79 Years Ago
The October 16, 1947 Colorado Transcript announced a big change in Golden’s form of government. We were moving from a “strong mayor” form of government for a “strong city manager” form of government.
Since the City was formed in 1859, management had been in the hands of a small council of elected officials while the work was handled by part-time employees. That was about to change.
The City’s population was growing quickly during the 1940s, (from 3,175 in 1940 to 5,238 in 1950), and some community members thought it was time to hire a full-time administrator–a City Manager. Those who favored this idea said that citizens would have better customer service–there would always be someone on hand at City Hall, ready to solve the citizens’ problems.
Those who opposed it objected to the expense of a salary. They also felt that a paid City Manager would spend his time thinking of improvements that would cost money. Golden had operated on a pay-as-you-go basis throughout the Depression and World War II. There were many things around town that could stand an upgrade, but we weren’t in debt!
If Golden is going to have a manager, prepare to vote for bonds. For a manager without money to spend can’t be expected to earn his salary.
Colorado Transcript – October 9, 1947
In the weeks leading up to the election, there were many articles and letters to the editor debating the issue. Based on the content of those letters, I would have expected the proposal to fail. Instead, with a small turn-out and a narrow margin, we voted to hire a manager.
With a population now exceeding 20,000, Golden certainly needs a city manager. The curmudgeons of old weren’t wrong about the expense of salaries and the propensity to incur debt though! If I'm reading the budget correctly, we spend over $40 million/year on salaries and benefits for City employees and $8.4 million/year "servicing" our debt.
