The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1921-03-02
THE CITY MANAGER.

There is a deal Of potent interest just now in
the question Of q city manager FOR BOZeman. The
question viii come before the voters in the near
future and if the willingness to sign petitions
can be taken as any criterion Of the outcome Of
the election, the matter will pass and Bozeman
will have chance to get out of the financial
slough to which city affairs have sunk. But the
passage Of the innovation is not so sure. There
are q great many Of our responsible citizens who
have not yet made up their own minds on the
question. The vital question of the whole issue
is who the city manager will be.
The plan is to elect three or five commission
ers preferably the latter, and for these men to
hire a city manager. They act in the capacity
of legislative body, the city manager carrying
out their plans in the manner best suited to him
self He is the real head Of affairs. Manifestly,
there is no telling who the city manager will be
before the commissioners are even elected.
But one thing at least is certain The new city
manager should not be 3 BOzenan man. There are
a number Of reasons for this. In the first place,
there is no nan il F}z--.~t. no can qualify for
the place. We NAV hqvn engineers, good bust
ness executives ana oClels Wnose training in one
form or another S..G-.A - them for some phase
of the Job, but they haven't the experience We
want a city manager in Bozeman who is on to his
lob, who has bucked the same game somewhere
else. We may have TO pay such man q bit more,
but it IS cheaper to pay for experiments made else
where than Tor experience gained in Bozeman.
We want a man who has made success of this
same job, not one who is trying it for the first
time.
Then there are other considerations ANY local
man would enter the Job with his hands tied in
some direction another He would be cursed
with too many friends-and enemies-tO give
efficient service. If we are going to made so
radical change IN our form of government, we
might well make good job of it. We must
needs get man who can enter the office unham-
peFed by past affiliations or friendships, with
whom merit alone will count, and who can clean
house, if need be, with all previous city attaches
without fear of offending someone or stepping
Oh the toes OF the powers that be- A stranger
could come in here and work, unprecedented and
unbiased. No home man could do as we'll
ne idea OF employing an outside man for this
place IS by no means original with the Courier
Mayor Sweet who, knowing as he does the exact
condition of the city finances and the limitations
OF the present government, is one of the strongest
advocates for the city manager form, has the fol
lowing to say: eff the city manager form Of
municipal government becomes a fact | an
strongly in favor Of employing an outside man
preferably an engineer, who can enter upon tn.
work without prejudice of local opinions w,
want man who has had previous experience a
this same business and who can bring to Boze
man the benefit Of previous experience. | d.
not believe the people of BOzenan would stant
Tor the employment of q local man at the out
set"
NdlJSI EAiJheil, CITY attorney, WHO mas spent
great deal Of time studying this matter, says: II
is my impression, from what l can learn of tn
experience of other cities, that it is advisabl
10 bring in q stranger with previous experience
who can proceed with his work without the hand
cap Of local prejudices, opinions, friendships @
enmities"
So far as we know no local man is an aspil
ant for the place. We feel that when the con
mssiOners are elected they will be fully cognizar
Of the handicaps that would confront local maj
and would never employ one, more especially
the start of the new form Of government Lii
Mayor Sweet, we do not believe the people
BOzeman would stand for the employment of an
BOzeman man to put this new plan into operatio
There is too much at stake to be trusted to inc
perienced hands, it is too big an issue to be swa
ed by misguided, though friendly advice In vC
ing on this question we think the people can
assured that man of experience in city manag
work, and stranger to the people of Bozem
viii be the first occupant of the new office
MACHINE EOC nTVON