The Connecticut labor news., 1921-06-03
The City Manager Plan

In order that both sides of the City Manager Plan suggested for New Haven, and on which the voters will register on June IA, may be discussed, THE LABOR NEWS will publish the views of either side, without prejudice or taking any responsibility TOT the arguments contained therein Communications are, because of linn ited space, expected to be brief and to the point.
 Connecticut Labor News, Gentlemen:
 1 am taking the liberty of attaching for your consideration copy ot an interesting statement from Dayton, Ohio, regarding the operation ot the City Manager Plan for the past seven years. Regardless of your opinion ot the desirability of this plan, will you not favorably consider publishing It in full in your paper for the benefit of the citizens of New Haven2
 On September, 1912, the electors ot Ohio adopted a revised Constitution. One of the provisions which 1t con tained was that cities Of 5000 pOpula- ton and over might adopt any form of municipal government consistent with the state constitution.
 A committee Ol i've HIGH Was dp- pointed in Dayton to investigate all existing forms of municipal govern ment, including those progressive forms known as the Galveston Plan, the Des Moines Plan, and others which were already in force in other states.
 This committee immediately went to work and accumulated the most complete library of municipal char ters, primers, annual reports and other data showing what was being done. Through the Dayton bureau of municipal research other information was gathered, and in due time this committee of five announced that 1t was ready to report to- a citizens Icommittee, which might be appointed to carry the matter into execution Ii possible.
 A committee of fifteen was accord ingly appointed and the committee of five made it's report. Enthusiasm be- came general. The committee of ff- teen was increased to one hundred, and this committee later to three hun drcd and fifty.
 At meeting held by this large committee it was practically unani- mously agreed to adopt what might be called the Business Manager Plan, or City Manager Plan. It is a matter of record that the plan adopted later be- came known as the Dayton Plan. When the charter was ready to sub
 init to the people an election was call ed and the charter adopted by a vote of two to one.
 The charter adopted provided that 1 at the regular November election five commissioners should be elected by
 the people, the one receiving the high
 est number of votes to be declared
 the mayor, and these five commission
 CTS were to employ a city manager. We have been able to maintain .
 high type of commission throughout
 which we have had the present form
 of government, which went into effec l January I, 1914. | There are several reasons why tho
 ommission-manager form of govern
 mcnt in Dayton IS a success ano
 strongly supported by the better ele
 ment of the citizens.
 The commission employed city manager by the year and put him II
 charge of the general business o
 the city. The commission becam,
 principally the legislative body, tn,
 city manager the executive official
 By doing away with the old wart
 system and the consequent 'logroll
 ing" and many other objectionabl
 features attending the old system o
 party politics, we secured an admin
 istration which had the interests o
 the entire city in view and at once W
 enjoyed a very decided improvement
 over the old plan.
 The charter provided that the term
 of three commissioners should expir
 one year and two commissioners tn
 next, thus we have had several cleo
 tions since the beginning of the pla1