City manager government in Massachusetts as illustrated by the Medford experience

Thesis (M.A.)--Boston University"CITY MANAGER GOVERNMENT IN MASSACHUSETTS AS ILLUSTRATED BY THE MEDFORD EXPERIENCE" is an illustrative account of the council-manager plan's struggle for survival in a New England bedroom community located on the inner fringe of a great metropolitan area. The reform movement in Medford was launched in 1945 when local "captains of industry, who envisioned council-manager government as a vehicle which would restore prudent, efficient and economical government to the city, inspired and led the battle for adoption of the Plan "E" form of government. With ardor and enthusiasm they organized a Plan E Charter Committee which educated the citizens of the potential benefits to be derived from a change of government. They did their work so well that when the question of adopting Plan E was placed on the ballot for popular acceptance, the voters responded in the affirmative by a margin of almost 4-l. [TRUNCATED