* / OCT a 119^^ oo- CENTRALIZED GOVERNMENT FOR -t^j o\s,-yc^' Alameda County and Its Cities * Under a System of Boroughs, Whereby Each City Retains Its Present Identity and Independence — Fixes Its Own Tax Rate, also Controls Borough Expenditures 1 -p t< * /^^r UNIVERSITY ), A COMPARISON OF The Present System with the Proposed Plan; Showing Advantages 'to be Secured Under Centralized Control and Business Management CITY AND COUNTY GOVERNMENT AS A BUSINESS PROPOSITION Issued by City and County Government Association 1206 Broadway, Oakland, Cal. AUGUST. 1916 File this pamphlet for future reference — ^as you will receive other literature on the subject, and should be prepared to express an opinion on the contemplated plan ':> t CITY AND COUNTY GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION, ALAMEDA COUNTY. PRESIDENT, Edgar C. Bradley VliCE-PRESIDENTS Edward K. Taylor TREASURER Harry A. Mosher V. O. Lawrence EXECUTIVE SECRETARY Edward "W. Williams EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Edgar C. Bradley, Chairman Fred G. Athearn Miss Blanche Morse Benjamin J. Bither Hon. George C. Pardee Gilbert B. Daniels Rev. Albert W. Palmer Charles L. Dunscombe Benjamin H. Pendleton James Gartland Harrison S. Robinson Frederic Kahn Mark I> Requa Joseph H. King Charles E. Snook Hon. Joseph R. Knowland Charles F. Strong Greene Majors Edw. K. Taylor Miss Ethel Moore Dr. Carl Walliser G. W. Purcell LAW COMMITTEE Robert M. Fitzgerald, Chairman Beverly L. Hodghead A. Fred St. Sure CAMPAIGN COMMITTETE Fred G. Athearn, Chairman Edwin B. Bull Charles H. Spear Joseph J, Rosborough W. H. Wellbye FINANCE COMMITTEE A. S. Liavenson, Chairman S. EL Biddle W. K. Cole Frederic Kahn V. O. Lawrence Walter H. Leimert Russell Lowry Frank L. Naylor FVank J. Woodward ORGANIZATION AND MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE Charles E. Snook, Chairman Miss Ethel Moore James Gartland Miss Blanche Morse Dr. Carl Walliser Oakland Arthur Arlett Fred A. Baldwin C. A. Beardsley Dr. W. M. Beckwith S. E. Biddle F. W. Bilger Clifton E. Brooks Miss Annie F. Brown Judge Everett J. Brown E. B. Bull Dr. S. H. Buteau H. C. Capwell A. B. Carter Mrs, A. E. Carter Mrs. A. C. Christensen Mrs. A. F. Coffin W. K. Cole MEMBERSHIP Alameda Mrs. Eileen Allen W. A. Bissell C. A. Borle Mrs. A. J. Burgner Geo- A. Dillman C. J. Du Four Miss Violet Frances Mrs. Halvor Hauch Hon. W. H. L. Hynes Mrs. J. G. Kearney Greene Majors Frank Otis D. L. Randolph W. O. Smith Fred A. St. Sure T. C. Stoddard B. K. Taylor 3409^3 Berkeley Dr. Thos. Addison Fred G. Athearn Dr. David P. Barrows George P. Baxter Louis Bartlett Richard B. Bell R. A. Berry B. J. Bither W. F. Boardman Edgar C. Bradley O. B. Caldwell Frank V. Cornish Prof. C. L. Cory Geo. W. Cox Mrs. Mary R CooUdge P. H. Coolidge F, A. Penlcke Oakland — Continued Fred W. Confer John J. Cox P. A. Cox Mrs. Lu P. Crane G. B. Daniels George S. Daniels A. S. Day Rev. B. P. Dempsey Mrs. E. B. De Rome Judge W. H. Donohue J. C. Downey A. L. Duncan B. T. Dunn Guy C. E^arl J. Y. Bccleston A. H. Elliott "Wallace EJverson R. M. Fitzgerald Mrs. Geo. Fredericks William Nat Friend B. A. Gamble James Gartland "W. E. Gibson Mrs. W. E. Gibson Wilson S. Gould W. H. Graham Dr. Eva Harris Judge W. T. Harris Mrs. H. E. Hawes Dr. T. B. Holmes Owen E. Hotle John L. Howard Henry Hufschmidt J. M. Hyland George Ingraliam H. A. Johnson A. E. Johnstone Roscoe D. Jones John BJ. Jordan William C. Jurgens Frederick Kahn E. C. Kayser Miss Anna Keefe Dr. A. S- Kelley Dr. J. F. King Joseph H. King H. A. Lafler A. S. L«avenson Mrs. Frank G. Law V. O. Lawrence M. J. Laymance F. W. Leavitt F. W. Le Balllster W. H. Leimert Russell Lowry J. W. McClymonds James E. McElroy George S. Meredith Hon. Victor H. Metcalf J. R. Millar Grant D. Miller L. A. Moberry Miss Ethel Moore Robert S. Moore H- A. Mosher J. R, Munsell Rev. A. W. Palmer Mrs. A. W. Palmer Hon. Geo. C. Pardee J. H. Pedgrlft B. H. Pendleton John W. Phillips Warren Plllsburv Prof. G. H. Pfund Miss Margaret Poore MEMBERSHIP Alameda — Continued Hon. Jos. R. Knowland Mrs. Jos. R. Knowland Wynn Meredith Piedmont Hon. A. H. Breed Hon. Oliver Ellsworth Mrs. F. C. Havens Mrs. Edgar L. Ormsby Mark L. Requa Chas. A. Strong Oscar Sutro Mrs. John Vallance Willard Williamson Emeryville Mrs. Chas. S. Chamberlain Niles Chris Runckle San Leandro Dr. Chas. H. Miller Livermore A. L. Henry Oakland — Continued Wm. A. Powell Harry Li Price G. W. Purcell F. M. Ray Mrs. F. M. Ray Mrs. B. C. Robinson H. S. Robinson J. J- Rosborough J. N. Salinger H. H. Sanborn Frank Scarper D. G. Scofleld Fred L. Shaw Mrs. E. D. Shertzer Chas. L. Smith Chas. E. Snook John W. Stetson Mrs. B. A. Stone Chas. A. Sturm Chas. W. Snook Dr. H. G. Thomas Mrs. F. C. Turner E. L. Vander Naillen W. H. Wellbye Dr. Carl Walllser Mrs. C. B. Wilson MJss Bessie Wood P. J. Walker Berkeley — Continued Chas. L. Dunscombe T. H. Fallon F. W. Foss Alan G. Freeman J. D. Galloway Dr. A. F. Gillihan B. D. M. Greene Gordon Hall Chas. D. Heywood Beverly L. Hodghead Mrs. Carrie Hoyt Mrs. J. B. Hume Hon. S. C. Irving Prof. Wm. Cary Jones C. C. Juster Stephen Ei Kieffer H. L. Leupp Prof- J. C. Merriam C. S. Merrill Ralph P. Merritt Oscar V. McCracken W. F. McClure Frank Miller Mrs. R. O. Moody Miss Blanche Morse Frank L. Naylor Elmer E. Nichols R. W. Osborne E. S. Page Rev. E. L. Parsons Prof. Carl C. Plehn Hon. Warren R. Porter Prpf. Thos. H. Reed Mrs. H. N. Rowell F. T. Robson Mrs. F. W. Searby W. A. Shockley Seldon C. Smith Walter Sorensen Chas. H. Spear L. W. Storror Frank Stringham Vincent Surr Perry T. Tompkins Robt. H. Wetmore B. W. Williams F. M. Wilson Frank J. Woodward A COMPARISON Showing Why the East Bay Cities and the County Should Unite Under a Federated Cities and County System With a Modern Business Charter for City and County Government CONDITIONS UNDER THE PRES- ENT SYSTEM OF DUAL GOV- ERNMENT. There are TEN separate municipal governments in Alameda County. Sometimes they work in harmony and sometimes not, but ahvays with- out proper co-ordination. The countj'^ is superimposed on the municipalities, with a duplicating set of officials and officers. The valuation of property for as- sessment purposes for the cities and county is not the same. This re- sults in confusion and inconvenience to the public, and requires the pre- paration of two delinquent tax rolls. Co-operation as to matters of com- mon interest is lacking and well nigh impossible. At present there are in the cities and the county: 9 Assessors. 11 Tax Collectors. 11 Treasurers. ' 10 Chief Clerks. 4 School Superintendents. 5 Auditors. 5 Purchasing Agents. 59 Districts and departments pur- chasing supplies. (These are in addition to the 5 regular purchasing agents.) 3 Chiefs of Police. 1 Sheriff. 7 Constables, WHAT FEDERATION WILL DO UNDER THE PROPOSED CITY AND COUNTY CHARTER. One set of administrative officials under central control. Each city maintains its present in- dependence and identity; fixes its tax rate and the purposes for which tax money shall be expended; con- trols the liquor question and police and health regulations. There will be one valuation of property for all tax assessment pur- poses and only one delinquent tax roll will be necessary. Borough boards or councils adopt all policies, but the details thereof are carried out by experts appointed, under civil service, solely for their fitness. Under the proposed plan there will be: 1 Assessor. 1 Tax Collector and Treasurer. (These offices are combined and one office takes the place of 20.) 1 Chief Clerk. 1 School Superintendent. 1 Auditor. 1 Purchasing Agent. (Will do the work now done b^^ 5 purchasing agents and 59 dif- ferent bodies.) 1 Chief of Police. (Will perform the duties of the Sheriff, as well as that of all Chiefs of Police and Constables.) CONDITIONS UNDER THE PRES- ENT SYSTEM OF DUAL GOV- ERNMENT. 10 City Attorne^^s and one District Attorney. Also other duplicating officials. WHAT FEDERATION WILL DO UNDER THE PROPOSED CITY AND COUNTY CHARTER. 1 City Attorney and one District Attorney with Deputies will at- tend to the legal work. Many other officials and boards, who are now duplicating work, will be eliminated. Number of Employees at present in the county and the cities are ap- proximately 4000. This number and the amount paid annually for salaries are steadily increasing. Under the proposed plan all offi- cials performing duplicating func- tions would be eliminated and many other offices would be con- solidated, thereby saving hundreds of thousands of dollars annually. There is no single head on whom to fix responsibility. The law in- geniously divides responsibility among all of the elective officers. This results in shifting of blame and inefficiency. The Proposed City and County charter provides for a manager, who shall be the responsible head of all departments. All adminis- trative officers will be appfointed, after qualifying by an examination, instead of being electedL ' At present there is no "Home Rule" in county affairs. The leg- islature, almost every session, adds more officers and employees, whether needed or not. The tax- payers must provide funds to pay the salaries. At the last session the Legisla- ture increased the salary roll of Alameda County approximately $32,000. This added to the tax rate nearly li^ cents. The Proposed Charter for the city and county will provide for com- plete "Home Rule," in fixing the number and salaries of all officers and employees. The people themselves can say what they want and when they want it, instead of leaving it to the Leg- islature, every two years, to create offices that may or may not be needed, and for which the taxpayer must pay. ♦ Administrative Officers are now elected not for their fitness, but by reason of their popularity. Both in the cities and the county, officers are compelled to offer them- selves for re-election every two or four years, and are o'bliged to enter the arena of politics and Under the proposed system ad- ministrative officers, such as the County Clerk and Recorder, Tax Collector, Assessor, etc., are ap- pointed under civil service. They ^vill be trained men, and Avill have a guaranteed tenure of office as long CONDITIONS UNDER THE PRES- ENT SYSTEM OF DUAL GOV- ERNMENT. spend a good share of the peo- ple's time, paid for at high rates out of the public treasury and money they should use for their own per- sonal needs, in making friends who mil assist them in re-election, thus diverting to campaign purposes money and time that neither the candidates nor the people can afford to have thus diverted. Inefficiency and disorganization are the results. • Under the present system the su- pervisors and various city councils have legisiative as well as admin- istrative powers. They present the unique spectacle of appropriating money to their own departments, as administrative officers, then spend- ing the money appropriated, then, as a legislative body, approving their o\\'n acts. • Under the present system of sep- arate governments, all mianner of prices are paid for supplies by the various purchasing agents. One purchasing agent pays list price — another buys at retail — and still others buy at wholesale. There is no standardization of quality, quantity or price. * Under the present system taxes for benefits and the cost of improve- ments are increasing out of propor- tion to the increase in property values. Improvements ' are made without any definite program as to future requirements, and are not in concert -mth any uniform plan for all the cities within the county. WHAT FEDERATION WILL DO UNDER THE PROPOSED CITY AND COUNTY CHARTER. as they "make good." They must devote the whole of their time to the duties of the office and will be under no compulsion to dtevote time and salaries to campaign require- ments. Tenure of office becomes secure, and efficiency and organization will be the result. The proposed charter provides that the elected council, or city board, shall have only legislative powers. It may levy the tax, appro- priate the money and adopt policies, but the actual carrying out of the policies and the administration of all business is left in the hands of trained experts, under the super- vision of the manager. Under a central purchasing sys- tem for the federated cities and county, with a competent purchas- ing agent in charge, the quality, quantity and prices will be stand- ardized, supplies will be bought in large quantities, and proper dis- counts from wholesale lists will be obtained. Under the proposed plan a reduc- tion in taxes will result by city plan- ning for all the cities as a unit, in accordance with a consistent pro- gram laid out with a view to future needs and extending over a period of years, as was suggested by Dr. Werner Hegemann, who made a sur- vey of the East Bay Cities. CONDITIONS UNDER THE PRES- ENT SYSTEM OF DUAL GOV- ERNMENT. • Employees of the Comity, as well as in many of the cities, are not under civil service and are subject to change at each election. This condition produces a lack of interest in their -work and keeps them con- tinually in politics. Can such a system be anything but inefficient? At present there is no uniform standard for the school departments of the various cities and districts in tlie county. One department pro- vides for a given activity in one way, and another for the same activity in another way. There are several boards and several school superintendents, thus causing a heavv overhead cost. **The Purchasing- Power of the "Tax Dollar" is decreasing each year, as is evidenced by the increas- ing tax rate. v Citizens under our present sys- tem, are compelled to pay taxes on the same piece of property at sep- arate times and at different places. The tax rate is based upon different valuations, these valuations being often estimated by ''rule of thumb." We have now in the county and in the cities some 10 justices of the peace and police judges. Some of the judges put in aJbout one-third time, others half time, but all draw full pay. The justices and police judges are elected; report to no su- perior; and hold court indiependently and irregularly. WHAT FEDERATION WILL DO UNDER THE PROPOSED CITY AND COUNTY CHARTER. All Employees appointed will be subject to civil service regulation (preference will 'be given to those now iji office). They will all be re- quired to do a full day's work. Ef- ficiency methods and records will be installed Avhereby the worthy will be protected and the drones weeded out. The proposed plan provides for a united school department for the whole county, with uniform stand- ards in educational matters and a fixed program for future expansion and activities. This will reduce the present annual overhead cost as well as increase efficiencv. Under the efficient and business methods that will be installed, the "Tax Dollar" will yield one hun- dred cents to the taxpayer. All taxes will be paid at one time and at one place. The tax rate will be based on one valuation, determined scientifically by experts competent to value real estate and iinprovements. The proposed charter abolishes all justice and police courts and creates in their stead a municipal court with five departments. The judges of these departments are prohibited from ipracticing law within- the county, and must devote all their time to the court's busi- ness. The court has jurisdiction over the entire county. 8 CONDITIONS UNDER THE PRES- ENT SYSTEM OF DUAL GOV- ERNMENT. Present transportation facilities are inadequate to supply our wants. The traction companies' lines extend through all the East Bay Cities as far as Haywards. They are operating under niary and various forms of franchises. Some of these franchises run for long and some for short terms. This precludes at this time, or even in the near future, an effective puWic own- ership, should the people desire it. Under existing conditions, exten- sions and improvements cannot readily be made, for the reason that the present franchise provisions em- barrass the proper financing of such extensions and improvements. •The water question, how to get enough water, good water and cheap water for the eastbay commumties, is a pressing and important one. Un- satisfactory as the conditions now are, they will in a very short time become acute and the gro^vtli of the communities retarded because of in- ability to secure adequate water service. The ten separate cities and towns of Alam^eda county have found that no one of them can properly deal with the problem.' Separate municipalities form arti- ficial divisions preventing, in a great measure, the proper unity of action necessary to a complete success. WHAT FEDERATION WILL DO UNDER THE PROPOSED CITY AND COUNTY CHARTER. The proposed charter provides a remedy whereby the people, as well as the traction companies, are fully protected in all their rights, yet it makes it possible for the companies to surrender all their existing fran- chises and in return receive a 'blanket or single indeterminate franchise covering all their lines and future extensions and improve- ments. This will greatly facilitate financing. At the same time, it clears the way and provides a method where- by the people, at any time, may take over the whole system under public ownership at a price that will be fair to both the people and the traction companies. The pur- chase price will be fixed by the Rail- road Commission on the basis of the actual investment wisely and hon- estly made by the traction com- panies, less depreciation. Under the proposed plan of city and county federation a single gov- ernmental organization sufficient to handle this andi all other community questions is created, and the water question becoraies comparatively e;isy of solution. The proposed charter provides ways and means whereby public utilities, including water, may be taken over and operated under public ownership. The solution of this question so vitally affecting the well-being, com- fort and. health of the people should in itself be sufficient justification for the adoption of the proposed new form of government. 9 CONDITIONS UNDER THE PRES- ENT SYSTEM OF DUAL GOV- ERNMENT. Under present conditions the bal- lot is long, complicated and mysti- fying. ^ At the present time the county is facing a probable increase in taxes to meet the cost of purchasing land and constructing buildings to ade- quately house county offices, whose functions overlap those of city offices. The present municipal and county governments of Alameda County are an effort to build, upon a foundation of a worn-out political system, a structure adequate to meet the needs of modem business and social con- ditions. These dual governments are a failure — unwieldly, expensive and inefficient. WHAT FEDERATION WILL DO UNDER THE PROPOSED CITY AND COUNTY CHARTER. Under the proposed plan the bal- lot will be short, simple and intel- ligible. Under the proposed plan the purchase of additional land and the construction of new buildings to house county offices would be un- necessary. Oakland's beautiful city hall and auditorium would become available immediately for county, as well as city purposes. The new city and county charter will give us a system of government that has been scientifically worked out in the light of experience and adapted to meet the requirements of modem economic, industrial and social conditions. Politics and spoils are replaced Iby policies and' effi- ciency. The interest and welfare of the few give way to the good of the many. 10 ',/ ; •'. • • CAi.;iP>^^^-% POLniCS MEANS DETERMINING POLI- CIES; ADMINISTRATION MEANS ENFORC- IxNG THEM. THERE SHOULD BE NO POLI- TICS IN ADMINISTRATION. POLITICS AND PATRONAGE MUST BE ELIMINATED FROM THE ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICE BEFORE ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY CAN BE AT- TAINED. ^-m fw'{'* ■ E ON THE I.AS1 DA-tB THIS BOOK IS^^^^aoW ^^^^^ AN .N.T.AU^,rro^« °'-f;°--- wa.1. BE »s=^="e date due. the ,h ^»'= ^°?«tsETO%0 CENTS OHj»^_^,H dAV APR 17 1533 t-tB «» i9£:i Gaylord Bros. Makers Syracuse, N. Y. PAT. JAN, 21,1908 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA UBRARY