The twice-a-week Twin Falls times. (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1916-1918, 1917-03-29

present enjoyed by municipalities are
abrogated by the new law, but the ex-
ercise of them is transferred to the
city manager and the commissioners.
The method of determining whether
the electors of a city wish to adopt
the new plan involves the filing of
petition with the mayor asking for the
submission of the question at a spe
cial election, the petition to be signed
by a number of electors equal to TWEEN
ty-five per cent of the vote cast for
all candidates for the office of mayor
at the last preceding general city cleo
ton. 1t is the mayors duty, within
ten days after the filing of the petit
tion to call a special election at date
not less than sixty days nor more
than ninety days after such petition is
filed. The nomination and election of
commissioners then follows, the three
commissioners having the highest
number of votes serving four-year
terms; the others two year terms. All
commissioners subsequently elected
serve full four year terms, in this way
constituting a continuous board.
From a local standpoint it is inter
esting to note that the new law pro-
vides that the proposal to adopt the
city manager plan shall not be sub
mitted to the electors less than nine
ty days before a regular municipal
election, provision which would bar
Twin Falls from voting the plan prior
to the April election. When the plan
has once been voted upon, and de-
feated, it cannot be resubmitted with
in a twOyear period. Any city that
is not satisfied with the new form of
government, may after six-year trial,
vote at a special election to return to
the form of government under which
it previously operated.
With the entry of Twin Falls into
the class of cities which own and op-
crate their own water works plants,
and especially in view of the contem-
plated expenditure of a half million
dollars for an improved system, and
with talk of a municipality owned light
and power plant, Twin Falls is getting
into big business" for itself; and it
is questionable whether the present
political methods of management is
adequate to properly and effectively
care for and conserve its rapidly ex-
tending and increasing interests. 1t
is pointed out that no man of the re-
quired ability can afford to accept
the office of mayor and devote the
time that is needed to the manage
ment of the business enterprises and
other administrative affairs of the
city 1t is thought by many that the
time has arrived when it would be a
profitable step to engage the service
OF city manager. and place the ad-
ministratiOn and management of the
city in experienced and especially
trained hands.
In its course through the legislature
the new law, permitting the manager
form of government. was urged as alb
| soiutely necessary, in view of the fact
that another bill removed all munich
pally owned corporations, which in
cludes water works, light and power
plants, from the jurisdiction OF the
public utilities commission, and en-
ables cities to commence the construc-
ton of such plants without first Sc
curing a certificate of necessity from
the commission. 1t will be recalled
that Twin Falls was unable to 20
ahead with a water works system nj
its own, owing to the disposition OF
the commission to refuse the CITY the
needed certificate of necessity. The
commission insisted upon the city's
purchasing the existing plant. which
enabled the private owners to reas.
/ sign their franchise to the CITY at a
handsome profit. Under the law as
it now stands the commission has
Z nothing whatever to say with munich
/ pal corporations, either as to their in
/ itiatiOn or rates and management
hen established. With the passage OF
that bill, the city manager bill was
/ pushed to the front, and in the last
days Of the session, passed ahead 81
its natural order; it being deemed
/ imperative by the committee in charge
of the calendar to provide more eff
Gent method for the management o.
the enterprises into which it was ex
pected the new law would encoura,
cities to engage, and to remove thos,
corporations so far as possible. from