Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1921-09-30
The Story of the City
Manager Plan

dred and forty American cities and |
town have changed their municipal. /
charters and adopted the City Man
ager form Of government, and there
are now two hundred and fifty four
cities and towns operating under that
plan.
This plan has aroused wide atten-
ton and the results are already SO
striking that City Managers are be-
ing seriously advocated, in such cities
as Chicago, Cleveland and Kansas
City.
The development of City Manager
ship is a profession now well under
way. Thirty seven times, men VINO
did well as managers OF small clties,
have been called to larger cities at
increased salaries. Of these managers,
several have gained promotion, thfec
are now in the fourth city.
When new manager is Created o.
an old one vacated, the successful
managers of smaller cities are usually
the candidates who will receive tlrsl
consideration. Over one-half of the
cities have chosen their manager from
out of town. :,
In 1908. the mayor and council OF
| Staunton, Virginia, became dlsgusted
over the inefficiency Of government
bv councilmanic committees, ant
hired c.. f. Ashburner, and passed an
ordinance delegating to him the title
Of General Manager" He made good.
and became famous both for his tlti'
and record. Since then, Staunton. has
changed over from the makeshltt or
der of government to the real Clt
Manager Plan.
! In 1910, Lockport, New York, wa:
looking for chance to get form Oh
Commission government, move
ment then sweeping over the couT-
try. The Lockport Board OF Irane
accordingly had to prepare leglsia-
ton and proceeded to improve on the
commission plan by combining Its
single elective board feature with IT,
Staunton idea of the appointive man,
ager. The Lockport plan was talked
about all over the country.
In 1912, Sumter, South Carolina
adopted a new charter embodylng
Lockport idea, and began operating
under the new system early III the
following year This was the first city
therefore, to have the City Manager
system. Two neighboring towns,
Hickory and Morganton, North Caro-
lima, Immediately followed.
DAYTON, Ohio, had been through
long seige of wasteful inefficient az
ministration. When the charter COM
mission had thoroughly investigated
all the prevailing and proposed tyne
of city government. they concluded
that Sumter had the best on the marx
ct. Then came the big Dayton flood OF
! 1913. and the incapacity of the
government was emphasized ane'
When things became normal agar
the people adopted the new manager
charter by a big majority.
Springfield, Ohio took action few
weeks later, the councils OF both
Springfield and Dayton taking Office
in January, 1914. :.
Eleven other towns and small cities
in Texas and Michigan. also installed
the plan that year. Since then an IN
creasing number Of cities have adopt
ca it every year, 1920 list OF accre-
tions being by far the largest. Inc
pressure on the legislatures became
50 widespread that twelve states
Massachusetts, New York, Virginia,
Ohio. Oklahoma. Kansas, Idaho, Mon
tana. North Dakota, North Carolina
Wisconsin and Louisiana, passed state
wide laws permitting their cities by
simple referendum procedure TO
Al Dion
One of the favorite political ar
ruments to defeat city manager chart
ers. is to stir up municipal employees
nv the assertion that they will lose
protection and become subject to the
whim of new manager, who Will DIS
charge them all including the UNIFORM
ed fire and police force. In no man
.aper city has anything of this sort
ever transpired., On the contrary II
happens that the record of the man
ager cities in dealing with labor ana
civil service is particularly gooo.
Promotions have been by merit, ana
as to most of the cities politics mas
disappeared from the administrative
personnel. These results are natural
enough in government free from REQ
tape when headed by an executive who
can work almost as freely as prl-
waite business executive. Just as 1t IS
IN the enlightened progressive bust
ness houses, which treat their en-
ployees fairly and get in return, hlgn
grade service. The manager cities are
the ones which have adjusted their
budgets most promptly, in order 20
treat their workers right.
The reason why the manager plan
is because it is more democratic;
! i. c. more sensitive and obcdicnt to
rublic opinion.
Two unusual basic features cX-
plain this superiority in true demo
cracy namely: % THE short ballot
rrinciple." (2) Qualification OF pow
crs." The short ballot principle is
the doctrine that only few officers
should ever be scheduled to be hied
at any one time, so as to permit ade-
quate and unconfused popular eX"
animation of the candidates. In other
democratic countries the plan OF gov
'ernmcnt usually calls on the people 20