|v
Friday. April 10, 1953
See Story on Page 1
Editors Write About Council-Manaj^er Plan
KINSTON DAILY FBEE PRESS
Kinston
Dear Mrs. Boyd:
Taken as a whole, our experience has been that the City-Manager
form is more efficient than part-time service heretofore rendered by
the various councilman and aldermen. Of course the success of the
system depends in its final analysis upon the man who is secured tp
fill the place. Candidly there has been criticism of our man, still I
believe the majority of our citizens stUl think the City-Manager
form the best.
Answering your specific questions:
1. Taxes have not been raised since the City-Manager form went
into effect.
2. We’ve had a number of improvements but it would hardly be
proper to say that all of them were attributable to the manager. I
think we would have had a good many of them without him.
3. We still have a local political situation and I doubt whether
that will ever be entirely removed.
The fact that the City-Manager has supervision and administra
tion authority over most of the city departments (I believe the city
clerk is an exception), makes it possible to co-ordinate these depart
ments more effectively than under the aldermanic system.
5. The change was made through an amendment to the city char
ter. We did not resort to Plan D. The amendment gives the City-
Manager pretty full powers.
I believe that the principle of the City-Manager form is sound
and, with a capable manager, will produce a more efficient adminis
tration of the municipality’s affairs. Yours sincerely,
H. GALT BRAXTON.
THE DISPATCH
Lexington, N. C.
Dear Mrs. Boyd:
Lexington has had a council-manager form of government, pro
vided by amended city charter, for more than 20 years. I have heard
no responsible citizen even suggest they would like to see the system
changed.
Our particular set-up provides for a mayor, who may be nomi
nated at large, one city commissioner from each of our five wards,
a'nd one commissioner chosen at large. All candidates are nominated
by petitiohs signed by some five per cent of the number of votes cast
for mayor in the last previous municipal election. As many persons
as may desire may file from any Ward. There is no primary and the
petitions must not specify the political affiliation of the candidate.
The entire city votes on all commissioners, as well as mayor. The
mayor votes in case of a tie on the commission.
The commission appoints the city manager at will and all depait-
ments heads are under him. •
Our tax rate has fluctuated during this period, depending on spe
cial requirements in any particular year, and, of course, the debt
service requirements. The general opinion of informed citizens is
that the system has proven economical and efficient, and it has
enabled many improvements to be made out of current, revenues that
might not otherwise have been effected.
Lexington also has a city utilities commission. It owns and oper
ates electric utilities, waterworks and sewer systems. The city man
ager is also utilities manager. The city commissioners appoint the
three members of the utilities commission, who directly operate the
utilities. At this time city officials plan to purchase the local gas
company and greatly expand it, if an allocation of natural gas from
the 'Transcontinental pipe line is upheld, as expected.
It may be observed that the council-manager system has proven
as responsive to public opinion as the old aldermanic system, or per
haps even more so. It has also served to attract on the whole able
citizens to the public service. I recall only one real political row
since the system was adopted. It was a lulu.
This may not specifically answer all questions in mind, but I be
lieve it reflects the situation here. Sincerely yours,
E. E. WITHERSPOON.
. THE RALEIGH -HMES
Raleigh
Dear Mrs. Boyd:
Doubtless you can get the information you want about our expe
rience here with Council-Manager form of government through a
booklet being mailed to you from City Hall today. Such action is in
line with con^ jcts by me with Mayor James E. Briggs and City Man
ager W. H. Carper.
My own personal reaction is a definite belief that our present
form of government is far superior to those which I have seen: Mayor-
Alderman and Mayor-Commission.
Our tax rate in recent years has been reduced while we have been
spending more money improving our Police, Fire and Water Depart
ments.
With another election coming up several weeks hence, it is con
templated that there will be plenty of candidates, including some
re-runs by incumbent Council members. It is very evident that all
members of our current administration are right on their toes, with
a highly competent City Manager constantly behind them.
CordiaUy yours, JOHN A. PARK.
JOURNAL and SENTINEL
Winston-Salem
Dear Mrs. Boyd:
Thank you for your letter asking for an opinion of the City Man-
ager-aldermanic form of governihent in Winston-Salem. It’s good
to know that Southern Pines is going to vote on it. I hope it carries.
It has certainly benefited Winston-Salem.
1. Since the City Manager form of government was voted in and
went into effect July, 1948, the City tax rate has not been raised.
Despite that, the City has expanded its services and has gone into
new projects on a scale which has been unprecedented in a like pe
riod of time. Besides that, we have reduced the total indebtedness
of our City substantially, debts which had been accumulated under
previous forms of municipal government. For many years, Winston-
Salem HAD refunded its debt rather than pay it off. But since the
war, we have paid it off regularly—and we have built up a rather
sizeable surplus in the City treasury. I do believe that we are get
ting more for our tax dollars than we did before the City Manager
form was instituted.
2. We have been able to put through needed improvements. One
of the very first programs after 1948 was laying a new pipeline to the
Yadhin River, about 12 ihiles from Winston-Salem, to give the City
a more permanent water supply. This line cost the City $4,000,000—
voted in a bond issue—but, as indicated above, without an increase
in the tax rate. Maintenance of streets and construction and paving
of new streets has been much better handled since we hired a City
Manager. We have enlarged our City Hospital, and are engaged now
in construction of an East-West superhighway to traverse the City.
Services, such as garbage collection, water and sewer service, all
have been improved markedly.
3. Politics is a lively game in Winston-Salem, and it is unlikely
that rows will be eliminated in the foreseeable future. However, it
can safely be declared that the good performance of our two City
Managers we have had thus far has eliminated many of the issues
that once were splendid issues for candidates for mayor and the board
of aldermen. For example, where once a candidate was able to shoot
political holes in the incumbents in office, under them loose commis
sion form of government, today the situation is changed.
The city manager government has proved its worth here so thor
oughly that it is difficult to find any fault with the normal (admin
istrative) operations of the government. The politicians confine
themselves to the areas outside of administration.
4. 'The city’s purchasing, the public works performed, the detailed
administration and the handling of personnel—all have improved in
efficiency. We have installed a merit system—a pay and classifica
tion plan for city employees—which has worked very well. It is
much fairer than the old system when employees could curry favor
with an alderman or two, and get a promotion or a raise.
5. At first Winston-Salem amended its town charter, but two years
later the General Assembly was petitioned to change it so that now
we operate under Plan D. The change was made in order to give
more powqr to the City Manager, and make his administration more
effective over the people responsible to him.
Sincerely yours, - PETE IVEY.
GRAINS OF SAND
EEROgii:
Straight BouMIBOM Whiskey
EIGHT
YEARS OLD
NINETY
PROOF
m
^ yesbrs
Bourbon ^
kf ’^HUlnte and
90 PROOF, STRAIGHT BOURBON WHISKEY. MELROSE DISTILLERS. INC., NEW YORK, N.Y.
THE CHAPEL HILL WEEKLY
Chapel HilL N. C.
(Mr. Graves’ letter, printed below, was written in haste as he waited
to catch a plane. Ed.)
Dear Mrs. Boyd:
We have had a town manager form of government for many years
here. I am heartily in favor of it and I am sure the public sentiment
here supports it. A lot depends, of course, on getting a capable man
ager, but that problem is common to aU undertakings.
Taxes have remained about the same here for a long time as far
as the rate is concerned. The tax revenue has gone up as a result
of periodic re-assessments or because of values created by new con
struction. LOUIS GRAVES.
THE MONROE JOURNAL
Monroe, N. C.
Dear Mrs. Boyd:
I cannot answer your list of questions in detail as some of them
have qo application here. Our people never discussed the managerial
system, etc. We came into it gradually, by experiment.
Back in the days when, or even before, everybody else was broke,
our town was broke. It became necessary to do something. A number
of people centered on the three best men we could find and ran them
for aldermen. Their job was to get the town out of the hole as best
they could. They got a manager, called him a secretsuy, and began.
In this way one man became responsible and began to manage things
as a business. We have not fallen away from that method. We have
a mayor and three aldermen. They employ a manager and he runs
things. ,
I doubt if there is now a better managed town of any size in the
United States than Monroe. My observation runs over fifty years
from the loose, disjointed ward system to the present. Nobody says
anything about managerial or non-managerial. And nobody can now
get up kick enough to run for office on a platform of change. We
have no business giants who have brought about the change, just the
common sense of mediocre men. Our town is quite a business now,
owns its public utilities, which are extensive, and makes money on
them, has all its streets paved, has had no increase in taxes. Perhaps
I should say that all this good situation does not necessarily arise
from the managerial system. It is due to lack of factions, political
and otherwise, and such things as disturb many communities. Few
people here ever give a thought about city government. It rung so
smoothly and efficiently and so unmistakably honestly, that fusses
hardly ever arise. The old aldermanic system gave us a crop of pea
nut politicians running for office at every election. It is now diffi
cult to get any able man to bother with it—I mean to run for aider-
man. They see no need to. R. F. BEASLEY. I
P.S. The principle is sound. Changes are often opposed because
we attach too many big names to them.
THE DAILY REFLECTOR ' !
Greenville
Dear Mrs. Boyd:
I am not sure just how much actual information I can give you.
We have approved the plan in our city, but as. yet it has not actually
gone into effect.
On January 12 last, the voters of Greenville approved Plan D by
an overwhelming majority of almost two to one. I feel, along with
many other citizens, that it is by far the better form of municipal
government. However, the only tangible result I have been able to
note so far is in the calibre of men who are seeking places on the
new council.
The filing period for our election closes Saturday, and through
yesterday we had a rather large number of men of fine business
quality who had filed for council posts.
It seems that government is put on a more business basis and less
petty politics basis under the council-manager form. I am quite con
fident it wiU produce more efficiency in municipal government than
we have had before.
We have Plan D in its purest form—straight from the statute book.
There were several alterations proposed, but local officials decided
to try the pure form for two years and then make alterations where
they would better suit the needs of the city.
I’m sorry I cannot give you more definite information on the
coimcil-manager operations, but I do feel that Greenville took a very
progressive step when it adopted the plan. I am quite sure the vast
majority of the people still favor it, and I believe after the plan goes
into operation it wiU gain more and more supporters.
Yours very truly, DAVID J. WHICHARD.
The springtime sun and show
ers which have blessed our Sand
hills lately have encouraged some
cottonwood logs piled up on South
Bennett street to put out new
green leaves, despite the fact that
they are not in contact with the
ground at either end.
The cottonwood trees,' then dy
ing from frequent trimmings un
der the telephone wires, were
cut by the Town before Christ
mas. Sawed into five and six foot
lengths, the y were left piled up
-n front of the home of Mrs. Tom
Vann, with her permission — she
thought she might be able to use
them for firewood, though as it
happened, she never did.
New comes this amazing sign of
the power of spring, which has
convinced the logs they are still
trees though they have been chop
ped down for three months.
W. P, Phillips, of Raeford,
brother of Mrs. Vann, visiting her
home the ether day, said that
never in all his years as a voca-.
tional agriculture teacher has he
ever seen such a thing before.
Mr. and Mrs. N. E. Andrews of
Manly celebrated their 28th wed
ding anniversary Easter Sunday
and along with it, for Mrs. An
drews, the 28th anniversary of a
most remarkable record.
Never in all those years has
Mrs. Andrews been sick enough to
spend even one day in bed.
This is a wonderful record of
health—also, we feel sure, of the
kind of temperament which puts
minor aches and ills cheerfully,
but firmly, in their place. Instead
of letting them boss her, as many
women do, she shows them who’s
boss.
We wish many happy £mni-
versaries to Mr. and Mrs. An
drews, with many more years of
health and good cheer.
Rita Hayworth and her nev/
picture “Salome” must have a
public relations agent who is tops.
Listening to the radio the other
night, we heard them mention
ed on every single show for two
or three hours, no mafter how ir
relevant the y were to the sub
ject matter of the show.
And in the New Yorker this
week, there’s quite a story on an
archaeologist who helped with
historical details, and two young
ladies subbing as Salome for pub
licity reasons.
Here we are, too, keeping the
ball rolling. Honest, nobody has
"'aid us a thing.
—
Kywur
to make old furs look'new
Has your fur coat begim to look shabby?
Are the skins still good* but is the coot
out-of-style? LET OUR FUR SPECIALISTS
EXAMINE IT. You wiU be amazed at the
magical improvement we can make in
your old furs.
Have your fur remodeling done NQW!
We have the advance fur losdiions for
ne<t tall.
It's FUR STORAGE Time
MRS. HAYES SHOP
SOUTHERN PINES, N. C
S. ScolcdcC
Priscilla Scofield Building
Entrance Market Square
PINEHURST, N. C.
Antiques
ALE
—ON—
ENTIRE STOCK
DRASTIC REDUCTIONS
APRIL 13-11
WE ARE OFFERING GREAT REDUCTIONS
ON ALL ITEMS FOR ONE WEEK ONLY