The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1916-03-25
The Kansas CITY plan.

The Kansas City Plan.
The Kansas City plan was first pro
posed at a meeting of the Republican
League in November, 1913. At that
time, after a considerable discussion
of the defects of the present charter,
the league authorized w. w. Harm.
den, then president of that body. to
appoint a committee of ten ito outline
a plan of simplified city government
which will conform with the present
laws and constitutional provisions ap-
plicable to Kansas City" The chair
mar was made member of the com
mittee and appointed these mewbers
to prepare the outlines E. C. Meser-
vey, Scion T. Gilmore, Harry d. Train,
w. H. H. Piatt, C. S. Van Noy, Walter
A. Evans, B. f. Carter, Charles H.
Kirshner, Fred w. Coon and Milford
w. Rider. This committee worked for
more than a month. The following is
the plan outlined. 1t is not intended
to cover all points of a charter, but
is intended as a general statement of
the main features of a charter which
the Republicans promise to submit to
the people as soon as a board of free.
holders can prepare the details:
I'VE pledge the party and our nomi-
nees, if elected, to cause to be pre-
pared and submitted to the people a
new charter which shall contain sub
stantially the following provisions:
Il AS required by the constitution
of the state of Missouri, there shall
be a mayor and two houses of legis-
lation. The two houses shall be known
as the common council.
They shall be composed of not more
than five members each, the total num-
Der to be not more than the neces.
sary number of city departments.
Each member shall be the head of
one city department and responsible
for its management.
The members of n house shall
be elected by and from the city at
large.
The city shall be divided into as
many geographical districts as there
are members of the other house, and
said members shall be elected one
from each district by the people at
large.
The mayor and common council
shall be the only elective officers.
THE head of each department of
the municipal service shall appoint,
subject to the civil service rules, all
subordinates of his department.
There shall be provisions made for
the appointment by the mayor, with
cut confirmation by the legislative
bodies, of a city counselor, judges of
the municipal courts and a city audit
or, who shall be an expert certified
accountant, to examine at reasonable
intervals the books and business meth.
DDS of all departments of the munich
pal service, and report thereon to the
mayor.
The mayor shall also appoint all
other officers provided for by the char
ter, without confirmation by the coun
Gil.
-. The mayor and members of the
two legislative houses shall be elected
for a term of four years, but the may
or shall not be eligible to succeed him
self.
The right to recall such officers
shall be submitted to the people il
such form as to the board of free
holders seems advisable.
THE mayor shall have the power O.
absolute veto on all acts of the legis
lative bodies except those relating tc
their internal affairs.
"9. For the purpose of a more eco
nomical administration, the numerous
departments of municipal service now
existing shall be so reduced and con
solidated as not to exceed the mum
Der of the members Of the two legis
lative bodies.
In addition to his legislative duties
each of said members shall serve as
the head of one of such departments
thereby eliminating the present nu
merous expensive boards and heads
of departments.
THE mayor and each member OF
the common council shall be required
to spend all their time in the munich
pal service, receiving reasonable com,
p%ensation therefor, which shall be
fixed in the charter.
Meetings of the common council