Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1920-11-01
City Manager Government In
ForceIn Over180A Americana Cities
Plan An Evolution And
Not A Man S
Invention
BY FREDERICK Nj. KIRBY,
Staff Correspondent, Newspaper En-
ka~.r;.a Aseoe;aF;o0

ton, not an invention-such is the
city manager form of municipal gov
ernment. AS in force today in some
180 American cities, it represents a
gradual growth of thought and ex-
pertinent prompted by desire to
answer this important question:
How can municipal governments
attain the greatest efficiency?
Had it been felt that the conven-
tional or federal, form of city gov
ernment brought to the administration
of city affairs any considerable de-
gree of genuine efficiency, however,
far removed from the ideal, it isl
doubtful if the city manager idea
would ever have been evolved, for
evolution is slow, laborious, expert
mental. AS a matter of fact the cit
les that blazed the way to the city
manager plan were convinced that
the federal plan was unadapted to
their more modern needs, that it was
efficient only in the direction of mis-
management.
The federal form Of a city gov
ernment, which still obtains in vast
majority of American cities, follows
these general lines:
A council elected from various
wards or districts from list of can
didates put forward by opposing par
ties, in which representative body is
lodged the legislative function; a
mayor, also party-made, in whom is
lodged the administrative function
and to whom is granted veto over
councils legislative acts; quota of
specialized officials treasurer, an
auditor. city attorney, directors of
service and safety, a health officer
elected generally from lists of party
candidates, though in recent years
appointed in some instances by may
or council.
Holes In Old Form.
Advocates of the city manager
idea, is agreement with the over
whelming opinion of practically all
municipal government critics, indict
the federal form of city gvernment
on these grounds:
/. While party lines as applied
to national affairs represent the nee
| essary and wholesome cleavage of
varying principles Of political and
economic theory, they represent when
applied to the affairs of a munich
pality a mere scramble for office.
J. 2. Once elected, an official tax
| ing office under the federal plan pro-
/ ceeds to dispense whatever appoint
ments he is auth )riGu to make, and
whatever governmental favor It is in
| his power to. grant to those who have
| aided in his election, regardless of
the qualifications of prospective ap-
pointees or the best interest of the
| public service.
8. Individual members of council
can always explain their failure to-
/ produce results by pointing to the
] fact they were hampered by other
! council members. Council as whole
| can explain its failure by citing the
unfriendly attitude of the mayor and
| the menace or actual operation of
| his veto power. The mayor can al
ways plead that his is purely ex-
ecutive office, and without the leg
| islative cooperation of council he
can do nothing. The federal plan
| diffuses authority to the point where
| it is impossible for the voters CEN
| trally to locate responsibility.
Summarizing, friends of the city
manager idea would say that when a
municipal government operating un-
der the federal plan becomes inef-
ficient the reason lies in these facts:
Reason Why Bad. :,
! That the mayor, councilmen and
minor officials were selected not be-
because thew were uauified to fill the
positions they sought but because of
| the political strength they had been
able to build up about themselves.
That they had been able to build
.A,,o,,orth hnpQTIco of
governmental favors and appoint
ments dispensed in the. past, and
promised for the future.
That because of the elaborate sys-
j tenn of excuse for failure and crude
lack of central responsibility offer
ed by the federal plan, given poll
1 teal organization can be dlslodged
from control only with the greatest
difficulty and even when lodged can
be replaced only with an orgaization
similar to itself.
This criticism of the federal plan
of municipal government as we'll for
mulated in the minds OF the people
] long before the advent Of elther. OF
the commission or city manager plan.
For the thought to convert itself into
action there was necessary only an
overwhelming need, crisis SO big
that men would realize its handling
was beyond the capability OF "the
administration"
Such a crisis came in Galveston,
Texas, in 1900, when that city was
inundated by a gigantic wave that
bore on its crest staggering loss OF
= life and property. The old mayor
: council form of government went
into the discard, and the government
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