Are We Ready Yet?

This is what our Journal Standard had to say on April 2nd, 1969-- one day after the election of Mark McLeroy.

"The ups and downs of Freeport's city politics justify a prediction that we shall never have a satisfactory and competent conduct of city affairs unless and until a city manager plan is chosen. There will, in such a case, still be a mayor and council, but the city manager plan gives sorely needed continuity to the management of city business, which is very big business, and avoids the vagaries and ignorance of city politics inherited from the nineteenth century.

If the management of all business enterprises were to be subject to periodic eviction on the ground that nobody should remain in office for more than four or eight years, all business would operate in a state of chronic uncertainty. at the earliest possible opportunity, Freeport should renew the consideration of a city manager plan."

Today, 70% of Illinois cities are managed by a professional city manager. When will Freeport move in this direction?