Evening star., 1948-02-16
PIdIsDiiSc1ois;eld
For New Charter
In Alexandria
City Manager Given
Many Powers Now
Held by Council

charter to effect a true" city man.
ager form of government were dis
closed today by City Councilman
Everett A. Hellmuth.
The proposed charter changes
have been prepared by specialists
from the Bureau of Public Admin
istration of the University of Vir-
ginia, as requested by the City Coun-
Gil in December.
Col. Hellmuth said he woulc
present the proposed charter
changes to the Council with his
recommendation for adoption. He
added Armistead L. Boothe, Alex
andria s representative in the House
of Delegates, has agreed to intro
duce the necessary legislation te
permit revision of the charter il
the plan is approved by the Council
Complete Review Proposed.
The proposed charter revisions
deal oply with strengthening the
city managers position as admin
istrative head of the city. The
charter report points out, however
that complete review of the entire
charter would be advisable in the
near future
This review should be made the
initial responsibility of charter
commission which should be given
sufficient time and staff assistance
TO permit the preparation of a re-
vised charter more in accordance
with Alexandria, s needs as a large
and growing city the Bureau of
Public Administration says in the
charter survey.
Major difference in the recon-
mended charter and the old charter
is that all department heads would
be appointed by the city manager.
Finance Department Urged.
Under the present charter the
city Council has more appointive
powers than the city manager, al
though the city manager has the
responsibility for administering all
the departments.
The recommendations also call
for creation of department of
finance The three existing offices
of city auditor, tax assessor and tax
inspector would be combined in this
Office, all three to be appointed by
the city manager.
At the present time, the tax in
spector is the only one of the three
which is filled by the city manager.
Only appointments that would
be retained by the council under
the proposed charter would be the
city manager, city clerk. Alexandria
Housing Authority, Planning Com
mission, Board of Zoning Appeals
and Board of Architectural Review.
Would Appoint Unit Heads.
In addition to the Department of
Finance, the city manager would
appoint heads of the other six de-
partments, public works, police, fire,
public health. public welfare. and
recreation and parks. The charter
survey recommends that other city
officers presently located outside the
seven major departments as
sealer of weights and measures.
smoke control engineer, plumbing
inspector, electrical inspector, build
ing inspector-cRllld either be
placed in one of the seven major
departments or organized into
separate departments by ordinance.
all to be filled by appointment of
the city manager.
The recommended charter change
also contains a provision prohibiting
the city council or any of its men,
-bers from directing or requesting
the appointment of any person to,
or his removal from. Office by the
city manager or by any of his sub
ordinates - ="
Council Powers Limited.
The councilmen also are prohib-
tied from giving orders to any sub
ordinates of the city manager under
the proposed revisions.
Adoption of the proposed charter
changes would enable the city of
Alexandria more nearly to approach
the objective of true city manager
form of government, which the city
council directed in the resolution
authorizing this report. summary
of the recommendation empha-
sizes.
The Strengthening of the posi-
ton of the city manager would be
accomplished through his additional
appointing authority and the in
creased number of departments un-
der his control
Col. Hellmuth, who last Decem-
Der introduced the resolution au-
thorizing the charter survey, long
has been an advocate of granting
broader powers to the city manager.
AleXandrias administrative ills
were first brought to light last Au-
gust when former city manager Carl
Budwesky, in his Letter of resigna-
ton, expressed the hope that Alex
andria would some day have a
true" city manager form of gov
ernment and not one lin name
only"