The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-11-08

bY the people while the collector of
room, is appointed by the council, The
report continues:
Net content with distributing adj
nlinis,ratIye4r responsibility between the
mayor. the Rdmi nistratIve board and
the city council, the positions of sne-
cial accountant and the clerk of special
assessments are made subordinate to
the finance committee OF council. Sup
piementing all of this confusion in or
ganizaticn and lack of correlation
various important administrative Of
fieers. such as the high constable.
sheriff, city sergeant, city treasurer.
commissioner Of revenue, etc, by con-
ututional requirements, are elected d.
rectly by the people.
The coroners are appointed by the
Judge of the hust!ngs court although
their duties might better be distributed
between the commemorative attorney
and medical inspector Of the health
department.
THE school trustees are appointed
by the city Souncif, but the superin-
tenient of schools is appointed by the
state board of education.
Three Alternative Plans Re~omm nded.
The bureau Of municipal research
suggests three different plans OF or
ganization of the city's government.
any one OF which should be conducive
TO better government than can be- OBJ
tanned under the existing plan, None
of the plans proposed Is designed cx-
aotly as II should be because of the re-
strictions In the state constitution. In
stead OF recommending a plan which
would require constitutional amend
ment, the bureau believes II more prac-
tioable TO suggest corrective measures
which conform with the constitution
If subsequently, constitutional revision
can be secured SO as to reduce the
number of elective offices by making
them appotntive by the central execu-
tive officer of the city. so much the
better. Thereby the full advantages of
what lis commonly known as the eshort
ballot" can be obtained. Meanwhile,
instead Of marking time until such re-
vision Is secured. 1t behooves the
voters OF the city to adopt such rem
edy as Is available through legislative
revision of the city charter.
The three plans herein recommend
ed are set forth in what is believed to
be the sequence of their individual
merit and their relative fitness to local
conditions in the city of Richmond
They provide respectively for a plan Of
government by
!. Mayor and small council
:. Commission manager.
3. Commission.
Mayor and Small Councu Plan.
This plan centralires executive au-
thority and thereby nxes responsibility
in the mayor. except In SO far as the
officers must be retained.
In the latter connection 1t 10 that the
ONCE of city tax collector be abolished
and the duties thereof transferred to
the city treasurer.
The city council would be reduced
to single body of nine memhers,
THAT Is enough to insure adequate
In a city the size of
Richmond and still keep the council
small enough to enable II to act as q
unit $50
1.-THE revised or new charter should
stipulate that neither the council nor
any of its committees may perform
any administrative functions This
was the most serious defect in the gov |
srnment prior to the establishment of !
the administrative board and In fac |
was the reason for bringing tho latter
into existence. -
The offices"of clerk Of committees
md Sergeant-at-armg should be CON
'olidated In the eitr clerks efaaa aaA