Pueblo chieftain., 1921-10-30
THE PUEBLO CHIEFTAIN
Messages From
the People
CHARTER AMENDMENT

oCt. ~, LFal
To the Editor:
I have been asked to make a state
mont as to the present attitude of the
Charter Revision committee of is to-
ward the City Manager Amendment
to be voted upon on November Sth.
This amendment is identical with tho
amendment prepared by the COM
mittee of IS except in the names of the
members OF the council.
The committee of 1S spent much time
and gave much study and thought to
the preparation of the amendment.
The experience of many cities was
considered and n great number of
charters were examined in an effort to
provide for Pueblo the best possible
form of city government.
The committee of IS submitted the
amendment on its completion to
mass meeting OF citizens which ap-
proved the amendment and appointed
committee of fifty to act as a cam
paign committee to secure the sub
mission and adoption. This committee
of so circulated petitions asking for the
submission of the amendment at
special election. These petitions had
been signed by $500 citizens and were
practically ready for filing when the
great flood occurred.
Not only did the flood disorganize
the committee OF so as it did every
organization in the city but it swept
away a large part of the signed petit
tions. In order to secure the submis-
sion of the amendment at special
election the petitions should have been
filed by June 9th, which was a physi-
cal impossibility. But in view of the
emergency confronting our city it did
not seem proper to ask our people to
divert their energies from their flood
work to hold a special election and the
. nnRsihi1ftv nf SaciIrinp a hatfor
ernment for Pueblo was regarded as
, one OF the losses which we had suf-
fered from the flood.
Az November approached it was o.
dent that more and more citizens want
ed to adopt City Manager amendment
at the coming election. As a result of
this expressed desire on the part of the
public and the lack of action on the
Pueblo association, after giving the
matter careful consideration, decided
that it would undertake the work of
securing the adoption OF the amend
ment at the general election. and it's
submission is to be credited to the eff
forts of this new and live organiza-
ton.
7 have talked with many OF the
members of the committee of IS and
know that most, IL not all, of that COM
mittee are heartily in favor of the
adoption OF the amendment at the
coming election. They feel that II the
adoption was desirable before the
flood that It has betcome necessary
now. and that while we might have
managed to struggle along under nor
mai conditions with oSr present form
of government that n stronger and
more efficient and businesslike admin
istration is absolutely essential to meet
the crisis produced by the flood.
The City Manager plan in the form
in which 1t appears in the pending
amendment was largely development
of the great flood in Dayton. and was
responsible for the successful meeting
of the flood problem in that valley.
Pueblo has gone to Dayton TO learn
how TO solve our flood problem and
has employed the engineer who guided
their great construction work. And
II we are wise we will not neglect our
opportunity OF also securing the basis
upon which their success was founded
The City Manager Plan.
C. n. POWER.