The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1917-01-12
age in 1885, has become a veritable
crazy quilt of legislation.


crazy quilt of legislation
Then, again. there is the necessity
Cf making provision for meeting .
number of conditions Wh:-,l are arts
.ng in all growing communities. and
Tor which no provision is made in our
prcs~1e charter.
By the appointment of a committee
from your body acting in conjunction
with the city attorney and other pub
lie spirited lawyers, who might be
willing to contribute their time and
energy for the city's welfare, this
thing of many parts could be re-writ-
ten and made co-ordinated whole.
l recommend that this be done at
an early date in order that the revis-
ed charter may be passed by the legis-
lature which meets in April, or sub
mitted TO the people for their adop
ton if this seems best. In view of
the considerable cost attached to the
publication of new book of ordinanc-
es. and the desirability of eliminating
all unnecessary items of expense for
the present. [ think this IAN b. de-
ferred
Public Utilities
/ The pressing need of economy and
efficiency in the administration Of the
icity's affairs very naturally bring us
to a consideration OF the question and
management of the public utilities
which our city is so fortunate in own
ing This leads further 10 the ques-
ton which has been asked by the cti-
zens OF every wide-awake city in this
country for some years past: rs the
aldermanic method of handling pub
Inefficient" This question has al
most universally been answered in
the affirmative and among the most
important reasons assigned are that
aldermen cannot devote the time to
city affairs which is necessary to eff
cient administration; they have not
the technical training necessary, and
in body of the size of the ordinary
council there cannot be that consist
ent planning and carrying out of
plans which goes with the develop
ment and coordination of the several
departments. There is the further
difficulty of fixing responsibility when
things go wrong. Several plans and
methods have been devised whereby
greater efficiency may be effected.
| Most prominent among these plans
are the commission form of city gov
eminent, the city manager plan, and
a board of public works or bond trus-
tees. all of which have been subjected
to various notifications to meet the
ideas and conditions of different COM
munities.
One of our prominent attorneys, aft
er a somewhat exhaustive study OF
the commission form of government.
came to the conclusion that it was not
we'll adapted to cities of the size of
Ocala, largely because of the element
of cost, and in this conclusion | think
he is correct.
To institute a board of public works
OF bond trustees will require a change
OF charter, which should not be re-.
garded as a serious difficulty if this
seems the best solution. | believe it
is practicable, however, to work out
a combination OF the aldermanic and
the city manager plan which can be
inaugurated without change of char
ter, and which will eliminate the sew
We are now working. | believe that
such a plan will save the tax payers
of the city much more than it will
cost, besides adding to their comfort
and happiness by giving them better
service from their public utilities.
The electric light, water, sewer and
street improvements of Ocala repre-
sents an investment. roughly, of $3.50
600, and the yearly expense of operat-
ing and keeping up these improve
ments amounts to in the neighbOr-
hood of $4,000. This is quite a big
business and should be managed as
business proposition.
1t is a common remark of the street
that if you. or my business. were man
aged as the city's business is managed
! we'd have To 90 into hankr1DtCy-but
the city needs only to raise the tax
es. Part of this criticism is fair. and
part is unfair. but none of it is intend
ed to reflect on the council or past
councils.
The trouble is with the system. If
we can improve upon this system
there rests upon us all a pressing OBJ
| legation to do so.