Arizona republican., 1915-03-01
The Proposed Revision of the Charter

We understand that of the recommendations Of the charter revision committee will be amend nient to the charter giving to the commission power to remove the city manager by majority vote such an amendment would be destructive of the managerial system. It would leave us worse form of government than the ougrown system we abandoned when adopted the commission man ager plan. It would mean the concentration Of un- usual power in the hands of five men and possibly in the hands of three men, who, in most cases, would be chosen without any thought the part of the voters of their fitness to exercise it.
 The manager, who is responsible under our system conduct of the government, would be fatally handicapped. Though ne might in one in stance have the backing of majority of the com mission he could not safely, seriously antagonze any member commission, for in ae next in stance that commissioner might be member of a majority The manager could make sure of his place only by arrangement with some three members permanent alliance, which in the end could not be public good. The managers sense responsibility his independence, his cour age and his integrity would be destroyed. His ef ficiency would be greater than that of three members behind him and who had not been chosen efficiency, but in spite of their lack of :t
 The whole trouble in Phoenix has grown of the constant efforts members of the commission exceed the bowers granted them by the charter interfere with the plainly pre- scribed duties of the manager for the performance of which he alone and not the commission, is [" held responsible Efforts have been made to en force upon him compel him to retain employees who he did not believe could render the city the best service The manager mas properly declined to yield any of the powers which he undertook to eX- crcse. Hence, tine demand for revision of the charter which would nomnaly leave these powers with him and, far the public is concerned, would relieve him of responsibility. but would always leave him subject the whim of the mission.
 Tucson has a manager feature in it's government which is mmeasurably superior to such as the revisionsts would give Phoenix, There the man. ager is under contract for stated period, aways, of course, liable removal for real The ruling body is a council composed business filled with pride in the city and actuated by desire improvement without waste The council, realizing that the manager haze free hand offers interference with his plans. No sugges- tions made him regarding appointments. He exercises power absolute than that conferred by the charter upon the city manager of Phoenix But there has been friction. The council has in city jobs and henchnen to jobs They supervise city affairs in precisely the way that they would supervise their private affairs conducted by expert manager whom they had employed to conduct thcm They supervise without interference in petty details concerning which they believe the manager be better in formed than themselves for that is his business. They concerned only in results. and results facilitated by childish interference and constant ragging.
 We do not believe that, under such revision of the Phoenix charter has been proposed, any honest, courageous could be found to take the position of city manager. and we feel sure that man who would take it could enter upor 1t with confidence and respect of the people of Phoenix. A flock of incompetents would seek it, and sarily incompetent. the weakest and most sub servient would be chosen.