The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1914-03-23
CITY MANAGER PLAN
Report Of Committee Appointed BY
ST. Adams
The committee appointed by

Inc committee appointed Uy the
city of st. Adams a year ago to inves-
tigate the municipal manager plan
has made a favorable report on the
proposition to the city council. The
committee, of which S. Il. Royce was
chairman, made a thorough investiga
ton of the city manager idea, and
there is a strong probability that st.
Adams will so amend its charter as
to put the plan into effect, Portions
of the report which are of special in
terest follow:
Briefly stated the practical work
ing of the city manager plan is as fol
lows:
The people elect, as now, a GER
tain number of men, whether called
commissioners, or, as in our case, Il
mayor and board of aldermen, 10
whom is entrusted the government OF
the city and the management OF its
business and affairs, under the law.
They correspond to the president and
board of directors of railroad or
business corporation; and just as
these are responsible to their stock
holders, so they are responsible TO
the voters for the honest and accept
able discharge of their duties. II
they fail TO give satisfaction, they
viii not be reelected and may even
be removed or punished They re
tain full control of the city finances
and accounting, decide what city
work shall be done and pass upon all
appropriations.
"But instead of doing the city work
and business themselves or by vari'
GUS employees, they appoint one cap
able and competent man to superin-
tend and handle It as city mana
ger; just as the directors of rail-
road employ a general manager to
superintend and handle She operation
Of the road and see that the work, or
construction, or repairing they order
is properly done. The city manager
is directly responsible to the council
for the proper and satisfactory per
Torrance of his duties, and is also
responsible to the people, because
they may at any time complain Of
him to the council.
THE council holds its regular meet
ings and special meetings when nee
essary, at which the city manager
comes before them, reports upon
what he has done and tells them
what he thinks should be done. and
why, and what It viii cost; and the
council decides the matter and in
structs him accordingly. All votes
in the council should be made public,
so the people can understand just
what their representatives are doing
and how they stand.
Whatever business the people
have with the city they transact with
the city manager If they want any
thing done or undone they know he
is the man for them TO 80 TO, and
there is no excuse for him to refer TO
somebody else or fail to give their
business whatever prompt attention
il merits
''Your committee is satisfied that
this is the best and most practical
just and economical method Of mum.
cipal management yet discovered
and we can learn of no case in which
it has failed to prove highly advanta
geous and satisfactory.
If the plan is TO be tried out here
it should be strictly on its merits.
To do this. certain conditions are alb
solutely necessary, namely.
First. A manager must be select
ed who not only has the other quail
fications but the education and tech
nical training necessary to make him
master of all the different depart
ments of city business. The select
ion must be based strictly on qualif-
cation regardless of residence.
Second. After the council have
exercised their legislative function
by deciding what is to be done and at
what limit Of expense, the manager
must have absolutely free rein to do
II in his own way and show whether
he can make good or not. If some
local politician can stop him on the
street and tell him what he must or
must not do to avoid trouble. we
might just as well go on in the good
old way.
Third. The manager must have
absolute authority over all persons
who work under him, including en-
pioyment and discharge.
Unless these conditions are OBJ
served we shall never know whether
the plan is a success or failure,
and it is OF little or no use to try il
at all.
while we have in this city no lack
Of men of ability and probity and IL
is quite probable that. should this
plan be adopted and the handling OF
the city affairs standardized and sys-
some good local man com
petent to carry forward the work
might be found later. your commit
tee are Of the opinion that there is no ]
man at all likely TO be available now /
resident here. vino has had the tech /
nical training which we believe to be /
in making a right begin.
ming.
Early in our investigation we 4
learned that the bureau of municinal /