Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-01-06
COMMISSION
NOW GOVERNS
CITY OF TAMPA
BY ARTHUR G. 1VEY

TAMPA, Fla, Jan. 4.-Marking
the close of a fight which has been
waged for more than ten years, the
city Of Tampa Tuesday went under
the commissions form OF
government, with Charles H. Brown,
one of south Florida's leading BUSH
ness men, as mayor-commissloner'
and w. j. Barritt, Henry Snow, V.
V. Sharpe and w. A. Adams as com
missioners. Each member of the
commission is a successful business
man and received the backing OF
the Commission Government CLUB OF
Tampa-the slate Of candidates put
out by this club having received
primary of Nov. Is, and the election
of Dec. 7.
wise economy in every department
of the city administration, has been
pledged by the commissioners, ana
eminent are united in the belief that
under the commission-manag form
Tampa will enter upon an era of
prosperity greater than she has ever
experienced. Immediately following
the election some of the leading
considered that property values had
advanced at least 25 per cent be-
cause of the change. Tampa is a
city of more than $4,000 population
and with the development OF it's port
facilities is expected to make
strong bid for leadership in South
American trade in the next few
years.
Although no announcement has
been made by the commissioners as
to who will be made city manager
this matter has been the subject Of
much speculation. The general ia
vorite for the post seems to be E. D..
Lambright, for years a close stu
dent of commission government, and
one of the leaders of the fight to
change to that form. There is also
some talk Of an outside man getting
the job, which is expected to pay
from $4,000 to $4,000 per- year. Next
in Importance, in the minds of most
citizens, and even transcending the
managership in the minds of many,
is the post of chief Of police The
chief will be appointed by the city
| manager, as will others heads of de-
partments, with the approval Of the
commission. The commission will
| comptroller and certain other SIM
| liar officers, and the members of
certain administrative boards.
1t is believed that the new charter
by it's provisions making impera;;
tive the advertising of proposed
sales of city property, save in very
small matters, the allowing of com,
| petition in letting contracts. and
| the advertising of proposed new
ordinances, will result in safeguard
| ing the interests Of the citizens.
In order to take the municipal gov
| eminent as far as possible out OF
| politics, the fifteen men who franz
| ed Tampa's new commission-man-
ager charter fixed the salaries of
mayor-commissione and commits
| sioners at $3.50 and $1,000 respec-
| lively. They reasoned that such
| salaries would make the commits
sionerships unattractive financially
| and only those men having the good
of the city at heart would seek the
positions.
During the three month period in
which the new charter was being
| framed the charter board consulted
! the leading authorities on commits,
| sion government, and took what
| they considered the best features
| from other commission manager
charters. Following the approval OF
| the charter and the election of com.
| missioners, the entire board Of com.
missioners spent some time visit
ing commission manager cities anG
studying the practical working OF
| the new form of government