Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-08-05
.DES MONIES PLAN
FOSTERS POLITICS
Commissioners Have Made Ma
chine Out of Fire and Police
Departments.
BETTER THAN OLD SYSTEM
Citizens Are Seriously Consider
ing Amendment to Provide
for City Manager.
by CARL a. DIXON.

StnT of the Des NIOincs Daily Cnpitni.
DE:S MONIES. IA, August 4-Des
Moincs, a city Of 100000. adopted the
Des Moines plan Of commission gov
ernment eight years ago for five basic
reasons
Taxes were increasing every year
In thirteen years cxtravapant coun-
ellis had issued bonds 20. 500. 600 In
floating debts More money VAS spent
in these years than taxation produced
when the floating deb, burden became
bonds were issued. The city was
always running behind
The city had no permanent improve
ments 10 show for it's tax money
At the time OF the popular rcvol, n
floating deb, OF slsO.ooo existed in the
working funds of the city Advocates
OF the change in charter made this
debt one of the main bases for their
fight This was later bonded 10 relieve
the Des Moines plan of n handicap.
CITY WAS CONTROLLED
ny WARD POLITICIANS
The city was controlled by ward poll
ticians, who elected hgurehead Coun-
c!lmen who gave them the jobs. Mu-
nicipal Jobs drew fat salaries. In fact.
large amounts of tax revenue went TO
the rather elaborate organization main
tanned at the City Hall 10 conduct the
city's business.
When the people revoltcd Galveston
had just adopted commission govern
mcnt. But that form did not meet the
reforms necessary in Dcs Moines. So
,l,a or ~,
formulated the Dcs Moines plan of
commission government
They went direct 70 tho simplest form
OF government. They wanted efficiency
and business management. The Des
Moines plan. therefore. was hewed to
the lines CORRESPONDING as nearly as
possible TO the board OF directors sys-
TEN OF management OF large corpora
tion. AS n result. Des Moines to-day
has the following governmental sys-
TEN:
FIVE COMMISSIONERS ARE
ELECT-D by PEOPLE
Five commissioners known as Coun-
cilmen. arc elected by the people at
large. Ward lines are wiped out
Party politics is abolished. Men become
candidates by securing the signatures
OF twenty -uNe voters 10 a pellllOU.
In reality. Mayor and four Council
men are elected. But the Mayor is
little more than the nominal chief ex-
Council meetings. but his vote is just
one Of five. He cannot veto. He has
practically no more powers than a
him the right.
La har 81
Mayor is five or six. The average num-
ber OF candidates for the four council
manic positions each election is forty.
There is no party election First there
is the primary election. The two men
receiving the highest number of votes
for the Office OF Mayor then become the
nominees for the Office. The eight men
receiving the highest number OF votes
for commissioners are declared norni-
mated. The ten candidates are then
voted upon. One OF the two candida es
for Mayor is elected The four high
est Of the eight Councilmen are elected
VOTERS no NOT ASSIGN
MEN TO DEPARTMENTS
Thus the five commissioners are
elected. on the first Monday in April
they meet 10 assign the various depart
ments The theory of the plan is that
the people will select the five best men.
and that the five best men will he as
signed TO the departments for which
they are best qualified. Therefore. the
voters do not attempt to designate to
which department man shall be
elected. The Mayor by virtue OF his
Office, becomes superintendent of .hc
~f fair ~.
four Councilmen are assigned as SUI
accounts and finances. streets and
public improvements" public safety"
and parks and public properties"
The City Council is supreme, just
like the board of directors of cor
poration. The divisions of legislative.
executive and judicial officials are
wiped out. and all three powers vested
in the City Council. AS whole. the
commissioners legislate. AS whole.
they administer-they direct the whole
affairs of the city BY the division of
each Councilman is
given direct charge of the operation of
one branch OF the work His powers
are merely directory His work is sub
ject to the approval of the Council.
The Councilman carries out the orders
of the whole Council n his respective
department. All purchases and OK
penditures must be approved by the
Council.
WHOLE COUNCIL APPOINTS
SUBORDINATE OFFICERS
The whole Council appoints all sub
ordinate officers. That Is, the indivi-
dual Councilmen bring in the names Of
the subordinatcs they desire. The
Council can reject or accept any or all
of them. In the class of subordinate
officers are city clerk city treasurnr