The twice-a-week Twin Falls times. (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1916-1918, 1917-03-29
CITY MANAGER
PLAN PROPOSED
FOR TWIN FALLS
NEW LAW PASSED BY LEGISLA-
TURE MAKES NEW FORM OF
GOVERNMENT Optional
COMMISSIONERS INSTEAD OF
COUNCIL TO GOVERN
Election May Be Called From Sixty
TO Ninety Days After Filing of
Petition Asking For Submission OF
Question.

Does Twin Falls want to try the
"City Manager Plan"-the new form of
city government that has worked out
so successfully in several eastern and
middle-western cities, and which the
last legislature made optional with
Idaho cities having population of
over $500?
Under this plan the office of mayor
is dispensed with, and a business
manager substituted, the manager be-
ing selected by the five commission
ers who replace the present council
men. The commissioners are not re-
stricted to their own city, or even
state, in choosing their city manager,
but may and as practiced in the east
and middle west, generally do go far
afield to get the man they want Such
a man is usually one who has devoted
many years of study to municipal af-
fairs and who has had long experience
in the management of municipal util-
tiles, such as municipality owned water
works, gas, lighting and power plants.
His business is to be an expert in his
line of work, and he is paid and gains
recognition in his field accordingly.
1t is at once to be seen that the plan
is patterned on the system in opera
ton in all of the successful corpora
tiOns of this county, the five commits
siOners corresponding to the board of
directors, and the city manager to the
general manager of the corporation.
The city managers job depends upon
the right kind of results, as it should !;
] and is far removed from the influence
of local partisan politics.
Each of the commissioners is as
signed to a special department of the
city government, and is supposed to
keep himself thoroughly in touch with
his branch of the city administration
although the actual management of
every department is directly under the
city manager. These departments, as
classified by the new law, are: Public
| affairs, accounts and finances. safety
of the public, streets and public i'm
provement and parks and public prop
erty.
The duties of the city manager are
outlined. in the new measure, as fol-
| lows: ITO have general supervision
over the business of the municipality
to see that the laws and ordinances
are faithfully executed; to attend all
meetings of the board at which his
attendance may be required by that
! body: to recommend for adoption tu
| the board such measures as he may
deem necessary or expedient; to make
such appointments of employees OF
the municipality as are not otherwise
, provided for, subject to the provis-
/ ions of this act and to such civil ser
vice regulations as may be adopted
to prepare and submit to the board
such reports as may be required by
that body. or as he may deem advis-
able to submit; to keep the board
fully advised of the financial condi-
ton of the municipality and its fu-
ture needs; to prepare and submit t.,
the board a tentative budget for the
next fiscal year; and to perform sucl
other duties as the board may de
termine by ordinance or resolution.
None of the powers or privileges a