Palatka daily news. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1919-1994, 1922-04-20
Commission Government Saved
Sacramento $4,000 in First
Year City Manager Plan Tried
Pay Roll Reduced to $4,000 for City of 10000
obnlnion-Paluka's Pay Roll Vas $4,000
Last Year for 5000 People.
g From Dearborn independent.
From Dearborn Mdebendent.

force only since July l, the beginning
of the fiscal year of 1929. This
means that $169, ,459 .8s has been saved
to the $4,000 inhabitants of Sacrament
to, an average og $2.57 for every man,
woman and child in the city. If there
are 10000 taxpayers in Sacramento,
which probably is an excessive esti-
mate, they have saved approximately
$3.50 each on their taxation for the
first 18 months of operation of the
city manager plan. 1t is small won
der that the voters of the California
capital, recently questioned by one of
the newspapers of the city, replied
with unanimous voice in favor of the
city managership.
AS result of this saving, not only
has the tax rate been reduced, but the
assessments also have been reduced,
and a plan is now being formulated
whereby 100 per cent assessment val
uations will be made, which will still
further reduce the rate, and more
equitably distribute the taxation.
Steps have been taken ooking to the
establishment of a municipally-owned
hydro-electric plant, the second Of it's
kind in the state, and more improve
ment work is now under way in Sac
ramento than at any time within the
past five years.
Clyde Seavey is city manager OF
Sacramento. His forehead tells you
that he can think; his jaw indicates
that he can fight. He has done both
wit equal willingness and equal sue
cess. In fact, at tie end of each bout,
the referee, that is to say, the people
of Sacramento, held up the Seavey
right hand, as the sign of victory.
Seavey is not the only city manager in
the world, just as Sacramento is not
the only city which has tried out the
plan and found it successful, but he is
one whose methods have been follow
ed by results, so that they are wSll
worth watching and studying by 9th
er people in other Americr/ cities.
Besides Seavey, there is city coun-
Gil of nine members, composing the
Legislative department, as he is the
head of the executive department.
Cities which have adopted or do adopt
city manager methods of government
also can have mayors ifthey want
them, but as the city managers first
job is to lock the pie counter and
throw the key into the nearest lake,
not many men are noticeable by their
desire to become mayors of city-man-
aged municipalities.
Seavey was put into office as city
manager on July 1, 1921. As soon as
he knew he was to take charge of the
city, which was some weeks prior to
his actual taking hold, he hired an ex-
pert to make detailed and minute
survey of the old city government
The old and the new charters were
analyzed, and ways of consolidation
of departments and elimination of
"dead-wood" were studied. Then, on
the night Of June 80, the new city
manager, the men he had picked for
his aides, and the new city councilmen
sat down together as darkness fell and
wrestled with the problem until dawn
of July 1. Then they went home, ex-
planned where they had been to friend
ly wives, washed their faces, strolled
down to the city hall, and put the
plans of the night into effect the first
day.
Some people who had long been
connected with the city of Sacramento
were considerably surprised. Sala-
ries totaling $sO,41s were eliminated
Immediately. A number of men who
had waxed rotund on the city pay roll
went to bed in June under the bene-
ficent protection of healthy salaries
and woke up in July with less pay
coming to them than tn ekaiser could
draw in Paris. One new man, on the
acreage, was put in where two had
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