The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-03-03

were being made services and tn- provementy increased. Fire depart rnent reorganization boosted ef- fectiveness 10 per cent and made the fire loss the lowest in Is years. Two-way radio was nistalled Tor the police. Streets were w!deneq and improved, a new park was completed, and the clinic work of the health department was eX- banded.
 Pasadena-When flood damages necessitated an unexpected expen- diture of $30O,000 to repair the municipal golf course and the flood control channel, Pasadena's city manager was not alarmed. His confidence came not only from the knowledge of $650,000 accumulated as 8 reserve for future capital outlays and emergencies, but also from the practice of systematical- ly solving many problems during the IT years the city has had the manager form of government.
 During 1887 Pasadena increased its general fund balance by more than $l30.O00. paid IN ADVANCE its ten-year obligation of its $400.- 900 share of the cost of Boulder Dam machinery, paid IN AD- VANCE $500 900 or 20 per cent of its obligations to the Los Angeles Bureau of Light and Power for facilities for transmitting Boulder power over the companys lines.
 Meanwhile, at an annual in- creased cost of $150,000, nearly all salaries have been restored to pre- depression levels, the fire and police pension system has been improved at increased expense. and major replacements have been made in fire, police and other equipment.
 Cost Declines
 In spite of all this, the cost of government per person has gone down from $30.77 in 1923 to $22.55 in 1887, and the tax rate was re" duced from $l.30 to $l.ls per $l00. Nevertheless, assessed valuation was cut from $l87 900 900 to $l28.- 100000 during this period of rapid population growth. and services which are essential to the good life" were kept at an outstanding level.
 For the sixth consecutive year the Pasadena fire department as awarded the national certificate of merit for fire prevention activities; for the second time Pasadena won the national city health conserva. ton contest; and Pasadena led all cities in its class in library &C., tivities.
 Kenosha--In 1925, three years after it adopted the manager plan, Kenosha won first prize in the Wisconsin Better Cities contest, and Aubrey Williams, the secre. tary of the contest, said the city manager plan was the greatest factor in the outcome.
 It was not always so. Prior to 1922, Kenosha had it's quota of politicians and city hal hangers on, its quota of graft and in- efficiency.
 One of the first things the city manager did was to install a uni form system of accounting SC that the financial condition If the city as a whole, and of each depart ment separately, could be known al any time. The bucget system was simultaneously put into effect. Other improvements in the ad- ministrative organization of the city government made possible greater service at less cost.
 Under the manager plan the per capita cost of government in Kenosha was reduced approxi- mately 25 per cent. All the bust. ness enterprises which the city car- ries on are being run more eco- s1omically than before.
 Kenosha, like other highly in- dustrialized cities. faced heavy re- lief burdens during the depression Kenosha's share of relief costs jumped from $49,374 in 1929 tc $3la,943 in 1883. With no authority to issue bonds for relief purposes, the city had to provide for this out of its regular current cash. Cur tailed expenditures. while services were nevertheless maintained. made 1t possible to meet this emergency and to lower the tax burden each year from 1880 to 1886.
 The next article will tell some of the stories of touncil-manager cities of less than 5000 popuia- ton.