Evening star., 1945-02-15
Planners Favor
Supervisor for
County Affairs
Montgomery Group
Opens Wuy for Bill
To Create New Post

Introduction of a bill in the State
Legislature providing for appoint
rnent Of county supervisor to act
as the administrative agent of the
Montgomery County commissioners
is in prospect after the County Post
war Planning Committee last night
approved resolution to create such
a post. The meeting was held in
the Woodside School.
The proposal was adopted in the
face of vigorous opposition by pro-
ponents of a charter form of gov
ernment for the county, who insisted
on the appointment of a county
manager with full administrative
responsibility"
Under the resolution, the county
supervisor, whose term of Office
would be subject to the will of the
county commissioners, would have
complete responsibility for the
routine administrative affairs of the
county government which fall within
the jurisdiction of the commissioners.
The new official, to be paid not
more than $4,000 a year, also would
be authorized to appoint county
employees from a civil service list
and to discharge or suspend them.
Opponents Favor Manager.
In addition to his administrative
duties, the county supervisor would
prepare an annual expense budget
for each department in the county
and would submit annually to the
commissioners capital budget
summarizing projects planned for
the f1ve-year period following his
report. ell also would direct and
supervise the work of the county
purchasing agent.
In opposing the resolution, Dean
James j. Hayden of the Columbus
University Law School urged the
appointment of a county manager
"in the real sense of the word"
He contended that appointment
of county supervisor would merely
add another person to the county
payroll with no assurance of in
creased efficiency in the operation
OF the county. He also said the
resolution was full of inconsist-
eflcies."
The committee also approved
resolutions favoring continuation of
the .two-party system in county
elections, broadening the powers of
the county commissioners on local
matters and urging Federal legis-
lation to permit Government work
ers to participate in local elections.
In a statement representing mi
nority views on the resolution adopt
ed, Dean Hayden charged that the
County Government Committee of
the postwar planning group, of
which he is member, is dominated
by persons who are either connected
with the Democratic county organi-
Zation or who are on the county pay
roll. THE proposals approved by
the Postwar Planning Committee
were considered first by the County
Committee.
scores Lack OF Interest.
Declaring that the proposals be- !
fore the postwar planning group
were largely Democratic party pro-
posals, Dean Hayden declared:
Until the voters of Montgomery
County generally take more ac-
tive interest in matters of this kind,
we can expect very little improve
ment in the conduct of county
business"
He asserted that the minority
favors appointment of "real'1
county manager, nonpartisan elec-
ton OF county commissioners and
adoption of genuine" merit sys-
tenn, covering both temporary and
permanent county employees, to be
administered by civil service COM
mission rather than by a single
commissioner. This last proposal
was approved by the Postwar Plan
ming Committee last week, with the
provision that the civil service sys-
tenn be administered by civil serv-
ice commissioner.
Dean Hayden pointed out that the
.nonpartisan election of county
commissioners would enable Fed
eral employees living in the county
to participate in election campaigns.
He also asserted that such an
election tends to encourage able
men to serve the public, many of
whom are unwilling to commit
themselves to acting on the basis
of partisan interests and in support
of particular party, rather than
solely on the basis of public in