Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1913-11-04
THE COMMISSION
INSOUTHDAKOTA
How it Operates in Sioux Falls
City Of $4,000 After Four
Years Trial
THE PLAN WORKS WELL
While There is no Magic in
System Few Would Return
to Old Method

Sioux Falls, with population OF
$4,000. was he first South Dakota city
to adopt the commission plan of gov
ernment for cities. This was fou
years ago. Since then her exampk.
has been followed by Huron, Yank-
ton, Canton, Dell Rapids. Chamber
lain, the capital, Rapid City. Nermil-
lion, where the State university is
located and Aberdeen-ten in all.
The plan is growing in popularity in
South Dakota and this year will see
many more towns and cities in the
State adopt it. The last legislature
passed a new law permitting cities,
by a majority vote, to adopt the
''thee-man plan"-a Mayor and two
class, the salary of the Mayor under
this plan is put at $4,000 annually,
and of the commissioners at $500.
A vote can be had on the change of
plan on petition of Is per cent of
the voters and it is certain that Sioux
Falls at least will vote upon the
change from five commissioners to
three.
In the last two years the city has
paid debts to the aggregate of $780,
O00-about equally divided between
the school board and the city com.
mission-both under the same plan.
The floating debt is being reduced,
and sinking fund accumulated for
debt payment in the future. Those
who expected that the commission
could WELD magic wand and abol.
ish taxes, or through some legerde-
main, create assets and wipe out liza
bilities are, of course, disappointed; !;
but those who welcome taxes high
enough to stop the accumulation of
debt. and to head the city towards
a program of debt payment, and wise
economy of administration. are more
than satisfied. Should vote be TAX
en- to return to the old plan, the pro.
pOsal would not muster 10 per cent
of the voters. Sioux Falls is grow.
ing fast. She has city water plant
into which all the profits are being
put for necessary extensions, and
there is constant pressure for new
school buildings, new city buildings,
and much grading and paving and
sewerage. All these things mean a
snugly heavy tax, but the citizens are
happy in the belief that they have at
last discovered the best machinery
for good results and the plan is in
creasingly popular in Sioux Falls.
George w. Burnside is he Mayor
He is a man of strong personality
and seems always to control enough
of any civic body of which he Is a
member to get his way. 1t is unfor.
tunate that he does not enjoy the
reputation of being a good business
man. This is the only trouble which
Sioux Falls has experienced with he.
commission plan. Under the com
mission law as first adopted. thei Z
was no provision for a primary. The
result was that there were three can.
didates for Mayor and Mayor Burn
sides was elected, being a minority
selection. His choice for commits.
sioner was elected in a similar way
last spring. One of the holdover
commissioners is great admirer OF
the Mayor, and hence Mayor Burn.
side can now get through the com.
mission about anything he favors. The
last legislature passed the "three-man
plan" bill and also attached the pri.
mary feature to the old law. so that
in the election which comes this
spring. the commissioner elected
must be the choice of the majority
This. it is believed. will solve the
problem of Sioux Falls. as meeting
the only trouble it has experienced
with the plan. In Sioux Falls, poll
tics, both party and factional. have
been entirely eliminated from city af.
fairs and the man who endorses q
candidate for places on the commits.
sion because Of party or factional
advantage soon finds himself doing
an unpopular thing.