Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1921-06-22

GIVE AMERICUS
MANAGER, SAYS
DECATUR MAYOR
w. I. Dabney, On Visit
Here, Tells OF Re-
suits There

owe have one hundred thousand
dollars in the bank, drawing inter
est and we do not owe any man any
thing, other a few minor monthly
bills"
This was the astounding statement
of w. J. Dabney, of Decatur, mayor
and chairman of Decatur's board OF
commissioners, and in business a
prominent Atlanta implement dealer,
president of the w. j. Dabney I'M
plemcnt comapny.
Mr.. Dabney Wednesday was pass
irf through Americas and stopped
fer lunch with friends here. 10 a
reporter for the Times-Recorder he
| told of the progress of Decatur's new
city manager commission form OF
city manager" said Mr.. Dabney.
government.
/ Put your town on a city manager
Three commissioners are too few
and seven are too many. Five, we
know, is the right number, and each
should hold office for two years, thus
keeping three old commissioners on
the board all the time.
I'VE have a real ciuy manager, a
man we pay $500 a year, and he
! is manager. Decatur has a popula-
ton Of 5000 with tax valuations of
! $5,575,000, Valuations are placed
at 81 l-2~Uf the. market value. Our
rate is only SO, giving Decatur
one of the lowest tax rates, we be-
lieve, in the state.
eve are putting $4,000 a yeear
| into public schools, or 70 cents out
of the $1.50 tax rate. Our $150,005
bond issue is cared for out of the
! tax and we keep our bond fund right
a balance in the banks around $780,
600, representing sinking fund and
other cash balances.
Pay Good Salaries.
''ln our fire department, which is
motorized, we have five paid firemen
at an average monthly salary of
$125. Besides these We have IA vol
unteer firemen who serve as call
without pay, purely patriotic service.
1--WE have three police officers, with
average salary of 1925 per month";
. WIN Gl1SININ6lS Cdtt LOT Tie Guy.
In the sanitary department, we
| have sold all the mules and carts
i can't tell you how many there were,
but the number was large Instead
we have one motor driven truck and
one emergency truck that answers
special calls. We will move immedi-
ately garbage or refuse on telephone
call from any part of the city. We
expect to increase very soon, how
ever, to two motor-driven garbage
trucks.
''ln the executive department of
the city is the manager at salary
of $4,000. He has a clerk or AUDI
| tor, who also is clerk of the board
| of commissioner, whose salary is S2,-
100 year, and a stenographer lat
$1,000 or thereabouts a year. We
| have another man who reads and
! repairs meters, sends out monthly
water bills and such like service, at
| 81, 200 annually. There is chief
of construction, who has supervision
| of streets, repairs and new paving;
the waterworks and laying of mains,
as well as the sewerage systems.
His salary is $500 or $4,000 a year.
Woman en- School Board.
"On the board of education there
| five members, one of whom IS a wo-
man, and she is doing great work.
| The mayor is an ex-officio member
| of the board, This board controls
! the school in fact as we'll as in name.
There is a legal department under
/ tho pf ono If tbo TO-,
most prominent jurists. This depart
ment takes care of everything that
] naturally would come under such a
! head
But the one thing | would lay
| stress on is our health department,
under health director, who is a very
capable young physician of Decatur.
We have just completed and passed
| the most modern and the best health
| ordinance of any city in the state,
simple yet efficient. We pay the di-
rector $50 per month and he is on
| to his job He inspects and keeps
daily in touch with our water and
water supply. I'll send you copy of
that ordinance. It's worth printing
"This new form of government has
taken the place of our old board of
trade, or chamber of commerce and
is performing its functions. A new
citizen comes to our community, and
Immediately we write him a letter
and welcome him to the town. We
do for the town what the old board of
trade did.
81 tell you this new form is the
only form. 1t will pull any city out
of debt 1t will please every one
but the. professional politicians, once
it is given a fair trial
Word Of Warming.
"One word of warning: Ii you con-
template joining the progressive cit
les under this new form of city gov
ernment, be sure your board of COM
missions is composed of the best bust
ness brains in your city. Draft them,
whether or no-men who are loyal,
patriotic. and with backbone. Second,
in the selection of your manager,
/ get a trained man, and not a local
man. The manager must not be tied
to friends and kindred. In the test
or trial period the outsider is far