CITY MANAGER PLAN OF GOVERN MENT. As outlined in the charter of Dayton. Ohio, the commission or city manager plan of municipal government "shall consist of a com mission of five citizens, who shall be elected at large, . .. shall constitute the governing body with power as hereinafter provided to pass ordi nances, adopt regulations, and appoint a chief administrative officer to be known as the (City Manager' . . . who shall be administrative head of the municipal government and shall be responsible for the efficient administration of all departmcnts. He shall be appointed without regard to his political beliefs and may or may not be a resident of the city of Dayton when appointed. He shall hold office at the will of the commission and shall be subject to recall as herein provided. The powers and duties of the city manager shall be: (a) To see that the laws and ordinances are enforced; (b) to appoint and, except as herein provided, remove all di rectors of departments and all subordinate officers and employees in the departments in both the classified and unclassified service; all appointments to be upon merit and fitness alone, and in the classified service all appointments and removals to be subject to the civil service provisions of this charter; (c) o exercise con trol over all departments and divisions created . .. by the commission; (d) to attend all meet ings of the commission with the right to take part in the discussion but having no vote; (e) to recommend to the commission for adoption such measures as he may deem necessary or ex pedient; (f) to keep the commission fully ad vised as to the financial condition and needs of the city; and (g) to perform such other duties as may be prescribed by this charter or be required of him by ordinance or resolution of the commission. . . . The city manager may without notice cause the affairs of any department or the conduct of any officer or em ployee to be examined. Any person or per sons appointed by the city manager [for this purpose] shall have the same power to compel the attendance of witnesses and the production of books and papers and other evidence, and to cause witnesses to be punished for contempt, as is conferred upon the commission by this charter?' Such in brief are the powers and duties of the city manager, the minor details differing only slightly in the various cities operating under such government. Under commission
government one responsible body supersedes the two formerly in vogue; the number of elective officers is reduced; the responsibility for the administration of the various city services is fixed; and certain checks in the way of public control are provided. But in two respects the original plan of commission government fails to meet all requirements. In the first place the elective officers are called upon to execute what only the professionally experienced are com petent to perform; and in the second place com mission government fails to co-ordinate the work of administration by subordinating it to one central responsible authority. These de fects are remedied by the city manager plan, since the manager is chosen because of expert qualifications and in turn appoints his subordi nates on the basis of the same qualifications. Being appointed and subject to removal by him, under proper limitations, the department heads are responsible to him in every particular and hence he can use that compulsion which is fre quently necessary to secure successful co-opera tion. On the other hand, none of the legal and political characteristics of commission govern ment are interfered with or altered by the city manager—the commission retains its legis lative function, its advisory capacity and its power to formulate broad-minded policies and wise plans, the execution being left to the ex pert. Toulmin says: "The unspoken qualifica tions, undoubtedly the chiefest in the make-up of a man in such a position arc, first, absolute, unswerving adherence to his own view that ef ficiency, and hence results for the city, is the paramount thing; second, administrative ex perience in business involving the maintenance of engineering works and the necessary techni cal education; and third, the ability to lead through tact as well as knowledge?" When the commission selects the city manager, it has power to fix his salary and to secure the best man the city finances will justify. Sometimes the salary of a city manager seems large but it is justified if the recipient save the city the excess and more by his economy of administra tion without impairment of results.