City managers administer 96 Illinois municipalities
The manager-council plan emphasizes democratic control and executive leadership. Whether city managers take a strong public stance or exist in the shadow of the city council, administrative efficiency is the code they are judged by
THERE ARE 2,500 manager cities in the United States, with 96 of them in Illinois. Glencoe was the first Illinois city to adopt the plan (1914). Eighty-five of the state's 96 cities adopted the manager plan after 1950, with 28 of these making this decision after 1970. The preponderance (76) of Illinois manager cities are in the Chicago area suburbs. Those that have recently adopted the plan are found in a variety of cities, but most are upper income communities like those on the lake shore north of Chicago. Low income cities include Markham and Maywood. In the other major metropolitan area—St. Louis—only three Illinois suburbs have a manager.
Most Illinois managers are in relatively large cities. More than half of the state's cities over 50,000 have the manager plan, while only 3 per cent of those under 10,000 have it. In this latter category, virtually all of the 25 managers are in the larger villages or cities. Villages or small cities simply cannot afford professional administration and often do not really require it.
Basically the manager plan calls for a directly elected council which appoints an administrator called a city manager who generally has complete administrative responsibility for the conduct of city affairs.
The best combination
"No system is perfect, but the
council-manager form allows the best
possible combination of democracy and
efficiency in local government"—Harold Alderfer, American
Local Government and Administration
(Bobbs-Merrill, 1956), p. 308.
"Permit me to say in language as plain as I can make it that city managers have made the outstanding contribution to public administration in the United Slates in the 20th century"—Charles Merriam, quoted in Ronald Loveridge, City Managers in Legislative Politics (Bobbs-Merrill, 1971). p. 11.
These glowing words are based on the reformer ideal that democracy could be rescued from the curses of bossism, corruption and incompetence by infusions of efficiency through a strong executive. Efficiency simply meant putting a politically responsible person in charge of things, giving him authority and resources, and holding him responsible for producing results. Of course, it hasn't always worked precisely the way reformers hoped.
The growth rate
While only about 8 per cent of the
cities in Illinois have managers, those
cities have about 2.25 million residents,
or about 30 per cent of the state's population outside of the city of Chicago.
Generally, manager cities are fast growing because they are in expanding suburban areas. Therefore, although urbanized areas in Illinois grew about 17
per cent during the last decade, most of
the cities that adopted the plan in the
1960's grew at a faster rate than the
average. The fastest growing manager
cities (growth rates exceeding 100 per
cent) were all in the Chicago suburbs,
while the manager cities that lost population were downstate.
If there is an average manager city in Illinois, it would be a Chicago suburb of 25,000 population which adopted the plan during the late 1950's. The closest city to this arithmetical average is Palatine, in northwest Cook County, which adopted the plan in 1958 when only 8.000 citizens lived there. There have been five managers since that time; none for more than Five years. Palatine experienced explosive growth during these years and in 1973 had 28,800 persons. This growth has changed the community substantially and plagued manager and council alike. The most recent political change involves election of a Republican council slate.
August 1975/Illinois Issues/231
Abandonments of the manager plan suggest a different pattern. Through 1969 three Illinois cities, Alton, East Moline and Savanna, abandoned the city manager form by vote of the people. In 1959 East Moline became the first city to abandon the plan, followed by Alton in 1962 and Savanna in 1969. As far as can be determined, factors such as poor managerial public relations and civic desire for a less centralized system played a key role in these abandonments. These were not particularly fast growing cities, and the civic culture was not apparently conducive to city managers.
Other cities, such as Schiller Park, have abandoned the plan apparently through disuse. But in Illinois, as in the nation, adoptions are more common than abandonments.
Whether the manager plan works or not, it is clear that the position does dramatically highlight efficiency and democracy. In theory, the council cannot interfere with manager prerogatives to hire, fire and run the city. They can only dismiss him for whatever reasons the council wishes. This ability to fire him at any time for any reason is a classic demonstration of democratic control.
The manager plan sprang from the reform tradition at the turn of the century. The first managers were engineers, hired to pave streets and install ac-
Table 1. City manager municipalities in Illinois
City and decade adopted |
1970
Population |
1960-1970
growth rate |
Present
city manager year appointed |
|
Before 1940 |
||||
Glencoe |
10,542 |
0.7% |
Robert B. Morris, 51 |
|
Glenview |
24,880 |
37.2 |
Robert van Deusen, 62 |
|
Kenilworth |
2,980 |
0.7 |
Kenneth A. Tcrlip, 74 |
|
Riverside |
10,432 |
7.0 |
C. Harold Eash, 68 |
|
Wilmette |
32,125 |
13.7 |
Stan E. Kennedy,74 |
|
Winnetka |
14,131 |
5.7 |
RobertA.Buechner,71 |
|
1940-1949 |
|
|
|
|
Brook field |
20,284 |
-0.7 |
RichardW.Scott.69 |
|
Galena |
3,930 |
-10.9 |
Ed Pcrleth, 73 |
|
Hinsdale |
15,918 |
23.8 |
James W. Lincoln, 73 |
|
Park Ridge |
42,379 |
30.0 |
Herman C. Spahr, 70 |
|
Western Springs |
12,147 |
12.2 |
0. J. Willoughby, 66 |
|
1950-1959 |
|
|
|
|
Arlington Heights |
64,884 |
132.7 |
L. A. Hanson, 58 |
|
Bloomington |
39,956 |
10.3 |
Richard D. Blodgctt, 70 |
|
Centralia |
15,217 |
9.4 |
Norman Schuchman, 73 |
|
Champaign |
56,532 |
14.0 |
V. Eugene Miller, 74 |
|
Crystal Lake |
14,541 |
74.9 |
Robert H. Walker, 72 |
|
Decatur |
90,397 |
15.9 |
Leslie T. Alien. 72 |
|
Deerfield |
18,949 |
60.8 |
Norris W. Stilphen. 59 |
|
Elgin |
56,705 |
12.6 |
Leo Nelson, 72 |
|
Elmhurst |
50,547 |
36.6 |
Robert T. Palmer, 53 |
|
Elmwood Park |
26,160 |
9.6 |
Richard B. Nuzzo. 75 |
|
Evanston |
79.808 |
0.7 |
Edward A. Martin, 71 |
|
Galesburg |
36.390 |
-2.6 |
Tom Herring, 60 |
|
Greenville |
4,631 |
1.4 |
Danny Davis, 73 |
|
Highland |
5,981 |
21.0 |
Oliver R. Bishop, 73 |
|
Highland Park |
32,263 |
26.4 |
Larry Rice, 75 |
|
Homewood |
18.871 |
41.1 |
Terrancc Burghard, 72 |
|
Joliet |
80,541 |
20.4 |
Lynn A. Neuhart, 75 |
|
La Grange |
16,773 |
9.7 |
Stephen Bcrley, 72 |
|
Lake Forest |
15,642 |
46.4 |
Gerald E. Hagman, 72 |
|
Lombard |
35,977 |
59.5 |
Paul L. White, 69 |
|
Mascoutah |
5,045 |
39.2 |
D. L. Sitton, 68 |
|
May wood |
30,036 |
9.9 |
Mark W. Kitch, 74 |
|
Mount Prospect |
34,995 |
85.1 |
RobertJ.Eppley.71 |
|
Mount Vernon |
15,980 |
2.7 |
Raymond Botch, Jr., 70 |
|
Northbrook |
27,297 |
134.6 |
RobertA.Wcidaw,63 |
|
Northfield |
5.010 |
25.1 |
John H. Eckenroad. 69 |
|
Northlake |
14.212 |
15.4 |
Herbert Kip, 74 |
|
Oak Lawn |
60.325 |
119.5 |
Kenneth McDonald, 73 |
|
Oak Park |
62,521 |
2.3 |
LeeA.Ellis.71 |
|
Palatine |
25,923 |
125.2 |
Anton H. Harwig, 74 |
|
Park Forest |
30,716 |
2.2 |
Robert G. Pierce, 62 |
|
Peoria |
126,964 |
23.1 |
Robert 0. Wright, 70 |
|
Rock Island |
50,250 |
-3.3 |
Raymond P. Botch, 61 |
|
Salem |
6.187 |
0.4 |
Lawrence A. Asaro, 73 |
|
Skokie |
68,571 |
15.6 |
John N. Matzer, Jr., 70 |
|
Villa Park |
25,798 |
27.0 |
Robert Gostanian, 74 |
|
Westchester |
20,033 |
10.7 |
Charles M.Danek, 57 |
|
Wood River |
13.186 |
12.8 |
Richard Undcrkoflcr, 74 |
|
Woodstock |
10,226 |
14.9 |
John A. H ayes, 73 |
City and decade adopted |
1970
Population |
1960-1970
growth rate |
Present
city manager year appointed |
||||
1960-1969 |
|
|
|
||||
Adddison |
24,482 |
263.2 |
Wiliam G. Steffey, 71 |
||||
Barrington |
7.701 |
41.7 |
DeanH.Maiben.71 |
||||
Carbondale |
22,816 |
55.5 |
Carroll J. Fry, 72 |
||||
Carpentersville |
24,059 |
38.1 |
George A.Shaw.68 |
||||
DeKalb |
32,928 |
78.2 |
Donald Crawford, 69 |
||||
Downers Grove |
32,700 |
54.8 |
James Gricsenier, 72 |
||||
Elk Grove Village |
24,516 |
271.0 |
CharlesA.Willis.67 |
||||
Flossmoor |
7,846 |
69.7 |
Charles Stinnett. 74 |
||||
Hoffman Estates |
22,238 |
168.1 |
Geo P. Longmeyer, 72 |
||||
La Grange Park |
15.626 |
13.3 |
CharlesH.Lively.73 |
||||
Libertyville |
11,684 |
36.5 |
Alien H. Schertz, 65 |
||||
Markham |
15,987 |
36.6 |
Andrew W. Smith. 74 |
||||
Niles |
31,460 |
54.1 |
Kenneth R. Schecl, 67 |
||||
Normal |
26,346 |
97.6 |
David S. Anderson, 69 |
||||
Oak Brook |
4.118 |
N/A |
K. G. Carnugnani, 73 |
||||
Streamwood |
18,176 |
277.0 |
John F. Pctrie, Jr., 69 |
||||
Westmont |
8,482 |
41.4 |
MacD. Manning, Jr., 69 |
||||
Wheaton |
31,401 |
28.1 |
William E. Kirchhoff, 73 |
||||
Wheeling |
14,746 |
105.7 |
George C- Passolt, 71 |
||||
Wood Dale |
8.831 |
187.6 |
Raeldon R. Barker, 74 |
||||
1970-After |
|
|
|||||
Bolingbrook |
7,275 |
N/A |
Reed F. Carlson, 73 |
||||
Buffalo Grove |
11,799 |
N/A |
Daniel T. Larson, 71 |
||||
Carol Stream |
4,434 |
N/A |
John R. Adamson, 71 |
||||
Clarendon Hills |
6,750 |
14.7 |
Paul D.Sharon.73 |
||||
Evergreen Park |
25,487 |
5.4 |
Bill P. Perry, 73 |
||||
Fox River Grove |
N/A |
N/A |
A. Bruce Trcgo. 74 |
||||
Glendale Heights |
11,406 |
N/A |
Jack E. Lantrip, 73 |
||||
Glen Ellyn |
21,909 |
37.2 |
William Dixon, 74 |
||||
Gurnee |
2,738 |
N/A |
Robert R. Trigg, 72 |
||||
Hanover Park |
11,916 |
N/A |
R. D. Heninger, 72 |
||||
Lake Bluff |
4,970 |
42.5 |
Homer R. Ankrum, 74 |
||||
Lake Zurich |
4,082 |
18.0 |
Delmar Hosier, 73 |
||||
Moline |
46,237 |
8.3 |
Duanc W.Oliver, 72 |
||||
Mundelein |
16,128 |
53.2 |
Frederick Bernhardt, 73 |
||||
Naperville |
23,885 |
44.7 |
C. William Norman. 70 |
||||
Oak Forest |
17,870 |
379.9 |
RonaldA.Feidner.72 |
||||
OIncy |
8,974 |
2.2 |
Dean Schlec, 74 |
||||
Park Forest South |
N/A |
N/A |
GcorgeJ.Paluch.73 |
||||
Richton Park |
2,558 |
N/A |
Robert Toone, 73 |
||||
Rolling Meadows |
19,178 |
76.3 |
James E. Watson, 69 |
||||
Romeovillie |
12,674 |
254.6 |
W. Barry Baker, 74 |
||||
Tinley Park |
12,382 |
93.7 |
Richard D. Gregg. 74 |
||||
Vernon Hills |
N/A |
N/A |
Peter Barron, 73 |
||||
Washington |
6,790 |
14.7 |
Rod D.CIausen.72 |
||||
Waterloo |
4,546 |
21.6 |
Enos Purcell, 71 |
||||
Woodndge |
11,028 |
N/A |
Burton G. Braun, 73 |
Source: International City Management Association, The Municipal Management Directory 1975. U.S. Bureau of Census, Census of Population: 1970. General Population Characteristics. Final Report PC(1)-B 15, Illinois.
232/Illinois Issues/August 1975
Nationally, over two-thirds of city managers are college graduates with an average age under 40. Another characteristic they share is short tenure. The average manager stays only three to five years in a city before moving on
counting systems. As the plan spread over time, the emphasis on democratic control and executive leadership became stronger. Writers and observers were more sophisticated about blending the need for executive leadership through managerial expertise with democratic controls through the elected council. Managers, of course, had always known this.
Managers are proud of their efficiency and their deference to democratic norms. They insist on their administrative prerogatives to hire, fire and prepare the budget even as they take care not to ruffle council members' feathers. They take pride in the fact that their job is on the line every Monday night when the city council meets, and they take pains to reduce conflict situations that might really endanger their position. They behave, in Illinois and elsewhere, precisely as any professional public executive would under similar circumstances.
Common characteristics
Looked at nationally, most managers
comprise a relatively homogeneous lot.
They are 99 per cent male, 98 per cent
Caucasian and heavily Protestant. Over
two-thirds are college graduates with an
average age under 40. Over the years
the average age has declined and
engineering has been replaced by liberal
arts and business or public administration as the commonest college major. A
Final common characteristic they share
is short tenure. The average manager
stays only three to five years in a city
before moving on. While there are no
separate statistics for Illinois, it is unlikely that the managers here vary much
from these averages.
There are a number of criticisms of the manager plan, all of which are heard in Illinois as well as nationally. One involves manager attitudes. Some claim that managers are insensitive to social issues, that they have an engineering "nuts and bolts" set of values which focuses on paving the most streets for the dollar. These critics feel that the manager treats people as things or objects in his attempt to run the city. On the other hand, many times a manager's plans come under heavy fire because the manager shakes up people with new ideas, paying too little attention to the traditional ways of doing things. At the other extreme, managers are seen as pawns in the hands of the council. Thus, the manager is perceived as being too efficient and/or dictatorial, yet he is also seen, often by the same people, as too dominated by politicians and not tough enough to get the job done.
Table 2
Manager cities in Illinois
by size as of January 1972
Population* 10,000 or less 10,000-50,000 50,000 and over Total |
All cities 1,108 137 22 1,267 |
Manager cities 25 58 13 96 |
Number Pct. 3% 42% 59% 8% |
* Based on 1970 census figures.
Some cities have managers who take a strong public stance on issues, appear frequently in public, and seem to be the dominant forces in their communities. Other managers exist in the shadow of the council, restricting their views to personal conversations and responses to council requests. They consciously maintain a low profile. Most managers fall between these extremes, but under changing circumstances will adopt different strategies in order to survive and to forward the policies they favor.
Two basic groups
It is possible to divide managers into
two broad groups, those that see
themselves as community and policy
leaders and those that see themselves as
administrators. A community leader
sees his responsibility to propose policy
issues to the council even if they are not
necessarily popular, while an administrator is likely to emphasize his
role as a technician carrying out council
policy. Those who see themselves as
community leaders, however, are often
reluctant to make public appearances
on controversial topics if it can be
avoided. Theoretically, once the issue
has been settled by the council, the
manager can legitimately speak out in
defense or explanation of municipal
policies. Even activist managers prefer
to avoid the spotlight. A recent national
poll indicated that 62 per cent of all
managers claim to always or nearly
always "play a leading role in policy
making," but only 35 per cent always or
nearly always "speak on controversial
municipal issues before civic, service or
business groups"—1975 Municipal
Year Book (International City
Management Association), p. 153.
Managers want a role in policy making, but prefer not to be too far out in
front of the council.
The more activist type
While the evidence is not ironclad in
Illinois, studies in other states have
found that activist managers who take
policy leadership tend to be persons
who had planned from early college
days to become managers. They are
generally individuals who are trained in
the social sciences with master's degrees
in business or public administration.
These activists are also the younger
managers, according to Ronald
Loveridge, City Managers in
Legislative Politics.
As suburban cities grow, and adoptions in older cities occasionally occur, the percentage of Illinois residents who reside in manager cities will continue to increase. In some cities, Peoria for example, both the plan itself and individual managers have been controversial. Other cities, such as Glencoe and Deerneld, have been rather quiet and the incumbent managers have been in office for many years. But whether in quiet or turbulent cities, the manager plan has usually lived up to its promise. It has somehow kept the efficiency of centralized management in uneasy balance with popular control by the council. The plan is here to stay. ˛
New state map
The 1975-76 bicentennial edition of the
Illinois highway map is now available and
can be ordered from MAP, Room 217,
Illinois Department of Transportation,
2300 S. Dirksen Parkway, Springrield,
Illinois 62764.
August 1975/Illinois Issues/233