ABSTRACT
Topeka is the state capital of Kansas and the fifth-largest city in the state. Its population of over 126,000 makes it smaller than Naperville in size and almost equal to Green Bay. The city has tried different forms of governments, and its experiences with Progressive reform make it a unique city for scholars of municipal reform to analyze. From 1857 to 1910, Topeka operated under a mayor-council system. After 1910, the city followed the lead of Galveston, 1 implementing a commission style of government until 1985, when it decided to switch back to a strong mayor-council system. 2 Then, in 2004, Topekans switched to a council-manager form of government (Hrenchir, 2010). Proponents of the movement brought it about during debates over annexing Topeka from the county, claiming that mayoral power and severance packages for public servants had grown out of hand (Hrenchir, 2010; In Election, 2005).
