Windham County Observer

Town Manager Plan Seen As Forecast In Announcement Of Chamber Of Commerce
New York Municipal Organizer To Be Brought Here By Civic Group to Speak at Banquet.

Will Have For Subject New Type Government

Chamber Interested In Gaining Information—Has No Plans For Putnam at Present.

The trend in Putnam toward a change in the present town government structure, forecast in a recent address before the Putnam Rotary Club on the Town Manager form of government, became more evident today with the announcement by the Putnam Chamber of Commerce that it had secured the services of a professional government organizer to speak on the Town Manager plan at the annual meeting of the Chamber of Commerce Monday, May 15th, at the Putnam Inn.

George H. Hallett, Jr., Associate Secretary of the Municipal League of New York, has accepted the invitation of the local Chamber of Commerce to come here and speak and will be heard at the annual meeting and banquet. He is a well informed speaker on the topic chosen for his address. He has given many addresses on the subject and has conducted numerous campaigns in various parts of the country on the Town Manager form of government.

Chamber officials were of the opinion that not only Putnam residents but that all local citizens would profit considerably by the information Mr. Hallett has at his command and with this end in view made it known that all local citizenry would be welcome to attend the meeting regardless of whether or not they are members of the Putnam Chamber of Commerce. Anyone wishing to attend may make arrangements with Secretary Omer Milot of the Putnam Chamber of Commerce or with any of its members.

Although Chamber of Commerce officials had no further announcements to make in regard to plans they may be contemplating for a change in local government, the speaker they have secured and his topic make it evident that serious thought is being given here to the matter. At the present time it is apparent that the Chamber of Commerce is concerned solely in gaining information on a plan of government which has been successfully established in many towns in the country, the major objective being greater economy and increased efficiency. It is expected that steps will be taken toward the establishment of the Town Manager form here if such a plan proves practical and adaptable to Putnam's needs.

The Town Manager form of government in brief is a plan which combines all town departments under one head. It eliminates the old system of Board action on all public questions and vests the responsibility for such action on one person. It is claimed that the delay occasioned by the necessity for the majority of board to take action on a question is done away with in many cases by the centralizing of action in one official.

It is calculated to remove political influence in government jobs. The Town Manager has complete authority over all departments, which includes the power to hire and fire all public employees. He in turn is directly responsible to the Board of Selectmen and indirectly to the Board of Finance which body customarily nominates candidates for the Town Manager's post, the selectmen approving or disapproving the choice of the Finance Board but limited in their selection of a manager to such candidates as the Finance Board sees fit to nominate.

It is recalled that the Chamber of Commerce was the prime mover behind the establishment of the Board of Finance in the town government here. It now appears that this group which has brought about many notable civic movements, is preparing to launch into another endeavor of this kind. The Finance Board has had marked success since its inauguration here. It is given credit today for a substantial reduction in the tax rate in face of a decided decrease in the grand list and is expected to achieve other benefits for the town. Whether the present effort will be productive or not depends largely, it would seem, upon the need of Putnam for such a form of government and whether that form would prove adaptable here. It is hoped that as many citizens as are able will attend the annual meeting of the Chamber of Commerce where many of these questions will be answered by the New York speaker.