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w . Fallacy Of City Manager» Exposed “MAY. “I. u. Commissioner Frank L. Cheney is head of the de. partment of accounts and fimutees, and is ex otBeio vice president of the council. His duties, are flxed by ordinance and include the supervision and control of the city’s ftnaneas, and of the city collect" and city auditor. He has f11ied this omce for four yous. Pr'ortothatltewaidofthedepartmintof streets and public improvements. CommissionerJ'ossph B.Csrdishesdoftbede- pertinent of streets sad public improvements. His They have laid all manner of corruption at the door of Mayor Hastings' administration. They have resorted to propaganda. another name for unfairness, cheapnss and insineerity, to make rttreott1tbeh'ere_therryitrtsomethingroitUinttte bodrtrttitityuthattttrqureure'hieitr%G. ager. Like the nurses who immeently killed of six battierr,therdmt'th-hatuinttietrui. Brn campaixn of insinuation, by aligning themelves with the anonymous Citizem’ Taxpayers Assoeia. .t.imxHttarymueMttesuttof-"triiidAiiiiiia ti1t-d1trietrteontheere6tttrGiiiaGiGi-r tittyettstFerhhretiia4eitne-itouuGiiieir fallacies. to point out the maudlin character of their tet.9itteytd.toreepetttteeuetoriGrihiiirGrid fairly advised as to the issues. _ Highland Park is organized under the Commission Form of Government ct (Article XIII of the Cities and Villages Act of 1872). It has a l'l',rll, and four commissioners. The mayor is head 0 the depart. ment of public ad‘airs. His duties are prescribed by ordinance and include the supervision and con- trol of the police department, the health dew ment, the corporation courael and the city rk. Mayor Hastings has discharged the duties of that oMee since 1915, when Highland Park came under this form of government. Re is also president of the council. a. - ,____._ ... -..- and-u“. ‘4“). 1v, A ovum-cu; a, sub!) to amend the managerial form of government act permitting cities and villages having a opulation of less than 500,000 to appoint a city or viglage man- ager. Their constantly shifting groundlon a city manager suggests that the idea is a mare slogan to catch votes and to placate the disgruntled, and that they have never thought out the idea to the end. Nor have they apparently at any time exam- ined the commission form of government act (Arti- cle XIII of the Cities and Villages Act of 1872). They do not seem to realiez the nature or character of Article XIII. Signs are not wanting also that they do not seem to realize the nature or ‘character of Park was governed. They have assumed that be- cause the political pond was placid it must be stag- nant. be so well off as Winnetka. They have heard that Glencoe is better governed than Highland Park and that it has a village manager. Therefore we must have one or we shall lag behind. They never knew that the statutes of the State of Illinois provided for a managerial form of municipal government but limited that form of government to municipali- ties with a population of 5,000 o; less. Perhaps they do not know now that a bjll h2a.Itii',t introduced in the Senate [1:10. 43, february 2, ) They have heard that Winnetka is better gov- emed than Highland Park and that it has a village _manager.._ Htnee yg must have one or we shall not The idea originated with Mr. Lewis at the' Moraine Hotel. Apparently he never knew what a ht mam ager form of government really meant. He t ought it was a sure panacea for all the ills he supposed the v.43 was suffering from. The idea is even now only h f baked so far as Mr. Lewis and his supporters understand it. . The facts about Winnetka are that it is organized under an old charter granted by the regislature in 1869. as amended bv later general statutes govern- ine the administration of cities and villages. It is not orsmnized under the Commission Form of Gov- .ernment Act. nor under the Managerial Form of Government Act. Its government is not divided into sfive departments with department heads like High- land Park. It has a so-called village manager. It also has an electric light plant and a water works plant. Th duties of the manager are purely minister. rial. He is paid $2,000 a year by the village out of the general funds, and for his work as superinten- dent of the public utilities of the village he is paid 84.000 more out of the revenues of these utilities. He is also superintendent of the Winnetka Park District ata salary of $1,500. The population of Win- nethn is between 10,000 and 12000. The tax rate there is over $12 on each $100 of assessed valuation. In Highland Park the tax rate is 810 on each 8100 of assessed valuation. Winnetka ha a board of six trustees which appoints committee and gives IFer- snmvl attention to all matters atheting the we are of the tht Whatever swoon Winrietha has had is due to high character of the president and members of the board of trustee. The village man- ager and superintendent of public utilities does not formulate the policies of the village. Re merely carries out the orders of the trustees in the matter of administrative and executive detail. The trustees serupuloutsly refrain from delegating to him any of their charter powers, duties or responsibilities. The reputation Winnetlu enjoys as a well governed mun- icipalityisduewastrictadheseneetoeharterpow- errandduties. 1.tPeesrtytrteted nothe. 'rtttfttytirvytite_ofthevaaimhnnatrer. That P'"o9fltttelfar-tseutuemarreouA h a. - la the as... This is the machinery under which Highland Park has been suetressfullv managed. Mr, Lewis and his friends Itav that Wihnetka and Glencoe are better managed because they each have a village manager and therefore we should have one. This reminds us of the sf,rhool girl in the comic opera who had trouble with her arithmetic and naively remarked, "Rabbits can multiplv. why can't I?" Our opponents suffer from the inferiority complex. They assume that these towns are better managed than Highland Park. That is not so. They are well managed but not better managed. Mr. Lewis belongs to the class of citizens who always think their home town is not so good as some other place they have not chos- en to live in. . Commissioner Lyle Gourley is head of the depart- ment of public property. His duties are fixed by or- dinance and include control of all public property such as the city hall, fire station. pumping plant, snow plows. etc. He is the official custodian of the public. buildings and of physical equipment of the citv. The salary of the mayor is $600 a year. and each commissioner’s salary is $400 a vear. Harry Paul is city treasurer and Edward Warren city clerk. Only the mayor and commissioners are elected. All other officers and employees are appointed by the city council. . ' Commissioner William M. Reay is head of the de- partment of public health and safety. His duties are fixed by ordinance and include the supervision and control of sewers, water mains. fire department arid zoning. duties are fitredby ordinance and include the repair and maintenance of streets and alleys. He is ex officio the commissioner of public works and under him there is a superintendent of streets, John Hart. "r"mrrh"arramrPrt-sarttatarramr. - "e ,,,_ __-- - "a...“ n cawuuuner. I land Park has had five city Rangers (ilepart: heads) for twelve years. Perhaps that is why r been so well governed. If Glencoe were organied under the Commission Form of Government Act it would have no occasion to appoint a village manager. Winneka has wisely passed no ordinance creating the office of village manager or prescribing his duties. He is only an employee and not a "lord high executioner." High- 1s"sd purl! In... I...) A..- -2: -.- Glencoe is a well governed village but nobody who knows would say that it was better governed than Highland Park. _ Whatever success it has had is due to the high character of its officers and not to the fact that it has a village manager. The char- acter of the ordinance creating that office shows how periIously near the village otfieiais may come to del- egating their charter powers, duties and responsibil- ities to one hired man. . In Glencoe the situation is similar. It was or- ganized under an old charter granted before the present constitution of 1870. It exercises charter powers as supplemented by later statutes affecting the administration of special charter towns. It has a so-called village manager who is paid $4,000 out of tax moneys and other sums out of water revenues and the garbage tax. His total compensation is about $6,500. His duties are fixed by ordinance, which makes him the head of the "Administrative De- partment" of the village, with such clerks. assistants, and emplovees as may be associated with him. He is under the control of the board of.trustees but is given power to supervise the village accounts. col- leet fees, enforce all ordinances, direct the activi- ties of the police, fire, water, sewer and health offi, cials and departments. He is given authority to em- ploy or dispense with the services of any employees in the several departments. He acts as purchasing agent of the village but on purchases of more than £300 he shall first secure the approval of the village oard. u Winnetka were organized under the Commits slim Form of Government Act there would be no oo. casion for a village manager. If there is any ad, vantage in skillful handling of administrative tits tail it may be found in the very form of government under which Highland Park has prospered so much during the last twelve years. Will he 1nd his council mint a nonresident. “acre earretugger, to rule over us, or is all their talk about a city man-get jut plain poli- tical bunk? Who wants a city manager to whom the may- or is a mere nnderstudy? Who wants a city manager with the power to hire and tire? Does Mr. Lewis want to abdicate the moment he is elected in favor of a high toned, omnip- otent city manager whose shoes he shall fill only in the absence or inability of the city man- ager to per-ohm the duties imposed upon him? Does Mr. Lewis mil} know what a city man- ager means. or does he propose to appoint one just became it is "Time for a Change?” -'" - “nu-aw IIUIII “It .o"""rm". sion form of government to a city manager in whom shall be vested the great responsibilities, powers and duties now imposed by law upon our department heads? Is one head better than five? If_Winnetké were Is it Ctimtt for a change" from GEORGE A, MASON Chairman Publicity Committeis Coalition Ticket t the board of.trustees but is vise the village accounts. eol- ordinances, direct the activi- water, sewer and health offis . He is given authority to em- Tvices of any employees He acts as purchasing purchases of more than 2 approval of the village {nannies JaepartiGiit the commis.. it has PAGI Till-