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In Michigan the citizens undaunted by defeat of the County Home
Rule Bill in 1934 persuaded the Legislature to resubmit the Bill in
1936.

Lastyear we find 444 City Managers, to which 13 more cities were
added, making a total of 457 cities, with Counsel-Managers. To the
seven counties with strictly Counsel-Manager forms last year one county
was added, making eight, namely Monroe County with the City of Rochester.
The above thirteen cities to modernize were scattered through eight states
without regard to geographical location. Fourteen cities and five
counties defeated proposals and four cities held Referenda to approve the
plan and voted to continue it. Proposals to abandon this non-partisan
Councel-Manager form were voted on as follows: In 1931 thirteen cities
voted and two abandoned; in 1932 fourteen voted and noneabandoned; in
1933 fifteen voted and two abandoned; in 1934 twelve voted and two
abandoned. Only twenty-one cities have abandoned the plan in the last
twenty-six years, while 457 now operate under it.

STATE

Active interest in the Counsel-Manager plan was widespread in
1935 from Washington to Maine, citizens were studying reorganization and
reform and Legislatures in nearly every state then in session were flooded
with plans to bring cities and counties more in line with modern needs of
administration. More than one in every five cities of over 100,000
population now operate under this Form or over 14% of the total population of
the country. Of 93 cities of over 100,000 population, 19 1/2% are so managed
and of smaller cities of 1,000 or more of which there are 6,230 in the
United States 64%, in 39 states are now clothed with Enabling Legislation.
This it is manifest shows remarkable progress toward needed re-adjustment.

In Chicago interest in the plan has become so active and so many
civic groups are studying proposals and advocating the plan that
according to the New York Times, the Assistant Superintendent of Schools
issued and edictagainst an essay contest in the Public Schools on the
subject of a City Manager Form of Government. This edict was held HAILED as
an evidence that the politicians in Chicago are alarmed by the headway
which the City Manager plan is making.

Among the many advocates TESTIMONIALS of the reorganization and reform in city
and county governments may be mentioned a few of the following: From
the Manager of Davidson County in North Caroline, where they had issued
$300,000 road bonds maturing in 1955, at an interest rate of 5%. They
took $100,000 from a sinking fund and reissued $200,000 of bonds at 3 1/2%,
The greatest benefit is stated to accrue from centralized control under
one office in expert hands whereby costs in every department of the county
have been reduced to the minimum. I

In Arlington County Virginia the budget has been decreased and
the county has gone forward with real service to its citizens without
curtailment in the general benefits. Various departments under control
of the County Board have been coordinated into A more co-operative system
and overlapping of government agencies has been eliminated.