Report on the organization and administration of the Department of charities, Springfield, Mass. April, 1914. 32 p. (1915) budget for the city. . . with charts and statistics. March, 1915. 112 p. (1916) budget for the city with diagrams. March, 1916. 78 p. 1917 budget. Reprint with diagrams. 57 p. Comparative diagrams of standard charter forms and Springfield's organizations. 4 charts. General semi-annual financial statement for city of Springfield under new system of accounts. Aug., 1916. 18 p. List of library books on charters and allied subjects. Proposed city manager charter for the city of Springfield. 31 p. Directions for operating expenditure and expense accounts. Issued by the Mayor and Auditor. Nov., 1915. 23 p. (Reprint) Directions for preparing the budget. Issued by the Mayor. November, 1915. 32 p. (Reprint) General financial statement for the fiscal year ending Nov. 30, 1916. 93 p. (Reprint) Akron, Ohio: Bureau of Municipal Research.1 The Bureau of Municipal Research of Akron was formally organized in November, 1914, and began active work on January 1, 1915. It is an independent body both in its organization and work, but is affiliated with the Chamber of Commerce, and was organized through the efforts of a former president of the chamber and of one of the committees. It was established for a period of five years. The governing body consists of the officers and a board of seven trustees. Among the first studies made by the bureau was a survey of the accounting system of the city government, with the result that the general principles of the accounting scheme installed by the city auditor were made to agree with those laid down by the state. It spent much of the first six months of its work in studying in detail the financial condition of the city of Akron, resulting in the publication of a report on August 15, 1915, giving a brief description of the reasons leading up to the annual deficits, and suggesting remedies. As an outgrowth of this study the bureau came to the assistance of the auditor in preparing his annual report so as to 1 The following account of the Akron bureau is based almost wholly on the account of that bureau given by its director in Municipal Research No. 77, Sept., 1916, Citizen Agencies for Research in Government. To a considerable extent the language of the author has been followed though the account is much condensed. make that document reflect more truly the condition of the city. The bureau has advocated the use of modern budget methods, and to that end analyzed the expenditures of each division and department for the year 1914. Forms were drawn up and submitted to the city auditor and the mayor, who adopted them as official and requested department heads to submit their 1916 budgets on those forms. The bureau made a study and submitted recommendations concerning the civil service. It called attention to the lack of means to carry out the simplest features of the civil service law of Ohio. Attention was also directed to the need for higher standards in examinations, higher standards of service, more expert help to operate civil service, more and better records of examinations, candidates, etc., introduction of efficient ratings of employees, etc. While these recommendations have not been adopted, the bureau has, by request, assisted in preparing examination questions and has frequently been able to provide material for the Civil Service Commission. Among the first investigations of the bureau was that of the new water-works system. The demand for an additional bond issue to be voted on seemed to warrant a complete statement of the project-legislation, bond issues, construction, contracts, etc., in order that the public might have proper information as a basis for voting. Another of the early studies concerned a proposed sewage disposal plant. The particular question studied was that of the means by which the city could get a plant able to provide ample sewage facilities for Akron for some years at a total cost not to exceed the original bond issue of $446,000. Facts placed before a special committee of the chamber led to a series of conferences with the city and state officials, the director and the engineer, resulting in a final reduction of $107,000, thereby making unnecessary any additional bond issue to complete the plant. The bureau aided the council and the Service Department in establishing the contract system for the collection of garbage. The advocacy of contract rather than municipal collection was based on the thought that the city might avoid many mistakes and gain much valuable experience through the five years' life of the contract; also on the fact that the city was at the same time embarking on two other new municipal projects which could not be let privately, viz., a water plant and a sewage disposal plant. The bureau also assisted in preparing the specifications and the contract for bidders. The bureau assisted in the preparation of a revised system of water rates. During the winter of 1914-15 the bureau, by request, undertook a study of the unemployment situation in Akron through an analysis of the records of the Free Employment Bureau. The bureau rendered assistance to the city government by gathering information from other cities concerning the cost of constructing and operating workhouses. As a result of this study a project for the construction of a workhouse for Akron was abandoned. During the first year of its operation the bureau made six surveys in three departments as follows: Accounting in the auditor's department; organizations and records in the council clerk's office; Bureau of Street Repairs; Bureau of Street Cleaning; Division of Streets in the Service Department, and a general reorganization survey of the same department. The coöperative plan of training for public service was begun shortly after the bureau was organized. Students of the Municipal University of Akron were given assignments dealing with real city problems, that is, preparing a report on a comparison of city budgets for the past five years; analyzing the bond issues and preparing a statement of the city's bonded indebtedness; comparative study of charters in commissioned cities; study of water-main extension; and study of school statistics. Credit toward graduation is being given by the university faculty for this work. The following excerpts, taken from the annual report of the director submitted January 1, 1918, show the nature of the more recent activities of the bureau. The Bureau followed closely the work of the Finance Committee in its apportionment of the city's fund to the various departments and devoted a large part of January and July to this work. . . . The Bureau furnished the Finance Committee considerable information relative to estimated revenues and past expenditures as a basis for its work in apportioning funds. When the work of the Finance Committee was completed the Bureau prepared and mimeographed the final drafts of the appropriation ordinances and distributed copies to each councilman, department head, newspapers and civic organizations. . In response to a resolution (5358) passed by the Council inviting the Bureau to recommend rules and regulations governing the office of the Clerk of the Council, the Bureau made a survey of this office and issued a report containing suggested. rules and regulations with certain suggestions for improving the service. . . The Bureau followed closely the action of the city when it was considering the question of reletting the contract for garbage collection or of beginning collection by the city and furnished information to its officials relative to the advantages and disadvantages of various methods and the experience of other cities.. The City Council had for some time the need for a just and reasonable schedule of salaries throughout the city service which would serve as a guide to it in fixing the salaries of the various municipal employees. On January 22, a resolution was passed requesting the Bureau to coöperate with a committee of the Council appointed for that purpose, and on July 23 another resolution was passed authorizing the Bureau to obtain the necessary information from city officials and employees. An intensive study was made of every position in the city service and a description prepared outlining the duties of each position, the necessary qualifications an employee should have to successfully fill the position and the minimum and maximum salary which should attach thereto. Annual salary increases were also specified for each position. Studies were also made of the duties, qualifications and salaries paid similar positions in other cities and in the local industries in Akron. During the year another advance step was taken in the establishment of a central purchasing department. The Bureau prepared a set of rules and regulations governing the purchasing department as a means of smoothing out some of the purchasing and accounting difficulties. . . . The necessity for a public dump being apparent for some time, the engineer of the Bureau suggested to the Service Director the possibility of making a dump along the line of the main outlet sewer. . . . The Bureau's engineer and the Service Director made a survey of the paved streets of the city to determine the extent and location of repairs needed and an estimate of the probable cost. . . . At the request of the City Solicitor, the Bureau's engineer checked up the estimates and plans of the city for the Wolf Ledge Run Sewer.. The Bureau prepared a series of five articles at the request of the new charter association outlining the need for a new charter. These appeared in the Akron Evening Times. Facts were also furnished this association for use in the preparation of a voters' pamphlet which was published and distributed by the association. Information has been collected, charts and tables prepared so as to have this available for the use of the charter commission which has been elected by the people and is now at work writing a new charter. . . . At the request of the Mayor, the Bureau prepared a statement explaining the increases of the 1918 City Budget request over 1917. The Bureau prepared a report for the Taxation Committee of the Chamber of Commerce on the effect on the City of Akron of certain taxation bills which were before the Legislature. . . . A report on the schools of Akron made at the request of the Educational Committee of the Chamber of Commerce gives a complete description of the Akron schools and affords a working program for the betterment of the school system. The bureau's policy with regard to publicity has been to get the facts and submit them for correction to the official involved, and to give out the facts either through the official or, if through the bureau only, at a time when the publication will not jeopardize progress. The bureau issues a weekly official bulletin entitled Public Information, consisting of folders, usually of four pages each. PUBLICATIONS Annual report to the Board of trustees and to members of the Bureau of municipal research. Jan. 1, 1916. 181. (typewritten) Same. Jan. 1, 1917. 46 1. (typewritten) |