1.What are the chief features of Commission-Manager Government?

A small number of Commission members or Commissioners are elected - generally on a non-partisan ballot, and generally at large - to serve as the City's governing body. This body determines municipal policies, adopts ordinances, votes appropriations, and appoints the chief administrative office, the City Manager. The City Manager in turn is responsible for the day-to-day administration of city activities, and holds office at the pleasure of the Commission.

There is a distinction between the functions of POLICY-MAKING (representation) and POLICY EXECUTION (administration), the former being the duty of the commission, the latter the duty of the Manager. It is bad management for a Commissioner to tell an employee, other than the manager, what he/she wants accomplished. Since the governing body is responsible to the public for actions of the City Manager, the success of this form of government depends to a very large extent on the maintenance of mutual understanding and high degree of cooperation between the Manager and Commission.

2. To whom are the City Manager and other City employees responsible?

The City Manager is responsible to the Commission, which may terminate his service at pleasure. All department heads and other City employees are responsible to the City Manager. The City Attorney is responsible to the Commission, which may terminate his service at pleasure. The City Judge is an elected official and the Judicial branch of government is separate from the Executive or Legislative branches.

3. How and to what extent does the Manager participate in policy determination?

The City Manager is expected to prepare and submit the annual budget to the City Commission. In addition to supplying information requested by the body, he may make recommendations on any matter which requires Commission action. The Commission may adopt or modify these recommendations, and whatever action they take is binding on the Manager. Because he supplies factual data to the Commission and works with this group both formally and informally, the Manager cannot help but have some part in the shaping of municipal policy.

4. What are the chief arguments for electing Commission members at large or by wards?

Ward elections are designed to insure that voters in each part of the city are represented. Commission persons elected by wards may think and vote in terms of their own district's interest rather than that of the entire City. This system frequently leads to vote trading. With at-large elections, each voter may signify his/her preference for the full list of Commissioners, while under ward elections, he/she votes for two of five Commission persons.

5. What should be the relation between the Commission and Manager?

The Manager is responsible to the Commission for the proper conduct of all city activities under the direction of the office, providing information and advice, and making recommendations. The Manager is the Commission's technical advisor and consultant, but only the Commission can make laws and establish policies. THUS, THE BURDEN FOR POLITICAL LEADERSHIP FALLS SQUARELY ON THE Commission.

City Managers cannot and must not permit themselves to assume responsibilities that rest exclusively in the City Commission. The City Manager can and should outline desirable community goals, but not make an issue of the proposals. If the Commission cannot be convinced of the logic of the plans, the Manager will devise another plan or simply follow the Commission's instructions. But once the Commission has acted, the Manager may assume the responsibility as an administrative duty of acquainting the public with the policy which has been adopted.

6. What control do citizens have of municipal policy and administration under the City Manager plan?

The City Manager plan provides for direct citizen control through the Commission. The Commission has authority to hire and fire the City Manager at will, but continuation of the commissioners' term of office is determined by the voters. The Manager is bound by the over-all policies and specific decisions made by the commission, and ultimately is responsible to the voter. Where there are strong voter views on the Manager, the Commission will usually respond to popular sentiment.

7. What are the arguments used for adoption or continuation of the City Manager plan?

1. A single, small governing body is made collectively responsible to the voters for all aspects of City government.
   
   
2. CITY MANAGER GOVERNMENT INSURES A GREATER DEGREE OF SEPARATION BETWEEN "POLITICS" AND ADMINISTRATION,THAN IS FOUND IN OTHER FORMS OF GOVERNMENT, at the same time increasing the control of the elected governing body over all aspects of municipal affairs.
   
   
3. The Commission must consider the same time ends and means, services and finances; the needs of the various departments are balanced against each other.
   
   
4. As technical expertise its not required of them, it is possible to have a more representative Commission; Commission positions are more attractive to qualified citizens as they do not require full-time attention.
   
   
5. It appears that generally this form of government has increased the prestige of the Commission or Commission and improved the status of expert administration in municipal government.
   
   
6. It is easy to fix responsibility for municipal operations when one man coordinates City administration.
   
   
7. A business-like attitude is brought to the job of running a City and more coordination exists in government than was previously the case.
   
   
8. The plan, as far as can be determined, has brought about a much more efficient administration than was found under the old systems of municipal government.
   
   
9. The City Manager plan increases attention to local problems and diminishes partisanship based on traditional political divisions.
   
   
10. The Manager plan in many cases raises the morale of municipal employees and gives them a sense of security in their jobs than is present under other forms of government.
    
    
11. Although City Managers have not universally lowered the total cost of government in their respective communities materially, unit costs often have been lowered.
    
    
12. It is impossible to eliminate "buck-passing" entirely, but this practice is greatly reduced when a number of elected officials are replaced by a manager.
    
    
13. It is easier to remove a manager for malfeasance than one or more elected officials.

Questions and answers taken from
"City Manager Government - Some Questions and Answers"
Governmental Research Center, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, 1960
and
Handbook for Commissionmembers in Commission-Manager Cities
National Municipal League, New York, 1976
Emphasis added