The Daily Alaska empire. [volume] (Juneau, Alaska) 1926-1964, 1944-07-06
MOVEMENT FOR
CITY MANAGER
PLAN STARTED
Sponsoring Committee Of
II Formed Here
Last Night

A movement to cnange Juneau D
mayor council form OF city govern
ment to the city manager plan got
underway last night as 81 represen-
tatives of various Juneau organiza-
tions went on record in favor of the
plan without opposition, and those
attending accepted the obligation as
sponsoring committee for the move
ment.
Under an act passed by the last
Territorial Legislature, cities In AL
aska can put the city manager plan
to a vote by presenting to their city
councils petitions bearing the names
of IS per cent of the Municipality
voters who voted in the previous
election.
In Juneau this number amounts
to 326 names, and it is understood
that copies of the petition will begin
circulation soon.
Harold Foss was elected chairman
of the sponsoring committee and
Jack Fletcher was elected as secre-
tary.
Literature on the plan was dis
tributed as the meeting convened
and Foss explained most phases OF
the plan, comparing it with the
present form of city government
after which the meeting was thrown
open to discussion from the floor.
Lost at Fairbanks
Foss told how Fairbanks had at
tempted to carry the plan at that
city's last election and failed by
few votes. He said the reason APP
parently was that the people thought
too much about who would be the
city manager and not enough about
the merits of the plan.
So far, he said, no opposition has
been noted in Juneau.
Foss argued that the City OF Ju-
neau is the largest corporation IN
the community and should be run
on a business-like basis. He point
ed out that no other business would
think of changing managers every
wear and struck at the lack OF
continuity under the present system.
He said that Juneau should have
paid executive to look after its bust
ness affairs.
Under the plan the mayor and
councilmen would still be elected but
would select a city manager at a
salary OF about SIS 900 yearly to man
age the city's business affairs and
have the power of hiring and firing
city employees, subject to the ap-
proval of the council. The council,
he said, would compare to board
of directors of any large business.
If the plan is not popular, Foss
pointed out, it could be abandoned
in the same manner in which 1t was
chosen-by petition and election.
Foss said that a city manager,
reasonably free from politics, could
enforce many ordinances not now
enforced, including the Wrecking of
old and dangerous fire hazards, en-
force building ordinances and other
matters which present city officers
cannot accomplish due to lack of
being able to devote full time to the
city's affairs.
Trained Man
He said a city manager would be
trained man who could prepare
a city budget on long-term basis,
not Just from one election to the
next, and also plan for the future
development of the city
Foss said that the money the city
would save in having a trained,
full-time administrator would pay
the addition cost many times over.
A. Blackerby, representing the
Federal Employees, said these were
naturally in favor of any plan that
would improve their city.
Mayor A. B. Hayes said that the I
short term of office-one year
made it difficult under the present
city government to accomplish all
that should be accomplished.
Charles w. Carter asked if under
the present Territorial law one city
council could assume any debt for
the next one. Foss said that was
a snag and that the law would have
to be amended if city manager
was to be hired for more than one
year.
Suggestion
Curtis Shattuck suggested that