Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1922-03-31
OBJECTIONS TO APPOINTIVE
ASSESSOR ANSWERED
Arguments in Favor Summarized


The question of making the tax
assessor of Wauwatosa appointive in
stead of elective will be put before the
voters at the election next Tuesday.
Some profess to see politics in' the
move to secure appointment of the
assessor. The answer to this is that
the idea did not originate with any
present or prospective office-holders.
A committee of the Mems Club
started the movement. 1t was taken
up and indorsed by the Mems Club
at one of its meetings, and the cam
paign in favor of it has been carried
on by the Mems Club committees on
taxation and publicity. So this mas
been entirely a citizens movement
from start to finish.
1t is argued by some that if the
mayor had the appointment of asses
sor, he would pick some one who
would raise assessments. But it must
be clear that any mayor who brought
about a general boosting of assess
ments would pay for it with his polit-
ical life. A mayor might, on the
other hard, appoint an assessor who
would lower assessments all around
in order to win the favor of the
voters. But to Offset a reduction of
assessments, an increase of the tax
rate would be necessary and boosting
the tax rate is never popular. The
only political advantage to a mayor
would lie in appointing an assessor
who would be painstaking and fair
in assessing property. And this kind
of political advantage q mayor is
fa:. y entitled to.
Put even supposing that the mayor
male faulty appointment, there is
check on him. The Common Council
must confirm the appointment and,
therefore, the mayor must consult til
Councils wishes in the matter.
After all, if we are TO have good
city administration, we have to elect
a mayor and aldermen that we can
| trust, If we put as little RESPONSE
bility upon our public officials as we
can help and hold them under sus-
picion all the while, we get about
that measure of good government. We
will bet small calibre men for small
calibre places every time But if we
4 put the responsibility for running the
city squarely up TO those whom we
elect, give them authority and hold
them for results, they will act up to
their responsibility. In the end, that
| city is governed well whose officials
have the powers necessary to govern
it we'll
The theory that the voters can con
troll their government best by spread
ing out responsibility among many
elective officials remains :. theory. 1t
has never worked. The worst period
III city government ia 'his country
was the period ta2' vas unGer the in
flu nee of Chis theory. When we be-
gan 10 simplify our city governments
and elect fewer officers, city govern
ments began to improve. And the
best city governments we have today
are those in which the electors do not
attempt control at many points, but
at the few points where responsibility
is concentrated.
To summarize, the appointment in
stead of the election Of tax assessor
is urged because (1) this office is one
Of specialized qualifications, like such
offices as city engineer, health officer
or fire chief, and therefore suitable
for appointment; (2) under the
method of election of minor officers,
it is always uncertain whether we will
get qualified men, voting, as we do, on
inadequate knowledge, and (3) we will
get the best results in city admins
tration if we put the responsibility
uDon the chief officers Of the city, the
mayor and alderman, wh0 have to an
swer to the voters for all things con-
cerning the well being of the city any
way.