The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1916-07-13
THF CITY GOVERNMENT PLAN.

+he Charter Board, and reproduced IN tull
elsewhere in these columns, is great as
appointment.
That group of men, possessed OF such
INTEGRITY and acumen, and actuated by sucn
a sincere desire to give Pensacola model
civ government, should endorse Propo-
sition so complicated, so illogical, and
witha1 so dangerous, is one OF those things
that probably will never be explained.
The plan, as outlined, is neither fish nor
fowl It will neither swim nor sink, nor
will II hold water. It is not the commission
! form. for there are too many men IN 1t; 1t
IS not the aldermanic form, for the mayor
is not elected directly by the people; 1t is
not the city manage form, for the Chief
executive is politician and not an expert.
In brief, the plan proposes that fourteen
aldermen be elected; ten from the different
precincts and four at-large aldermen, one
! from each quarter of the city which is
divided by Palafox and Garden streets. The
Fmavor is to be chosen by the aldermen from
the at-large aldermen and not by "a direct
vote of the people,
The advocates of the old aldermanic form
Of government will reject the plan because
of this one feature, which indeed const1-
tutes a real menace. A crook might be able
to control majority of votes when there
are only thirteen to reckon with; conse-
quently he would be exalted to the position
Of MAYOR whereas in an election by the
people he would stand.no show whatever.
Nor will the advocates of the present
commission form of government consider
it logical, simple or effective to have four
teen men do the work that three are now
doing.
Again, if the Charter Board was aiming
at the City Manager plan, they missed it
wider than words.
The ommission-Manage plan of gov
lerment consists "a of single elective
board (the commission), which has repre-
sentative, supervisory and legislative func-
tons, the members giving only part time to
municipal work and receiving nominal sal
aries, or none; and (2) an appointive chief
Lexecutive (city manager) hired by the
board from anywhere in the country and
tholding office as long as he is efficient. The
relations between the two are very similar
Ito those between board of directors and
ia general manager. The city manager ap-
Epoints and controls the remaining city en-
Eployees, subject to adequate civil service
provisions.
The proposed plan makes the chief ex-
tecutive purely elective-in fact, instead OF
lone. election, he must be politician enough
toxwine out in two elections. In other words,
his ability to get votes is his sole qualifca-
ton, and not whether he is competent, ex-
lperienced, trained, and capable of holding
office. It is not question of whether, by
Etrainitg or experience, he is able to direct
public affairs, but only whether he has a
winning handshake. The city manager is
fired if he is incapable of holding down the
job-just as he would be in any other line
of business; but the politician does not have
to make good, all he has to do is keep his
pull.
Of course the Charter Board may recon
slider the plan; certainly something should
be done to it. If the proposition goes before
the voters in its present form, its defeat vii
be the most unanimous thing in the history
of Pensacola.