The Winslow mail., 1926-07-23
Ex-Mayor Douglas
Favors Council
Manager Plan

Ex-Mayor Fred B. Douglas, now
serving on the City Council and the
Board of Freeholders, when asked
his opinion regarding a new form
of city government, submitted the
following:
The Winslow Mail,
Mr.. c. L. Giragi, Editor.
Dear Sir:
Referring to your request for
statement as to the stand l have
taken in favor of the Councilman
ager plan of city government in the
preparation Of the new City Char
ter.
1, as we'll as several other mem
bers of the Board of Freeholders,
have advocated the adoption Of the
Council-Manager plan Of city gov
ernment because, from our knOWl-
edge of the operation of the gov
ernment of Winslow, we believe
that this plan is the only plan
which will ever be really efficient.
Long before the move was start
ed to make Winslow a city instead
of town, [ began investigating
the various forms of city govern
ment for my own edification. The
results of my Investigations and the
results of the operation of the
Council-Manager form of govern
ment convinced me that it was the
thing Winslow needed. The fact
that over ninety per cent of the
new Charters written now are
along this plan is sufficient evil
dence that plan is a success. Of
the other ten or so per cent adopt
ing other forms, most of them later
adopt the manager plan through an
amendment to their plan. In this
state there are two cities operat-
ing under the manager plan, Phoe-
nix and Prescott, and the people of
these cities must be satisfied for
I know of no move to change to
some other form.
1t did not take me long to learn,
after I was elected Mayor, that I
could not expect to look after
things as they should be looked
after for 1 could not afford to lose
the time from my regular work as
an engineer. Most people do not
realize the many things that are
brought to the Mayor for his at
tention and in almost every case it
requires his going out some place
and looking at something or some
other investigation. This all re-
quires time and the average citi-
zen of Winslow cannot afford to
let his other work go to do such.
Everything that comes up is of i'm
portance to some one or maybe
mnay people and if it is not attend
ed to those are dissatisfied with
the administration. Also every
thing that comes up is closely re-
lated to some other work that has
been. done or is being done and
consequently the Mayor must be in
close touch with every operation
| and job of work. Since, as I have
said, the Mayor cannot possibly
keep in close touch with every
thing, each department goes ahead
with it's various work without any
reference to any other department,
oftentimes causing duplication of
effort which costs the taxpayers
/ money.
The hiring of a City Manager is
the only solution I can see to our
problem. AS 1 see it the only OBJ
pection anyone has to a city mana
ger is the fact that they are afraid
the manager will have too much
power. This is impossible if the
Council is on the job. The manager
is hired by the Council and can be
fired by the Council at any time his
services become unsatisfactory just
the same as any city employe can
now be handled. The hiring of a
manager need not increase the city
budget a great deal for the various
positions can be consolidated in
such manner that the city mana
ger can take over part of some
other work and at the same time
manage the city's affairs to better
advantage than they are now, or
have in the past been managed.
trust that l have made my po-
sition clear to you and if you use
this for publication I hope that the
people of Winslow will see my
point. If they are in doubt about
any statement 1 have made I in
vite them to investigate, as I have
and I am sure that they will be
convinced that the Council Mana
ger plan is the only plan for eco
nomical city government.
Yours very truly.
FRED B. DOUGLAS