free-
mission form of government was much discussed, and, after ma-
ture consideration and careful preparation, was adopted and the
necessary changes in the charter made. And since then, instead
of having one manager, we have had five, each one in charge of
the particular department of the municipal business, for which
he was best qualified by training and experience ; and all to-
gether sharing the responsibility of definite action upon the more
important matters. And, as far as I can judge, most of our
citizens are quite well satisfied with the results thus far shown.
It should be remembered that probably no plan or form of
city government can or should be devised, which will not leave
much to the personal initiative and judgment of its responsible
governing body. And it is most important that radical changes
* Reprinted from issues of The Star-News, November, 1916.
15
224 CITY MANAGER PLAN
in the fundamental law of any government should not be made
hastily or without the most careful preparation and considera-
tion.
We certainly, therefore, should not always be tinkering with
our charter, by making radical and sudden changes in its plan;
but, on the contrary, having once deliberately decided to try out
the commission form of government, it would seem that the
reasonable and sensible thing to do is to first thoroughly try out
that plan, making, in the meantime, such reasonable adjustments
as experience may show to be necessary. And any changes what-
ever that are made in a charter, should only be made after the
most thorough and painstaking preparation and deliberation, and
the more so, where such changes are radical in their nature.
J. H. Merriam.
Proposed City Manager Charter Defective
The following is a letter from a city manager. If Cadillac,
Mich., wouldn't like the proposed amendment, why should Pasa-
dena like it?
"I believe that it would be a great mistake for the amend-
ment to require that all the directors be elected at the same time
for two-year terms. This undoubtedly will result in a political
turmoil at some time as would most likely have been the case
in Cadillac last fall. Owing to the fact that three of the five
commissioners were not removed co-operation is perfect and con-
ditions are very satisfactory.
"The limitation as to the amount of salary to be paid the man-
ager might be satisfactory for a few years, but if Pasadena
grows in population and favors the proposed form of govern-
ment to the fullest extent of efficiency, they will in later years
want to be in a position to meet the demands for efficiency in
being able to hold a capable manager or secure one at the
salaries city managers are undoubtedly going to command in
other large cities. When that time comes it will be rather diffi-
cult to get an amendment passed granting the directorate power
to pay higher salaries."
T. V. Stephens,
General Manager City of Cadillac.
Following is an extract from a letter of Charles E. Hewes,
city manager of the city of Alhambra, together with expressions
of opinion from several citizens:
OF GOVERNMENT 225
"The following provisions in the amendment I do not believe
to be wise:
(i) " 'AH directors are elected at the same time for two-year
terms.'
"This means that every second year a new set of directors
would take office. They would be unfamiliar with the policies of
the old directorate, the work it had accomplished as well as that
which it had planned. Further, they would not be conversant
with the work of the manager. It would take them several
months to 'get into harness.' I believe it is a much better policy
to have a change each year, without distributing the majority on
the board. Under our charter the president of the commission,
who is elected at large in the city, holds office two years. The
balance of the commission holds office four years, with one
commissioner going out of office each year.
(2) "The idea of limiting the salary of the city manager is
not a good one.
"The city of Pasadena is bound to grow, and $6,000 per year
may not be sufficient, in a few j'ears, to induce the proper man
to assume the duties of a manager. Of course the charter could
be amended, but to my mind, the more rational way would be to
name a minimum salary, leaving the maximum to the directors.
(3) '"The directors can name only the aggregate sum. which
may be spent by any department, leaving the expenditure of this
amount entirely to the judgment of the manager.'
"I do not particularl}^ like this section, as it would seem
from reading the same that after the directorate had fixed a
lump sum to be spent by any department, it would have no
further interest as to how and where the money should be spent.
"The directorate is the policy-forming body of the city, and
if it is policy to set aside a definite sum of money for a particu-
lar improvement, this provision would seem to interfere. The
manager is not greatly interested in what the directorate may
wish to do. He may advise, it is true, but if a certain piece of
work is decided upon, it is his dutj'' to see that the work is
properly done and that the city gets value received for every
dollar spent, accounting to the people for the same."
City Manager Would Possess Unlimited Powers
The commission form of city government, as it now exists,
divides the responsibility into departments, which should give to
226 CITY MANAGER PLAN
the city the very best results. In cities operating under this plan,
where capable men are selected, it has unquestionably proved
to be very satisfactory.
The plan proposed by amendment of the city charter elim-
inates all departments and turns over the entire management of
all the affairs of the city to one person called a city manager.
Under the amendment proposed it gives the city manager ex-
traordinary authority.
He is charged with the enforcement of all the laws. He is
to assume the entire and exclusive control, direction and super-
vision of all the departments of the city. He is to issue rules
and regulations for the management of all of its departments.
He is given power to appoint or remove any and all employes
of the city, except the auditor, police judge, city attorney and the
city treasurer. He is to have power to fix the qualifications,
powers and duties of all employes of the city except the auditor,
police judge, city attorney and city treasurer aforesaid. He is to
make monthly reports from the various departments, and an
itemized estimate of all financial needs of the various depart-
ments of the city.
He is to have power to act as a police office and make arrests
and suspend licenses.
In a word, he is made both an administrative and executive
officer, and is charged with extraordinary responsibilities ;
greater, in fact, than any one person is capable of performing.
The proposed charter, after making provision for all of the
above duties to be performed by the manager, then very curiously
provides that "the city manager shall designate (appoint) by in-
strument filed with the city clerk some properly qualified person
to perform the duties of his ofilice during his disability or absence
from the city."
It seems that the directors propose to allow him extraordinary
authority to make appointment filling his own office in his ab-
sence. Why not reserve this power in case of his absence or
disability?
It seems to me that the proposed charter places in his hands
almost unlimited powers and authority not expedient or wise,
nor in the best interests of a great city the size and importance
. of our city.
H. W. Magee.
OF GOVERNMENT 227
FIVE REASONS WHY THE CITIZENS COMMIT-
TEE OPPOSED THE ADOPTION OF THE
CITY MANAGER PLAN IN PASADENA,
CALIFORNIA'
We believe it is to the best interest of Pasadena to vote "No"
November 21st on the proposed change in our form of municipal
government and urge our fellow citizens so to vote for the fol-
lowing reasons :
1. The proposed "City Manager Plan" has been tried in but
a comparatively few cities and there is no certainty at this time
that so new and radical a change would better the government
of Pasadena.
2. If we grant that a "City Manager Plan" would be a
beneficial change, yet the proposed amendment is faulty in sev-
eral important respects, as pointed out by city managers to whom
this amendment has been submitted, to-wit :
(a) The manager is limited to a salary of $6,000 per annum.
This should be left to the municipal directors to decide, the same
as the directors of private corporations fix a manager's salary.
(b) The directors are to be selected for two years; hence
every two years there would be a complete change of the entire
board. We believe they should be elected for four years with
overlapping periods, so that a majority of the board would be
hold-overs and familiar with the city's business.
(c) The proposed amendment provides that the directors
shall name a lump sum to be expended in each department. We
believe the city manager should formulate both the annual tax
and appropriation budget, public hearings on same should be
held, and a budget finally determined upon so that expenditures
will be offset by income.
(d) We believe the directors should be elected at large,
and should not represent wards or districts, that we should be
able to select the best men, irrespective of the district in which
they reside. Under the proposed plan too great an incentive is
given to legislative log rolling. If this city is to be governed
by a directorate, the body should represent the city as a whole.
(e) We believe the amendment should read "The manager
Reprinted from the Pasadena Star-News of November 18, 19 16.
228 CITY MANAGER PLAN
shall attend" and not "He tnay attend" directors' meetings, and
for obvious reasons.
The above, (o), (b), (c), (d) and (e), are five defects that
seem apparent at this time. All of them have been called to our
attention by the city managers of other municipalities.
3. It is admitted that our charter could be revised advan-
tageously, but we do not believe the commission form of govern-
ment has been thoroughly tested here nor has it proven inefficient
or uneconomical. Quite the contrary. Many improvements
have been effected, the tax rate reduced and the public service
extended without the voting of bonds. Only two municipalities
in Los Angeles County have a lower tax rate than Pasadena, viz.,
Eagle Rock and Arcadia.
4. The present movement for a complete change in our form
of government has been unfortunately inaugurated. We do not
believe it is fair either to the city manager plan or to the citizens
generally to have brought so important a movement to a focus
practically at the close of a national political campaign and
oblige the citizens to vote at a special election scarce two weeks
after the general election was held on a matter they do not thor-
oughly understand. This subject should have had general and
extended discussion prior to any election. It should be handled
through a representative citizens' committee or a regularly elected
board of freeholders as provided in our state constitution.
5. We wish for Pasadena the best form of government pos-
sible. We pledge ourselves to co-operate with our fellow citi-
zens to this end. But we are unalterably opposed to an immediate
and radical change in our form of government, without a prior
investigation and extended discussion to the end that the citizens
generally may have intelligent and definite opinions upon the sub-
ject. With Pasadena today one of the best improved, best
governed and most prosperous municipalities in the state, we
urge our fellow citizens "to make haste slowly."
Citizens Committee,
Edward F. Parker, Secretary.
OF GOVERNMENT 229
ARGUMENT AGAINST THE ADOPTION OF
THE CITY MANAGER PLAN IN BERKELEY,
CALIFORNIA'
[The city council of Berkeley submitted to the voters a prop-
osition to incorporate the office of city manager into the city
charter. The amendment was defeated on Nov. 7, 1916, by about
six hundred votes. Apparently no aggressive campaign was
waged for the adoption of the amendment. — Ed.]
No adequate reason has been advanced to induce Berkeley
to adopt the city manager plan. We are told in general terms of
the wonderful work done in Dayton, of the increase in efficiency
under a manager, of the financial saving to be effected, but an
analysis of these claims does not show they are justified and the
people of Berkeley should take care they are not deceived as they
were by the proponents of our present commission government.
It is fair at this point to observe that the deception was not
intentional. The board of freeholders that drew up our charter
were honest in the belief that a commission constituted the best
city government. We were told it would be more economical and
more responsible than the old council plan. In fact that it was
the last word in municipal government.
It did not take long for the freeholders to find they were
mistaken, so they reconvened and decided our city should be
conducted on the city manager plan. We must now bear in mind
that the same roseate promises which induced us to adopt our
present form of government are being used in favor of the Day-
ton plan.
When we consider conditions in Dayton before the manager
plan was adopted it is easy to understand why a change was
made. As a matter of fact any change was a change for the
better.
The following extract from Toulmin's books, "the city man-
ager," gives a fair idea of the Ohio city's reason for trying the
experiment :
"It was a government by deficit, a government with no check
on expenditure by any department, with little foretliought in
regard to that embarrassing future question as to where the
^ By C. C. Emslie. Reprinted from the Berkeley Daily Gazette, No-
vember 3, 19 1 6.
230 CITY MANAGER PLAN
money was to come from. In six years the total deficit amounted
to $360,000, or an average of $60,000 a year, in 1912 alone the
council made the barefaced appropriation of $1,051,300 upon an
acknowledged income of $943,000, or an increase over income of
$108,300."
In view of the above it is not to be wondered at that Dayton
was ripe for a change, but it would seem that what the citizens
of that community really needed was not a manager but a guar-
dian.
Surely no one will contend that this city is in such desperate
straits as was Dayton. It is admitted that our form of govern-
ment is highly unsatisfactory but the writer believes the reason
is that the governing power is improperly distributed; is not in
sufficiently close touch with the voters and that the adoption of
the manager plan would increase these tendencies.
As for the increase in efficiency — is it not possible that we are
making a fetish of the term? It is not the present day tendency
of our city governments to disregard the bounds of the com-
munity means and needs in the insane desire to emulate larger
and wealthier communuities ? Are not departments builded up
out of all proportion to necessities? It would seem so. City
Manager Reed of San Jose in the course of an address on his
work, recently delivered in this city, claimed he had increased
his efficiency by constituting himself the city complaint depart-
ment ; that all sorts of people telephone to him at all sorts of
hours, with all sorts of complaints. Many of these complaints,
he admitted, were frivolous and beyond his power to remedy.
Now, it may be efficiency for Manager Reed, who gets $6,000 a
year to do work which could as well be attended to by an
ordinary clerk, but the writer doubts it.
It is also doubtful if the new plan would effect any saving to
the taxpayers. Manager Reed, in the address above referred to,
freely admitted that the only saving he could point to under his
administration, was the elimination of the office o£ city treasurer,
whose duties are now conducted by a bank at a saving to the
city of $5,000 a year. This plan is not new ; it is in use in var-
ious eastern cities and will probably be adopted in Berkeley, city
manager or no city manager.
What Berkeley needs is a government fairly i;esponsive to
the wishes of the majority of the citizens; a government based
on the needs of the city, not on the needs of other cities. We
OF GOVERNMENT 231
were foolish enough to adopt the commission plan as a result
of a big flood in Galveston; let us not repeat the folly by adopt-
ing the manager plan because of corruption and mismanagement
m Dayton.
ARGUMENTS AGAINST THE ADOPTION OF
THE CITY MANAGER PLAN IN SPRING-
FIELD, MASSACHUSETTS'
[On November 7, 1916 voters of Springfield preferred the
Federal plan to the city manager plan, on December 5, the exist-
ing plan was preferred to the federal plan. — Ed.]
The Union opposes the adoption of the proposed new charter
Eor Springfield because it is convinced that the present charter
offers a much wiser and safer form of government. The Union
does not believe that the people of this city should surrender
the participation that they now have in their government and
vest their control in the hands of a mayor who would have it
in his power to do Springfield irreparable injury.
It is not an improved form of government that creates an
opportunity for the mayor to build up a political machine so
powerful as to make its overthrow next to impossible.
It is not an improvement to abolish the common council and
substitute ward aldermen for aldermen elected at large.
It is not an improvement to throw the schools into politics
by making members of the school board mere ward committee-
men.
It is not an improvement to give the mayor power to remove
members of the school committee at his pleasure. Advocates of
the proposed charter admit that this is a mistake, and say they
did not intend to give the mayor any such power, but the fact
remains that the charter does give it to him.
It is not an improvement to take the water department, now
handled as a strictly business enterprise, and put it under polit-
ical control.
It is not an improvement to substitute for the present checks
and balances the uncertain devices of the initiative, the referen-
dum and the recall.
1 Reprinted from The Springfield Union, issues of December 3 and 6,
1916.
232 CITY MANAGER PLAN
When the charter of Springfield is revised the revision ought
to be made in the light of the city's actual experience. Nobody
can dispute the fact that whatever may be the theoretical dis-
advantages of the present charter, the city has had good govern-
ment under it continuously for sixty-four years. The mere fact
that Springfield gets the highest average price for its bonds of
any city in the United States of itself affords convincing evidence
that our municipal administration has been and still excellent.
The last sale of bonds in Dayton, O., which boasts of a city
manager and all the latest wrinkles in government, was made
on a basis of 3.98. The last sale of Springfield bonds was made
on a basis of 3.48. The net debt of this city is less than 3 per
cent of the valuation, which is one half of i per cent under that
of the average of all the other Massachusetts cities. Our aver-
age tax rate for all purposes for the last ten years has been
$16.14, which is the lowest average of any city of like population
in the country. Here, in brief, is a financial record that affords
convincing evidence that Springfield voters should leave well
enough alone.
Citizens of Springfield who have taken little interest in the
activities of those responsible for all the municipal charter agita-
tion are opening their eyes as to the facts regarding the agitators
and their schemes.
By this time everybody can be satisfied as to the motives of
the federal charter leaders. First of all, it is a Democratic move
to obtain control of the city by setting up a system of ward
politics from which even the school board would not be immune.
Representing, as it does, an attempt to break into the school de-
partment, the proposed charter is making enemies of many citi-
zens who otherwise might have less concern in the proposition.
Up to yesterday there seemed to obtain so much public
indifference to the charter question that the federal crowd was
all confidence, because the lack of interest apparently was on
the other side. About all the activity in this campaign has been
the work of the federalists. Advantages have been with them
from the time when their charter defeated the city manager
plan by a close vote at the November election.
The serious situation that in this respect confronts Springfield
today can be summed up in a few words. It is a plot by Demo-
cratic politicians to get a hold on the school committee, in which
purpose they are aided and abetted by such Republicans as cer-
tain city manager schemers have been able to mislead.
OF GOVERNMENT 233
As for the city manager schemers, already it has been shown
by their own works that, having lost their case, they stand out
in the destructive light of being ready to foist a cheap charter
upon the city, with consolation for them in the reflection that it
would prove to be so rotten they could before very long come
back again with their city manager project.
In the referendum at the state election the federal form of
charter won over the city manager form by a majority of 330.
In the referendum at the city election yesterday, when the voters
had an opportunity to say whether they preferred this federal
form to the charter now serving the city, a majority of 2,919 was
rolled up for the present charter. This should end for a long
time the activities of those who are laboring under the delusion
that Springfield is in need of an entirely new instrument of gov-
ernment.
Whatever may be the defects of the bicameral system as it is
here operated, those defects are not of a character so serious
as to convince the people that the only remedy is to discard the
city's experience of sixty-four years merely because some other
cities are experimenting with new-fangled contraptions. The
charter of the city may some day be revised in the light of the
amendments it has received, and such further amendments as
are demed advisable, but not for a very considerable period will
anybody or any interest have the temerity to conduct an agitation
for a radical departure in our governmental methods.
The Union is very glad to have contributed its mite toward
the preservation of the honorable charter under which Spring-
field has made such substantial progress, and under which it has
achieved so enviable a reputation among American municipalities.
KANSAS CITY DEFEATS MANAGER PLAN'
Kansas City, Mo. — The proposal for a new charter for Kansas
City was voted down at a special election by an almost even
vote, the negative vote having a majority of about 50. A four-
sevenths majority was necessary for passage. The proposed
charter called for a simplified form of city government along the
lines of the city-manager plan. Under the plan, ward lines were
to be abolished and city government directed by an administra-
* Municipal Journal, p. 383. March 15, 1917.
234 CITY MANAGER PLAN
tive board instead of the city council. Approximately 32,000
votes, about half those registered, were polled. The day after the
election mayor George H. Edwards announced that he expected
soon to name a board of freeholders to draft a new city charter
to be submitted to the voters for adoption as quickly as it could
be prepared. Mayor Edwards declared he would recommend
that the freeholders "correct the many errors in the defeated
charter, embody the good features of it and retain the provisions
of the present charter that years of experience have proved to
be good, providing a simple but safe form of government." The
charter was opposed by mayor Edwards and factions of both the
larger parties.
COMMISSION FORM LOSES'
Iowa City, la. — By a vote of 899 to 747 the proposition to
substitute the commission-manager plan of city government for
the council and mayor system in Iowa City was lost at a special
election. The vote total, 1,646, was just a little more than half
of the complete city vote. Two wards out of five gave a major-
ity in favor of the plan. Four years ago the proposition to adopt
the commission form of government for the city was lost by a
majority of 195 against the proposal.
CITY MANAGER PLAN DEFEATED^'
Arkansas City, Kan. — The city manager plan of municipal
government was defeated here by a majority of 51 votes, 912
ballots being cast for the plan and 963 against it.
COUNTY MANAGER CHARTER DEFEATED"
Napa, Cal. — The proposed county charter was defeated by
the voters of Napa County by a three to one vote. The pro-
vision in the charter for a business manager and the proposed
increased appointive power for the supervisors are declared re-
^ Municipal Journal, p. 383. March 15, 1917.
^Municipal Journal, p. 421. March 22, 1917.
^ Municipal Journal, p. 382. March 15, 1917.
OF GOVERNMENT 23S
sponsible for its defeat, although, if adopted, the constitution
provides that it may be amended at any time by a majority vote
or it may even be surrendered by a two-thirds vote. It was
estimated that $10,000 a year would be saved in salaries under the
charter plan of combining a number of offices. Under the pro-
posed charter, five supervisors would be elected at large and would
receive a salary of $50 a month. These would appoint a busi-
ness manager who would be ex-officio purchasing agent and pub-
lic administrator and receive a salary of $2.so a month. The
supervisors would have power to name the road engineer, who
has direct charge of all construction of highways and bridges,
and of the business manager, who would have general super-
vision of all county offices. Under the charter the office of
auditor was made one of great importance and an elaborate
budget system was provided. The auditor and the business man-
ager would fix the budget after each county official submitted to
them the amounts necessary to run their several offices during the
year. This budget would be submitted to the supervisors, who
could lower it, but not raise any of the estimates. A imiform
system of bookkeeping was also required by the charter. The
purchase of all county supplies, including those for all schools,
would have been in the hands of the purchasing agent. That
taxation should not be rapidly increased except in case of great
public danger or emergency was provided in the charter. In
1918 the supervisors would not be able to raise more than
$260,000 by taxation and in each succeeding year the amount
would not be increased above the amount raised during the pre-
vious year by more than three per cent. The tenure of present
county officials was not affected by the charter, and the provi-
sions of the state constitution regarding the initiative, referen-
dum and recall were made a part of it.
ANOTHER COUNTY CHARTER DEFEATED^
Lakeport, Cal. — The proposed charter for Lake County was
defeated by the voters by a large majority, almost two to one.
The campaign was hard fought. The defeated charter was
similar in many of its provisions to the one voted down in Napa
County, described last week.
^Municipal Journal, p. 421. March 22, 1917.
236 CITY MANAGER PLAN
IOWA CITY MANAGERS RESIGN^
Iowa Falls, la. — On April i, E. L. Marriage, who has been
the city manager here for the last three years, will retire from
that position and his successor will be chosen. Mr. Marriage has
tendered his resignation with a view to accepting "a better pay-
ing position and one that is not dependent upon politics." Dur-
ing the three years of the city manager plan here, according to
the satisfaction of the citizens, Mr. Marriage has demonstrated
its success and much good has been accomplished through his
management, backed by a mayor and council co-operating in
making the plan operative in the best way. Before he became
city manager Mr. Marriage was county auditor.
Webster City, la. — H. G. Vollmer, who has held the position
of city manager here for a year, has resigned, and plans to leave
here April i. Manager Vollmer's resignation came as a sur-
prise to the members of the council. His formal resignation cites
no reason for his action. It is understpod here, however, that
Mr. Vollmer has had several offers of a better position and his
friends make no secret of the fact that the resignation was
largely caused by the insistence of the council in curbing the
manager's authority. At no time since Mr. Vollmer came here
has he been given the full management of the city's affairs. His
friends claim he has been so hampered as to interfere seriously
with plans he has had in mind, and that his resignation is the
culmination of dissatisfaction with the attitude the council has
assumed toward him.
^Municipal Journal, p. 421. March 22, 1917.
OF GOVERNMENT
237
APPENDIX
MUNICIPALITIES UNDER THE CITY MANAGER
PLAN, MARCH 1, 1918'
City Population,
1918
Albuquerque, N. Mex. 14,000
Altoona, Pa 60,000
Anoka, Minn 2,000
Auburn, Me 17,000
Ballinger, Tex
Bethlehem, Pa 15,000
Birmingham, Mich.... 6,000
Boulder, Colo 12,000
Brigham City, Utah. . 4,000
Brownwood, Tex 7,000
Bryan, Tex 7,000
Carrington, N. D
Durham, N. C 25,000
Eaton Rapids, Mich. . s,ooo
Edgeville, Pa 8,000
El Dorado, Kans 5,000
Farmville, Va 5,000
Gallipolis, 6,000
Goldsboro, N. C 11,000
Griffin, Ga 8,000
Grosse Pte. Shores,
Mich 1,200
Hanford, Cal
Kalamazoo, Mich 60,000
Kingsport, Tenn 8,000
Lubbock, Tex 2,000
Madill, Okla 4,000
Manchester, Iowa.... 3,300
Mangum, Okla
Mt. Pleasant, Iowa.. 4,200
Muskegon H'ts., Mich. 3,000
New Hampton, Iowa. 2,Soo
Norfolk, Va 90,000
Ocala, Fla 6,000
Petersburg, Va 26,000
Pipestone, Minn 3,000
Royal Oak, Mich.... .■j.oco
Sault Ste. Marie,
Mich 13,000
So. Charleston, O.... 1,200
Three Rivers, Mich... 6,000
Titusville, Pa 12,000
Waltham, Mass 30,000
Xenia, 9,000
In Effect
Jan.,
Jan.,
Apr.,
Feb.,
Jan.,
Mar.,
Apr.,
Jan.,
Jan.,
Aug.,
May,
May,
Apr.,
Jan.,
July,
Sept.,
Jan.,
July.
Dec.
June.
Oct..
Apr.,
Mar.,
May,
Nov.,
Apr.,
Jan.,
Sept.,
Feb.,
Sept.,
May,
June.
Dec,
Jan..
Apr..
Dec,
Mar.,
Jan.,
918
918
914
918
917
918
918
918
918
917
917
917
917
913
914
917
91S
918
917
918
916
917
918
917
917
916
914
916
917
917
918
918
920
917
918
917
918
918
913
918
918
Manager Salary
P. G. Redington. . .$4500
H. G. Hinkle 8,000
Henry Lee 1200
H. G. Otis 3600
F. O. Heinrich .... 4,000
C. O. Roskelley
W. E. Dickerson
J. W. Greer 2,400
F. J. Beier 1,200
W. M. Wilkes 3,600
W. M. Cotton 2,400
B. C. Wells 3,600
Leslie Fogus 1,200
Edw. E. Myers.... 1.500
E. A. Beck 3.300
G. A. Abbott 1.800
Jay Hinman 1.800
W. R. Pouder 3,000
H. L. McDuffie... i.Soo
Thomas Wilson.... 1,400
W. F. Hearne 1,800
T. W. McMillan.. 1,530
1,400
J. N. Johnston
F. E. Cogswell.... 1.700
J. H. Moore 3,600
P. H. Cheney 1,400
H. A. Holstein.... 2,100
C. A. Bingham.... 5,000
Kenyon Riddle 3,000
^A supplement to the lists on pp. 11 and 12 of this volume. Figures
are taken from the Municipal Journal, 44:258-9. March 30, 19 18.
238 CITY MANAGER PLAN
THE PROPOSED APPLICATION OF THE
MANAGER IDEA TO THE GOVERN-
MENT OF CHICAGO'
Will Chicago rise to her great opportunity to set a new
pattern for the efficient and democratic government of all our
larger cities? If she does so, Chicago will again justify to the
world and to history her splendid motto of affirmation — "I
Will."
Such an opportunity now knocks at Chicago's door in the
form of a detailed and carefully drawn bill, subject to certain
important modifications, for the legislature to enact, reorganiz-
ing that city's present complex, cumbersome and wasteful scheme
of government with a new and modified application of the
city-manager plan. Such a bill has been drafted by the Chicago
Bureau of Public Efficiency, of which Harris S. Keeler is the
director, and is published in pamphlet form for public study
and consideration. The bureau invites suggestions for possible
improvement of the bill before the legislature meets. It is
rather expected that Governor Lowden will call an extra ses-
sion of the legislature and in that case he may conclude this
measure in his call. There is no regular session in 1918 and
the present Chicago Mayor's term ends in April, 1919. Hence
the importance of prompt action.
To all of our readers who are following the series of articles
dealing with the existing plans of government in the larger
cities of the United States ("How Our Big Cities Do Things,"
begun in October Equity with the study of New York, Phila-
delphia and Chicago and continued in this issue on page 27) the
knowledge that a great drive is about to be made by the forces
of good government in Chicago for a modified form of the
city-manager plan will be intensely interesting. If Chicago can
do this thing and make it work out advantageously in practice,
then other large cities can do it. The effort of Chicago will be
watched by all students of municipal government with genuine
interest. Hence it seems worth while to present here a fairly
comprehensive summary of the proposed new charter, although
the main features of the plan were given in the April Equity
(page 52,) when we were discussing the report on unification of
1 Equity. 20:11-16. January, 1918.
OF GOVERNMENT 239
Chicago's local governments issued by the same bureau which
has now drawn this bill.
The Executive in the New Plan
Although the proposed bill is intended to give Chicago the
essential features of the city-manager plan, the term "city-
manager" is not used therein. For the executive head the title
of "Mayor" is retained. But instead of being elected by the
voters of the city, the Mayor, under the new plan, will be
chosen by the reconstructed City Council to be the chief execu-
tive officer of the city and may be "any competent person who
is a citizen of the United States."
The Mayor will "administer the executive power of the city"
but will do so "under the direction of the City Council, and
will hold his office for an indefinite period at the pleasure of the
Council." The Mayor will be authorized to appoint and to re-
move at will (without a trial or statement of cause) the head
of every principal department, except the City Clerk and City
Comptroller. The Mayor would have to give notice of any such
appointment or removal to the Council, but the Council would
have no power to reinstate an officer removed by the Mayor
Before the end of each fiscal year the Mayor is required to
submit to the Council an itemized budget for each department
with comparisons of same for previous year and estimated rev-
enues, obligations, etc.
Other Officers Under the New Plan
The City Comptroller will also be elected by the Council
and hold office at the Council's pleasure as the chief accounting
and auditing officer. But aside from the control of accounts
and audits, the Comptroller is to have no supervision of officers.
The City Clerk is to be chosen by the Council to hold office
at the pleasure of the Council.
The City Treasurer is to be appointed by the Mayor and hold
office at the Ma:yor's pleasure. He is to be the head of the
city's finance department.
The executive departments are to be such as may be created
and defined by the Council; and each department shall include
such bureaus and divisions as may be determined by the Coun-
cil. No officials except members of the Council are to be
elected by popular vote.
16
240 CITY MANAGER PLAN
City Council Under New Plan
The City Council is to be a one-chambered body composed of
35 aldermen, elected by popular vote, one from each ward, for a
term of four years, at $4,000 salary. The Council must elect
its own presiding officer, who may cast one vote on all questions.
The choice of Mayor, Comptroller and City Clerk must be by a
majority vote of the Council.
The Mayor may veto ordinances but any vetoed ordinance
may be repassed by only as many votes as is necessary for its
first passage.
The grant of a street franchise may be made by a majority
vote of the Council, but not for more than five years, (a) unless
passed by a two-thirds majority and a declaration that it shall
not be subject to either the mandatory or optional referendum,
or (b) unless the proposed ordinance provides for its being sub-
mitted to the voters, or (c) it provides that it shall not go into
effect for 60 days, during which period if a petition signed by
5 per cent, of the voters at the last election is filed, the said
ordinance may not go into effect unless approved by a majority
of the voters voting thereon. The Council is authorized to
submit any such ordinance to the voters.
N on-Partisan Election and Recall
The provision for the non-partisan election of aldermen is
that nominations be made by petition only, signed by not less
than 1% of the voters of a ward. There are no primary elec-
tions and in case no candidate gets a majority of the votes at
the election, provision is made for a supplementary election,
three weeks after, when only the two highest candidates at the
first election are voted for.
Any alderman is made subject to recall after serving one year,
the recall being invoked by a petition signed by 25 per cent, of
the voters of his ward who voted at the last aldermanic elec-
tion. The city-wide Recall will not exist as, under this bill, alder-
men elected by wards will be the only officials elected by pop-
ular vote.
The Recall petition must contain a general statement in not
more than 200 words of the ground upon which the removal is
sought. The procedure prescribed for the Recall is as follows :
OF GOVERNMENT 241
At the top o£ the ballot is placed the direct question in the
following £orm:
Shall be
removed from the office of alderman from
the Ward?
Yes
No
Below this on the same ballot are to be printed the names
of the candidates for the successor to said alderman, headed by
that of the incumbent alderman whose removal is sought. But in
case said alderman shall have resigned within five days after the
ordering of the Recall election, then neither the proposition nor
the name of the resigned alderman would appear on the ballots.
Otherwise the votes for candidates will be canvassed only in
the event that the recall proposition obtains a majority of the
votes cast.
Comment and Criticism
Such in brief outline are the salient features of the modified
city-manager plan proposed for Chicago. In respect to the
administrative side of Chicago's government, the plan is a vast
improvement over the existing complexity, divided authority
and wasteful methods. It is undoubtedly true that the high sal-
aried mayor-manager, responsible only to a small one-chambered
council, and with full power to co-ordinate and unify the various
administrative departments, would be capable of accomplishing
great things if the right man were chosen.
The only question at this point is : what assurance have the
people that the right man will be chosen? It is altogether com-
mendable that the field of choice for this highest administrative
office is not limited to the city of Chicago, but is the entire citi-
zenship of the United States. However, it might be asked why
the field of choice should be limited to this nation. If a person
of superior attainments or abilities could be. obtained from some
242 CITY MANAGER PLAN
other part of the world, why should not the great city of Chi-
cago be at liberty to utilize such talent? Not infrequently have
large private corporations in this country drawn their executive
managers from other nations.
As to the legislative side of this proposed plan of govern-
ment, such sweeping approval cannot be given. It may be quite
reasonable to expect that the smaller, one-chambered council,
the members of which are elected for four-year terms and at
substantial salaries, would command a higher grade of legisla-
tors and result in a more efficient legislative machinery. The
fact that the Recall is made applicable to members of the coun-
cil is especially appropriate in view of the length of the term,
and will tend to guard against incompetent or corrupt members
of the council.
So far, this plan means a decided gain for the people of
Chicago. But this is far short of what it should be as to the
legislative or policy-determining body. Why does the proposed
charter omit the fundamental provision for direct control of
the legislative policy by the voters through the Initiative and
Referendum? This is going directly in the face of the recent
trend of municipal organization, and of all government which
presumes to stand for the fundamental principle of democracy.
Is it not strange that a plan of government to be offered to the
people of Chicago, at a time when the whole world is in a
great struggle to maintain democracy, does not contain the recog-
nized tools of democracy, namely, the Initiative and Referen-
dum, which have been written into the constitutions or statutes
of 44 states for municipal or state- wide use? It is not that the
people of that city would expect to resort to these instruments of
direct control frequently, but the possibility of their use could not
fail to have a steadying influence over any body of legislators
that might be chosen under whatever plan. We do not believe
that the people of Chicago will stand for being deprived of this
power to control their own affairs, or to do without what the
President of the United States has so aptly termed "the gun
behind the door."
In the opinion of those who are urging this city-manager
plan for Chicago, it would endanger its possible enactment by
the legislature and its subsequent adoption by the voters of the
city to include provision for the Initiative and Referendum. We
cannot, at our distance and without fuller knowledge of the
OF GOVERNMENT 243
present political situation in Chicago, judge as to this question
of political expediency. Much as we regard the importance of
the Initiative and Referendum, if we were convinced that its in-
clusion in this bill would prevent the enactment and adoption
of the proposed plan, we would distinctly favor obtaining so
much of improvement and trust to a later opportunity to bring
the Initiative and Referendum feature up for consideration sep-
arately and on its own intrinsic merits.
In this connection we are reminded of the experience of the
city of Wilmington, Del., several years ago, when the voters
rejected an otherwise good charter because the legislature had
cut out of it the provisions for the Initiative and Referendum.
Other cities have had a similar experience and many observers
believed that the new constitution for New York state proposed
in 1914 was defeated by the large labor vote because no pro-
vision was made for popular control by means of the Initiative
and Referendum.
Now, under the pressure of a war for world democracy, is
it not likely the people of Chicago may be getting a clearer vision
of the problem of popular government and are seeing the need
of the "tools of democracy?" If so, may it not be possible that
the proponents of this charter are deceived and that the omission
of the Initiative and Referendum may be the very thing that
will cause the voters to reject it?
We do appreciate the delicacy of this question and do not
doubt the good intention of the people who are pushing this
new and vastly improved charter for Chicago. In view of the
uncertainty as to the drift of the public opinion, we would like
to suggest to all friends of good government that they ask the
legislature to submit to the voters of Chicago a proposition for
the Initiative and Referendum to be voted on separately but at
the same time that the proposed charter is to be submitted.
Thus the Initiative and Referendum could stand or fall on its
own merits and the charter would not be endangered by being
tied up with the instruments of direct control.
Thus all those voters who believe in the Initiative and Refer-
endum for the sake of democracy and who like this plan of city
government for the sake of efficiency and economy of administra-
tion would be able to vote in the affirmative. At the same time
those voters who like the new plan but doubt the wisdom of
the Initiative and Referendum could still vote for the plan. In
244 CITY MANAGER PLAN
this way the maximum number of votes for the new charter
would be obtained and both questions would be dealt with
fairly.
This separation of a particular question from a proposed
city plan has often been done and is perfectly feasible. We
respectfully suggest this plan to the people of Chicago.
The same reasons of political expediency which have moved
the sponsors of the proposed charter to omit the Initiative and
Referendum have doubtless favored the retention of the exist-
ing system of majority representation through one councilman
elected from each ward. They must know that some applica-
tion of the proportional representation principle is now gener-
ally recognized by our foremost thinkers and statesmen to be
more truly representative and more democratic. To this end
we would suggest that the proposed council composed of 35
aldermen be elected in three groups, each from a geographical
division, and that the city be divided into three districts for this
purpose. These three districts need not be exactly equal in
population or as to the number of representatives. Undoubtedly
the best method of proportional representation is what is known
as the Hare system, now in use in many parts of the world
and in at least two cities of this country.*
It is undoubtedly true that if the proportional plan were in-
corporated in the proposed Chicago charter the absence of the
Initiative and Referendum would not be nearly so serious, al-
though it would be the part of wisdom to have that means of
direct control still in the hands of the voters. Also the recall
of the aldermen would have to be applied on a far different
plan, if indeed it were necessary at all. The proportional plan
also might be submitted to the voters separately and thus
further increase the support for the proposed charter.
In regard to the Recall there is one point which is open to
criticism. That is, the provision giving the aldermen one year's
immunity from the operation of the Recall. The precedents
are very largely in favor of a shorter period of immunity —
six months being the present standard. In a few cases the one
^Note: Anyone wishing to know more about the world-wide move-
ment for proportional representation or who would like to obtain expert
advice as to its application to anv municipality should consult Mr. C. _G.
Hoag, the general secretary of the National Proportional 'Representation
League, whose headqyarterg are in the Franklin National Bank Building,
Philadelphia, Pa.
OF GOVERNMENT 245
year period has been adopted, but we think that is an unneces-
sarily wide latitude for a municipal officer to have before being
subject to popular rebuke.
In the proposed charter the handling of the question of
public franchises is also open to serious criticism. In our judg-
ment it is highly improper that the council should have the
power, even by a two-thirds majority, to dispose of such im-
portant public interests in such a way as to leave no oppor-
tunity for the direct action of the voters through the Referen-
dum. The section dealing with this subject does, it is true,
provide for a 5% Referendum as to franchise grants which may
be passed by only a majority vote and for a longer period than
five years, but of what value is this limited use of the Referen-
dum in case some powerful corporation is able to elect or con-
trol 24 members of the proposed council?
With the important modifications above suggested, this plan
of organization would enable Chicago to rise in her majesty
and take the lead in the nation-wide movement for both effici-
ency and democracy in municipal government.
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336 8A6
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