Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1922-06-06
EDIT 0 RI A L.
TONIGHT's MASS MEETING.


A MASS meeting will be held at
the city hall at 8 o'clock tonight
to receive the report of the committee
delegated by previous similar meet
ing to draw up necessary changes for
the charter Of the city of Americas
to substitute the commissions
ager form of government for the
present mayor and council plan. That
committee, headed by Alderman J.
I. Warren, has completed its work
and now has bill drawn ready for
presentation to the legislature. That
bill will be submitted tonight for dis
cussion and alteration, if alteration
is deemed desirable by the meeting,
so that it may at once be put in final
approved shape for introduction in
the legislature. Because the propos-
ed change concerns every citizen, it
is important that every good citizen
possible attend this mass meeting
and learn exactly what is contemplate
ed-and make suggestions for i'm
provement, if any they may have.
For differences may be more easily
ironed out now than later, after the
bin is passed and the whole submit
ted to the people of Americas at the
polls.
The proposed bill, a summary of
which was published in the Times
Recorder last Saturday, contains
many strong points and, as far as
We are able to discern, few if any
weak ones. We believe the meas
ure as drawn is an improvement uoon
every city manager charter with
which it has been compared, and we
VIII attempt to point out here some
OF those strong features.
In the first place, demonstrating
from the start that the whole plan
Is entirely Democratic, the five COM
mlssloners, who will replace the may
or ard council, are to be elected bv
vote Of the people just as are the
mayor and council at present. Their
terms will expire in alternating
years, leaving constantly a majority
Of old members on the board. This
Is an Improvement in that the citg's
business would never be INTERRUPTED
by an entirely new administration
taking office.
The commissioners shall eject a
chairman, who is to be mayor only in
sllmited functions, such as in the ex-
= ecution of legal documents, presiding
over the meetings of the commission
and representing the city as official
head at ceremonials, etc. When he
is absent from the city another mem.
Der of the commission assumes his
duties.
The city manager is the most i'm,
portant office. The city manager is
elected by the commission FOR NC
SPECIFIED TERM OF OFFICE. HI
may be discharged at any time FOR
CAUSE or FOR NO CAUSE, at the
pleasure of the commission. Thi,
gives the board an absolute CHECK
upon him and permits it to take i'm
mediate action if any of his actiyitie,
are improper or if it is discovered
at any time that the affairs of the
city are not being efficiently han.
died under his direction; it does moi
nave to wait for another election by
the voters or for any term of office
TO expire. The city manager is ac
countable ONLY to the commission
the members of which are, account
able directly to the people. There
lore, the manager is in a position +,
handle the city's affairs as he think
they should be handled, rather tba,
IN manner to please the individua
voter or those whose influence h,
might think would be of sufficien
value to warrant cultivation. wer
ne dependent upon the popular vot
Tor his position.
The city manager is given suffi
cient authority to permit him to han
die the city's Affairs much as he see
ut, but always with a safeguard he'll
py the commission, which is not tru
IN many cities. Usually, the manage
has full authority to employ and di: