Evening star., 1950-12-31
City Experts List
Montgomery as
Top Community
Richmond Also Picked
AS One of IT Leading
Governments in u. S.

Montgomery County, Md, ane
Richmond, Va, have been namee
on a team" of II all-Americar
communities for 1850 as a result O.
their outstanding accomplish.
ments in providing good govern.
ment for their citizens.
Montgomery is the first count,
to make the team" which is the
second selected by a Jury Of vet.
eran municipal experts at the
recent national conference or
government Of the National Mu.
nlcipal League in Buffalo, N. Y
The first such team" was
chosen a year ago at the leagues
meeting in st. Paul, MINI.
Others on List.
Others on this years list, &C.
cording to copyrighted article
In today's issue of the Mime
apolis Star and Tribune, are:
Hartford. Conn, Kansas City
Mo, Montclair, N. j., New Or
leans, Phoenix. Ariz., Portland
Me. Cincinnati. Toledo and
Youngstown, Ohio.
"All are proof" says the article
that American people can have
good, honest, efficient government
If they're willing to raise their
fists instead of sitting on their
hands"
The article quotes league Off
cials as saying it is no coincidence
that more than half of the all
American cities have a council
manager form of government.
1000 Manager Systems.
A particular" baby of the
league, according to the article
the city manager system now
governs more than 1000 cities
towns and counties throughout the
United States.
Montgomery is the first county
IN Maryland to adopt a charter
form OF government, providing fol
council-manager setup. This is
what the league has to say about
the nearby Maryland community
Montgomery County in many
respects is like no other place in
the country. For one thing, the
! county government rules both
urban and rural areas.
The two most heavily popu-
lated places, Silver Spring and
Bethesda-Chevy Chase, are not in
corporated and don't want to be.
DormitOry for Washington.
For another thing, Montgom-
cry County is a dormitory for
Washington, D. c. If you work in
Washington, it's quite possible you
sleep in Montgomery County.
AT one time, many of the resi-
dents weren't sleeping well. For
years, the Democratic) partisan
ruling machine had failed to pay
off its bonds as they became due,
Instead, it borrowed new money
to pay old debts.
In 1888. aroused citizens, led
by the League of Women Voters
and the Civic Federation, got
Brookings Institution to make q
study. The institution recon-
mended home-rule charter.
"A charter reform board was
named In the early 1940s and got
a new charter on the ballot in
1914. The voters rejected it,"
A new charter board tried again
in 1916 and put the charter over
two years later. The charter slate
of seven candidates was swept into
Office and became Montgomery
County's first home-rule council.
Results Are Listed.
"As county manager, the coun-
ell named Irving G. McNayr, tall,
friendly Southern drawler who
looks like former football player
and is"
The county's financial policy,
Mr.. McNayr found, needed study
and change. He and the council,
&c. set up a f1ve-year building
program and a $40 million school
building program, raised teacher
pay, established citizens advisory
committees for various depart
ments and completed 5000 Off
street parking spaces in Silver
Spring and planned 1000 for
Bethesda Chevy Chase in 1851"
Two years ago businessmen in
Silver Spring began talking about
incorporation as a city. The
Bureau of Public Administration
of the University of Maryland
studied the proposal and reported,
in effect, that the residents of
that community could not be
better off than they are under the
county government.
THE voters like their county
government. They elected another
council"
Born in Massachusetts,.
Mr.. McNayr, who, at 81, is one
of the youngest county or city
managers In the country, is
native of Massachusetts. He is a
graduate of the University OF
Alabama, where he played fresh
man football and was member
OF the university's boxing squad.
IT am very happy for Mont
gomery County," he said when in
formed of the leagues action. "It
is a great tribute to the charter
people and the first county coun-
Gil"
Richmond, like Montgomery
County, adopted a charter nearly
three years ago. The results, &C.
cording to the league, are:
More schools authorized ir
1949 than in the previous 25
. years. And in the first six months
of 1850. five times as much street
paving as in the preceding II
years.
"Also, a greatly expanded rec
reation program; a merit system
of employment; a million dollar
operating surplus in 1949-50, first
in history; meeting of imitation
airy costs and a projected salary