One thing that I'm sure the other members of council would agree on - this is not a job that is ever boring. The scope of topics that fall within the responsibility of council is pretty wide, and we always have multiple options to consider and discuss. In fact, if we don't take the time to consider new and different ways of approaching old problems, we're not going to make any headway on some long-standing problems. As Dr. Phil might say, if you keep doing what you're doing, you're going to keep getting what you're getting.
The scope ranges from the basics of making sure that drinking water is clean, that streets get plowed, and that garbage is picked up, to the longer range concerns about how to encourage economic development and finance big expenditures.
To give a few examples of the variety of topics that we'll be dealing with over the next few months, as we develop the budget:
The airport is one of the topics that I think needs much more public discussion, to figure out how we can make it a more attractive amenity. For instance, the land is owned by the city, and the current users out there have leases. I think that we should discuss the option of selling some of the land, so that businesses that choose to locate out there have some incentive to make capital improvements. Right now, it's almost a lose-lose proposition, with the city not making much money, and businesses out there reluctant to make major investments to improve their properties, and thus the area, making it more attractive to other businesses.
Another topic coming forward is the need to expand our recycling program. Increasing the volume of material that goes for recycling means less going to the landfill, which increases its lifespan, putting off the time when we will have to find more land for our garbage. Our current recycling system relies on people to self-sort out paper and plastic milk jugs, either in individual blue bins, or in communal ones in back alleys. There is also a plastic recycling service, for a reasonable fee of ten dollars a month, which picks up plastics every two weeks.
There has been some discussion about expanding the current system, so that plastics as well as paper and milk jugs, are all tossed into the same bins that we have now. I think that before we go down that path, we need to recognize that the current system isn't working particularly well - garbage is often found in the blue bins, and when that happens, the bin is treated as another garbage bin, and its contents are taken to the landfill. This is extremely discouraging to those of us who try to do the right thing, and it's one reason why my family subscribes to the plastic system - at least we know that the material that we put out every two weeks won't be headed to the landfill.
I think that we need to explore the idea of making recycling optional. If you choose to have a blue bin, you could get a rebate on the sanitation charge that appears on your water bill. If you aren't going to bother with recycling, then you would pay the full rate. And if you took a bin, but put garbage in it, you would lose both the bin and the rebate.
And as a final example of our variety, we have the ongoing issues around the downtown area. Those merchants who still remain downtown face a range of frustrating circumstances, such as parking limitations, aging buildings, and the ongoing perception of higher crime in the area. I know that various initiatives have tried to bring more people into the area, with summer street fairs probably being the best and most successful example of these. I was disappointed that this year, nothing was organized for the Christmas season, after one downtown block last year tried a one day fair that was quite enjoyable, and brought many people in. Perhaps it's time to look at the current structure and functioning of the Business Improvement District Association, and see if there is a way for it to become a better advocate of the businesses that it represents, with a focus on more ongoing activities, rather than one or two special events every year.
As I said, these are just three examples of the variety of issues that council deals with, all of them with both short and long term implications. We have to bring energy and ideas to everything that comes before us, and be careful not to fall into the trap of keeping on with what we're doing, because there's always going to be ways of doing it better.
"Two cheers for democracy: one, because it admits variety, and two, because it permits criticism." - E.M. Forster
Sunday, December 16, 2012
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Keeping the Field Unlevel
With the setting of user fees for the golf course at last week's council meeting, we've once again missed the opportunity to level the playing field among city facilities.
The golf course does not pay for the water that it uses, which is considerable. Neither do the Rawlinson Centre, or the soccer centre, or City Hall. However, city-owned facilities like the library and the Girl Guide Hall do pay for the water that they use, and have to include it in their operating budgets. And of course, residents and businesses have to pay for their water use.
What this means is that those facilities, businesses and home owners who do pay for their water are subsidizing the facilities that don't pay, because somebody has to cover the costs. I don't know about you, but I think that it would be a lot fairer if all the costs for a facility are included when setting user fees, and I can't think of a single solid reason why we should exempt certain facilities.
Last year, the last time that fees for the golf course were set, I asked city administration for the water usage and related costs for all city facilities. I know that these are available - there are water meters in all buildings, and they're read regularly. However, like many of my inquiries in previous councils, I have yet to get an answer. I'll be asking again, and now we have the new policy for an answer within 30 days, so I'm more hopeful of a result this time.
The proposed golf course fees, interestingly, are prepared by the Golf Course Advisory Board. The members of this board, all of whom are golfers, say that their main concern is keeping rates low to attract more players (which, coincidentally, also saves them money). I understand the need to attract users, but I believe that they should still have to pay a fair portion of what it costs to keep the place running, and until water rates are included as part of the user fees calculation, that isn't happening.
But this council has voted to accept the rates proposed by the Board. The rationale proposed by some of the councillors who support this is that, by golly, raising the rates might discourage people, particularly those from out of town, from golfing there. Personally, I don't think that adding a buck or two to the rate for what is a recreational activity indulged in by people who have that kind of discretionary money to spend is going to stop too many of them.
The result will be, of course, that the water rates of people on fixed incomes, like seniors, will continue to subsidize people who are participating in a recreational activity, which isn't fair. I'm looking forward to our next discussion on raising residential water rates, which have increased several times over the last six years, and we're still being told that the current ongoing increases aren't going to be enough. The arguments of the five councillors who supported this inequity should be interesting.
In talking to one of those councillors after the meeting, he said that he thought that we should treat all city facilities the same. He's right, of course, but considering that right now, we're not doing that, I'm quite willing to work towards levelling the playing field one facility at a time, whenever the opportunity presents itself.
"Because we tend to be biased in favour of our own viewpoint, it is important to keep the standard of fairness at the forefront of our thinking. This is especially important when the situation may call on us to see things we don't want to see, or give something up that we don't want to." - Linda Eller
The golf course does not pay for the water that it uses, which is considerable. Neither do the Rawlinson Centre, or the soccer centre, or City Hall. However, city-owned facilities like the library and the Girl Guide Hall do pay for the water that they use, and have to include it in their operating budgets. And of course, residents and businesses have to pay for their water use.
What this means is that those facilities, businesses and home owners who do pay for their water are subsidizing the facilities that don't pay, because somebody has to cover the costs. I don't know about you, but I think that it would be a lot fairer if all the costs for a facility are included when setting user fees, and I can't think of a single solid reason why we should exempt certain facilities.
Last year, the last time that fees for the golf course were set, I asked city administration for the water usage and related costs for all city facilities. I know that these are available - there are water meters in all buildings, and they're read regularly. However, like many of my inquiries in previous councils, I have yet to get an answer. I'll be asking again, and now we have the new policy for an answer within 30 days, so I'm more hopeful of a result this time.
The proposed golf course fees, interestingly, are prepared by the Golf Course Advisory Board. The members of this board, all of whom are golfers, say that their main concern is keeping rates low to attract more players (which, coincidentally, also saves them money). I understand the need to attract users, but I believe that they should still have to pay a fair portion of what it costs to keep the place running, and until water rates are included as part of the user fees calculation, that isn't happening.
But this council has voted to accept the rates proposed by the Board. The rationale proposed by some of the councillors who support this is that, by golly, raising the rates might discourage people, particularly those from out of town, from golfing there. Personally, I don't think that adding a buck or two to the rate for what is a recreational activity indulged in by people who have that kind of discretionary money to spend is going to stop too many of them.
The result will be, of course, that the water rates of people on fixed incomes, like seniors, will continue to subsidize people who are participating in a recreational activity, which isn't fair. I'm looking forward to our next discussion on raising residential water rates, which have increased several times over the last six years, and we're still being told that the current ongoing increases aren't going to be enough. The arguments of the five councillors who supported this inequity should be interesting.
In talking to one of those councillors after the meeting, he said that he thought that we should treat all city facilities the same. He's right, of course, but considering that right now, we're not doing that, I'm quite willing to work towards levelling the playing field one facility at a time, whenever the opportunity presents itself.
"Because we tend to be biased in favour of our own viewpoint, it is important to keep the standard of fairness at the forefront of our thinking. This is especially important when the situation may call on us to see things we don't want to see, or give something up that we don't want to." - Linda Eller
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Getting to Work
The election was more than a month ago. Council was sworn in almost two weeks ago. Like the other members of council, I'm sure, I'm getting anxious to get to the real work.
That's part of the problem of changing councils - it takes time for people in new jobs to learn the basics, and in this case, it's going to take some time before we understand the extent of some of the problems that we have to deal with. And even when we know that we want to change how things are done, first we have to get a good understanding of the whole situation before we start to implement change, to avoid unpleasant surprises.
To that end, at our first council meeting, after all the ceremonial stuff was out of the way, the deputy mayor schedule was set, and appointments to just three committees were made. The first two, the police commission and the library board, have to be in place for those institutions to function. On a temporary basis, Councillors Ring and Zurakowski have been appointed to the library board, and, also on a temporary basis, the mayor and Councillor Ring will continue on the police commission.
A third committee, the management committee, has also been set up. This committee is intended to bring policy options and recommendations to council for discussion and final decisions, with a fairly broad scope - a first filter, in a way. I'm currently on this committee, as is the mayor and Councillor Cody. For example, one of the things that we're looking at is the current list of committees to see which are actually needed, and which can be dissolved. The previous council had more than 60 committees, some of which met rarely if ever, and some of which duplicated work already covered by policy (the street-naming committee, for example). I'm hoping that this review will help council to manage our work load more efficiently, although it's certainly going to take some time. So far the management committee has met twice, trying to determine which issues are most pressing, and setting some priorities for bringing them forward to council.
I think what most members of council (and the public) want to know is: where are we at on several issues? What's the status of the second bridge study? What's the status of the water treatment plant repairs? When is the bridge going to be at full capacity again? How serious is our financial situation?
I think that, as a council, we're committed to getting answers to these and other questions to the public as quickly as possible. This is definitely a change in how things were done in the past, but it's one that we're all working towards. However, like a lot of change, it could take some time. I hope that residents see that we're working together to provide answers, not cover things up, and are patient as we work these things through.
"Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future." - John F. Kennedy
That's part of the problem of changing councils - it takes time for people in new jobs to learn the basics, and in this case, it's going to take some time before we understand the extent of some of the problems that we have to deal with. And even when we know that we want to change how things are done, first we have to get a good understanding of the whole situation before we start to implement change, to avoid unpleasant surprises.
To that end, at our first council meeting, after all the ceremonial stuff was out of the way, the deputy mayor schedule was set, and appointments to just three committees were made. The first two, the police commission and the library board, have to be in place for those institutions to function. On a temporary basis, Councillors Ring and Zurakowski have been appointed to the library board, and, also on a temporary basis, the mayor and Councillor Ring will continue on the police commission.
A third committee, the management committee, has also been set up. This committee is intended to bring policy options and recommendations to council for discussion and final decisions, with a fairly broad scope - a first filter, in a way. I'm currently on this committee, as is the mayor and Councillor Cody. For example, one of the things that we're looking at is the current list of committees to see which are actually needed, and which can be dissolved. The previous council had more than 60 committees, some of which met rarely if ever, and some of which duplicated work already covered by policy (the street-naming committee, for example). I'm hoping that this review will help council to manage our work load more efficiently, although it's certainly going to take some time. So far the management committee has met twice, trying to determine which issues are most pressing, and setting some priorities for bringing them forward to council.
I think what most members of council (and the public) want to know is: where are we at on several issues? What's the status of the second bridge study? What's the status of the water treatment plant repairs? When is the bridge going to be at full capacity again? How serious is our financial situation?
I think that, as a council, we're committed to getting answers to these and other questions to the public as quickly as possible. This is definitely a change in how things were done in the past, but it's one that we're all working towards. However, like a lot of change, it could take some time. I hope that residents see that we're working together to provide answers, not cover things up, and are patient as we work these things through.
"Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future." - John F. Kennedy
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Looking Forward
The new council will have its first meeting on Tuesday, starting at 7 p.m. Most of this meeting will be taken up with the swearing-in ceremony, and determining the order of deputy mayors for the next year (each councillor takes a six-week turn). And then it will be time to get to work.
Even though we aren't official yet, we've already had a few informal meetings, which is a refreshing change in the way of doing business. On Friday we had a mock council meeting, so that those new to the world of making motions, seconding, chairing part of the meeting, and the other formalities of doing council work could get a taste of the process. It's the first time in my experience that we've done such a thing, and I think it will help. Much better than having to have your first meeting experience under the harsh lights of the camera.
Even so, I know that the first meeting or two can be nerve-wracking. If I were to offer one piece of advice to the councillor newcomers, it would be to practice your oath of office, a few times, out loud, in front of other people. There are a couple of tricky spots in there. Ingrid still has fond memories of my first council meeting, when another councillor, faced with the word pecuniary for the first time, pronounced it puke-enary. It's probably her favourite memory from my time on council - she laughs every time we talk about it.
It's evident from these preliminary gatherings that those new to council have lots of energy and ideas, and I hope that, as a council, we work to maintain that energy. The advantage of the election process is that all of us elected have spent several weeks knocking on doors, hearing directly from city residents as to what their concerns are, and we need to use that input to frame our plans for moving forward.
I think that the message sent by the electors to all of council is that they want more openness, they want more accountability, and they want more cohesiveness from council. They want council to operate as a team, recognizing that our diverse viewpoints and experiences can only make for stronger solutions. From my perspective, I get the sense that everyone around the council table wants this too. I'm hoping that we can maintain our focus as we set our priorities and move forward.
And if we start to slip, I'm hoping that people will let us know.
"It's the pack that gets the job done, not the lone wolf." - Mike O'Neil
Even though we aren't official yet, we've already had a few informal meetings, which is a refreshing change in the way of doing business. On Friday we had a mock council meeting, so that those new to the world of making motions, seconding, chairing part of the meeting, and the other formalities of doing council work could get a taste of the process. It's the first time in my experience that we've done such a thing, and I think it will help. Much better than having to have your first meeting experience under the harsh lights of the camera.
Even so, I know that the first meeting or two can be nerve-wracking. If I were to offer one piece of advice to the councillor newcomers, it would be to practice your oath of office, a few times, out loud, in front of other people. There are a couple of tricky spots in there. Ingrid still has fond memories of my first council meeting, when another councillor, faced with the word pecuniary for the first time, pronounced it puke-enary. It's probably her favourite memory from my time on council - she laughs every time we talk about it.
It's evident from these preliminary gatherings that those new to council have lots of energy and ideas, and I hope that, as a council, we work to maintain that energy. The advantage of the election process is that all of us elected have spent several weeks knocking on doors, hearing directly from city residents as to what their concerns are, and we need to use that input to frame our plans for moving forward.
I think that the message sent by the electors to all of council is that they want more openness, they want more accountability, and they want more cohesiveness from council. They want council to operate as a team, recognizing that our diverse viewpoints and experiences can only make for stronger solutions. From my perspective, I get the sense that everyone around the council table wants this too. I'm hoping that we can maintain our focus as we set our priorities and move forward.
And if we start to slip, I'm hoping that people will let us know.
"It's the pack that gets the job done, not the lone wolf." - Mike O'Neil
Sunday, October 28, 2012
A Few Post-Election Thoughts
First, I'm glad to be back on council. Elections can be funny things, and there's no sure bet as to which way residents will decide to vote. I appreciate all the people in Ward 3 who made the effort to vote, and I promise that I will continue to do the job as I have always done it - asking questions, proposing new ideas, and working toward efficient and effective solutions. I also appreciate all the support that I received from across the city - both leading up to and after the election I've had many phone calls, emails and conversations expressing confidence in my ability to continue to serve the city well.
I thought that the entire election campaign was good, with most candidates focusing on the positives that they want to bring to council, not negatives. I hope that those who weren't successful at the polls continue to be active in making Prince Albert a better place to live - it would be a shame not to use all that energy and enthusiasm.
It was clear from the results that Prince Albert citizens want a change in how things are done at City Hall, and I'm looking forward to that change. We have a good mix of new and returning councillors, which will provide some continuity, as well as new perspectives. I'm expecting more openness, and less dependence on the status quo way of looking at and dealing with issues. This openness has to extend through council and administration to the public - I had many questions through the campaign about things like hiring and contracting practices, where we stand on various projects like the water treatment plant, the bridge, and the Green Industrial Park, how major financial processes like the budget need to be more open and fair, and how council has to learn to live within the budget that is passed, not change its collective mind throughout the year. Those are all good questions, and have to be acted on.
We've already had one gathering on Friday - not a meeting as such, but one for a bit of orientation and to get some of the document-signing requirements out of the way. Most of the new council was there, and it was a good chance for informal talks about what our priorities might be. There's definitely a good variety of experience and knowledge represented around the table, and I think that we're all looking forward to the challenges that lie ahead.
Because you can rest assured, we do face some serious challenges. We won't know the full extent of these challenges until we get all of the necessary information, and I have a good sense that most of the members of the new council are going to expect much more information before they make decisions than has been the case over the last six years.
And that is definitely a change for the better.
Our first meeting will be November 13th, the Tuesday after Remembrance Day. Here's hoping it's the start of good and positive change.
"Change is good, donkey." - Shrek.
I thought that the entire election campaign was good, with most candidates focusing on the positives that they want to bring to council, not negatives. I hope that those who weren't successful at the polls continue to be active in making Prince Albert a better place to live - it would be a shame not to use all that energy and enthusiasm.
It was clear from the results that Prince Albert citizens want a change in how things are done at City Hall, and I'm looking forward to that change. We have a good mix of new and returning councillors, which will provide some continuity, as well as new perspectives. I'm expecting more openness, and less dependence on the status quo way of looking at and dealing with issues. This openness has to extend through council and administration to the public - I had many questions through the campaign about things like hiring and contracting practices, where we stand on various projects like the water treatment plant, the bridge, and the Green Industrial Park, how major financial processes like the budget need to be more open and fair, and how council has to learn to live within the budget that is passed, not change its collective mind throughout the year. Those are all good questions, and have to be acted on.
We've already had one gathering on Friday - not a meeting as such, but one for a bit of orientation and to get some of the document-signing requirements out of the way. Most of the new council was there, and it was a good chance for informal talks about what our priorities might be. There's definitely a good variety of experience and knowledge represented around the table, and I think that we're all looking forward to the challenges that lie ahead.
Because you can rest assured, we do face some serious challenges. We won't know the full extent of these challenges until we get all of the necessary information, and I have a good sense that most of the members of the new council are going to expect much more information before they make decisions than has been the case over the last six years.
And that is definitely a change for the better.
Our first meeting will be November 13th, the Tuesday after Remembrance Day. Here's hoping it's the start of good and positive change.
"Change is good, donkey." - Shrek.
Sunday, October 21, 2012
A Few Final Pre-election Thoughts
Wednesday will be the end of this election campaign. It's been an interesting one.
Elections are funny things. Councillor is one of the few jobs where you have to reapply every few years, with no guarantees of getting your old job back. If you've been doing a good job, hopefully people remember that and hire you back. If not, well, that's how democracy works.
There does appear to be a fair amount of interest, particularly in the contest for mayor. There have been two mayoral debates, one at the library last Wednesday evening, and one on local radio last Thursday afternoon. And for the first time that I'm aware of, there was also a forum held at the Friendship Centre on Thursday evening to which all councillor candidates were invited. I think that the local media has done a good job of covering both the candidates and some of the issues which have been raised, and I appreciate the opportunity to get my message out in more detail than can be provided in a brochure.
Of course, with the number of ward races going on, there's a limited amount of space that can be given to each candidate. I found this out with the request from the local paper to answer two questions, which were then printed in last Thursday's paper.
The answers to the questions were limited to one hundred words each, and it took me some time to whittle down what I wanted to say, particularly for the second question: "What's the most pressing issue in your ward?"
I'm sure most candidates had trouble focusing on one - in fact, many didn't, choosing instead to list what they have been hearing from residents. I decided to go broader - to identify the main problem that I see facing the city. If we got a handle on this issue, we could solve many of the problems that plague all wards, but may be worse in some than in others.
I believe that the most pressing need for the city is for council to start planning, rather than reacting. That means we need to follow sound financial practices, starting with an open budgeting process that looks at all our current expenditures to see where savings could be made, identifies priorities for our spending, and sets aside reserves for future expenditures and for emergencies. We need to stop rushing through the budget process, and start discussing our needs and setting priorities for infrastructure maintenance, replacement, and construction. We need to follow our own policies for requiring financial statements from city-funded entities before we approve expenditures to those entities. We need to stop building facilities before we know how much it's going to cost to operate the facilities, and we need to start ensuring that users pay their fair share for using these facilities.
And we need to stop adding expenditures to the budget after the budget has been completed. When we do this, it's always at the expense of something else that has already been approved, often putting off needed maintenance. And that sort of thing, of course, usually leads to problems further down the line that are then more costly to fix.
If you haven't voted yet, try looking at potential candidates through that lens. If they show a recognition that how council operates is more important than a specific wish list, then that's probably a good sign that they've been thinking beyond how to get elected, to how to do the job if they get it. An election campaign is a few weeks. The job of being on city council will last for four years.
If you haven't voted yet, don't forget to do so. Positive change only happens if people care enough to try to be a part of making that change.
"Science may have found a cure for most evils, but it has found no remedy for the worst of them all: the apathy of human beings." - Helen Keller
Elections are funny things. Councillor is one of the few jobs where you have to reapply every few years, with no guarantees of getting your old job back. If you've been doing a good job, hopefully people remember that and hire you back. If not, well, that's how democracy works.
There does appear to be a fair amount of interest, particularly in the contest for mayor. There have been two mayoral debates, one at the library last Wednesday evening, and one on local radio last Thursday afternoon. And for the first time that I'm aware of, there was also a forum held at the Friendship Centre on Thursday evening to which all councillor candidates were invited. I think that the local media has done a good job of covering both the candidates and some of the issues which have been raised, and I appreciate the opportunity to get my message out in more detail than can be provided in a brochure.
Of course, with the number of ward races going on, there's a limited amount of space that can be given to each candidate. I found this out with the request from the local paper to answer two questions, which were then printed in last Thursday's paper.
The answers to the questions were limited to one hundred words each, and it took me some time to whittle down what I wanted to say, particularly for the second question: "What's the most pressing issue in your ward?"
I'm sure most candidates had trouble focusing on one - in fact, many didn't, choosing instead to list what they have been hearing from residents. I decided to go broader - to identify the main problem that I see facing the city. If we got a handle on this issue, we could solve many of the problems that plague all wards, but may be worse in some than in others.
I believe that the most pressing need for the city is for council to start planning, rather than reacting. That means we need to follow sound financial practices, starting with an open budgeting process that looks at all our current expenditures to see where savings could be made, identifies priorities for our spending, and sets aside reserves for future expenditures and for emergencies. We need to stop rushing through the budget process, and start discussing our needs and setting priorities for infrastructure maintenance, replacement, and construction. We need to follow our own policies for requiring financial statements from city-funded entities before we approve expenditures to those entities. We need to stop building facilities before we know how much it's going to cost to operate the facilities, and we need to start ensuring that users pay their fair share for using these facilities.
And we need to stop adding expenditures to the budget after the budget has been completed. When we do this, it's always at the expense of something else that has already been approved, often putting off needed maintenance. And that sort of thing, of course, usually leads to problems further down the line that are then more costly to fix.
If you haven't voted yet, try looking at potential candidates through that lens. If they show a recognition that how council operates is more important than a specific wish list, then that's probably a good sign that they've been thinking beyond how to get elected, to how to do the job if they get it. An election campaign is a few weeks. The job of being on city council will last for four years.
If you haven't voted yet, don't forget to do so. Positive change only happens if people care enough to try to be a part of making that change.
"Science may have found a cure for most evils, but it has found no remedy for the worst of them all: the apathy of human beings." - Helen Keller
Sunday, October 14, 2012
The Importance of Voting
Andrea, Guthrie and I voted at the first advance poll on Wednesday evening. We usually vote at advance polls - it gets the job done, and takes care of any concerns should Andrea have to go out of town unexpectedly, or if one of us gets sick. There was a pretty decent crowd there, with small line-ups at each desk (one for every two wards). The polling staff were, as always, pleasant and helpful, and they had two people right at the entrance, reminding people about the need for voter identification.
There was another advance poll on Saturday afternoon, and there are three more next week - Thursday and Friday, from 5 to 8 p.m., and Saturday from 1 to 8 p.m. All of these are held at City Hall. Then, of course, comes election day on the following Wednesday, October 24th, when voting is held at various poll locations across the city. If you are unable to leave your home, you can arrange for a mobile poll by requesting one from city administration, and this year, there is even the option for mailing in a ballot - check the city web page for details on how to do that.
If you think that there seem to be more and more opportunities to vote than there used to be, you're right. This is an effort to try to reduce the ever-decreasing voter turnout by making it more and more convenient for people. Civic elections tend to have even lower turnouts than provincial or federal elections, which is surprising, considering that you are more likely to be directly affected by decisions made at the municipal level - your water, sewer, garbage pick-up, snow plowing, street sweeping, are all affected by decisions made by the individuals that you elect to city council. You're also far more likely to know your ward councillor - each ward contains about 5,000 people, which is far fewer than your MLA or MP represents. And because we're local, it's also easier to contact a municipal representative, and phone or email them when you have a question or a concern.
And yet, an amazing number of people do not take advantage of their best opportunity to influence local decisions. I've heard all kinds of excuses over the years, but I don't buy any of them.
One excuse I've heard - no one really reflects all of my ideas and opinions. Well, of course not. Nobody but you can do that. Even married couples can differ in their opinions (don't get Andrea started on daylight savings time - we don't agree on that one). You aren't voting for someone because you expect to agree with him or her on all matters. You are voting for someone whom you have to trust to take your thoughts and ideas, as well as input from many other sources, and make the best decisions possible. It's more important to know that they take the responsibility seriously, and that they recognize that it is their decision, which shouldn't be directed by anyone else.
Another excuse - one vote doesn't make a difference. Not very often, although a recent SUMA presidential election was decided by one vote, as was a local constituency vote for a party nominee. And I recall a tie vote a few years back in a Newfoundland community where the winning mayor was decided upon by a draw out of a hat. That's not the point - the point is to add your vote in with everyone else's, and the winner is the individual supported by the most individuals.
And one final excuse - I don't know enough about the issues. Well, that one's your responsibility. Local news media provide overviews of all candidates throughout the election, you've received pamphlets from at least some of the council candidates, and there's nothing stopping you from calling the phone numbers on those pamphlets and asking a few questions. And discussing the issues and candidates with your friends, neighbours and co-workers can also help in the education process.
You should be asking candidates questions, either by phone, email, or if they happen to catch you at home when they're out knocking on doors, about why they think they're suited for this job that they're applying for. Being on council is a serious responsibility, and you deserve to know as much as possible about their intentions. Slogans, sound bites, and feel good messages just don't give you enough information about how well the candidate understands what they're getting into.
If they're already on council, ask them about their voting record. What motions did they support, and why? Where do they think council could be doing a better job? Are they satisfied with the way that council keeps the public informed, or do they see areas for improvement? I'm sure that you have your own questions for incumbents - I'd wonder if someone is 100% satisfied with the ways things have gone over the past three years, and I'd hope that they would have ideas on where things could be done better.
If you're talking to someone without any council experience, you should have even more questions, because for new members of council, it's a very steep learning curve that they should already be trying to get ahead of. For example, have they ever been to a council meeting? Have they reviewed agendas, and do they understand how council meetings are conducted? Did they review the budget that was passed this year? Where would they have spent less? Where would they have spent more? Do they know what the city debt level is? What ideas do they have to reduce this?
Some issues come up repeatedly. Do they have new ideas on how to reduce crime levels, or revitalize downtown? Do they have ideas on where a second bridge should be built, and why? Are they satisfied with current levels of road maintenance, or the cost to the taxpayer for various city facilities? If not, what suggestions do they have?
In the end, your vote is your decision, and no one else's. To me, that's one of the great things about democracy - once you're standing behind the cardboard dividers, pencil and ballots in hand, it's all up to you. If you've already voted, thank you. If you haven't voted yet, please do. The more people who take the time to educate themselves about the options and then vote, the more likely we are to end up with a strong group of people who can collectively take on the challenges that face this next council. I sincerely hope that the voters of Ward 3 decide once again that they want me to represent them in these challenges - I'm looking forward to it.
"A vote is like a rifle; its usefulness depends on the character of the user." - Theodore Roosevelt
There was another advance poll on Saturday afternoon, and there are three more next week - Thursday and Friday, from 5 to 8 p.m., and Saturday from 1 to 8 p.m. All of these are held at City Hall. Then, of course, comes election day on the following Wednesday, October 24th, when voting is held at various poll locations across the city. If you are unable to leave your home, you can arrange for a mobile poll by requesting one from city administration, and this year, there is even the option for mailing in a ballot - check the city web page for details on how to do that.
If you think that there seem to be more and more opportunities to vote than there used to be, you're right. This is an effort to try to reduce the ever-decreasing voter turnout by making it more and more convenient for people. Civic elections tend to have even lower turnouts than provincial or federal elections, which is surprising, considering that you are more likely to be directly affected by decisions made at the municipal level - your water, sewer, garbage pick-up, snow plowing, street sweeping, are all affected by decisions made by the individuals that you elect to city council. You're also far more likely to know your ward councillor - each ward contains about 5,000 people, which is far fewer than your MLA or MP represents. And because we're local, it's also easier to contact a municipal representative, and phone or email them when you have a question or a concern.
And yet, an amazing number of people do not take advantage of their best opportunity to influence local decisions. I've heard all kinds of excuses over the years, but I don't buy any of them.
One excuse I've heard - no one really reflects all of my ideas and opinions. Well, of course not. Nobody but you can do that. Even married couples can differ in their opinions (don't get Andrea started on daylight savings time - we don't agree on that one). You aren't voting for someone because you expect to agree with him or her on all matters. You are voting for someone whom you have to trust to take your thoughts and ideas, as well as input from many other sources, and make the best decisions possible. It's more important to know that they take the responsibility seriously, and that they recognize that it is their decision, which shouldn't be directed by anyone else.
Another excuse - one vote doesn't make a difference. Not very often, although a recent SUMA presidential election was decided by one vote, as was a local constituency vote for a party nominee. And I recall a tie vote a few years back in a Newfoundland community where the winning mayor was decided upon by a draw out of a hat. That's not the point - the point is to add your vote in with everyone else's, and the winner is the individual supported by the most individuals.
And one final excuse - I don't know enough about the issues. Well, that one's your responsibility. Local news media provide overviews of all candidates throughout the election, you've received pamphlets from at least some of the council candidates, and there's nothing stopping you from calling the phone numbers on those pamphlets and asking a few questions. And discussing the issues and candidates with your friends, neighbours and co-workers can also help in the education process.
You should be asking candidates questions, either by phone, email, or if they happen to catch you at home when they're out knocking on doors, about why they think they're suited for this job that they're applying for. Being on council is a serious responsibility, and you deserve to know as much as possible about their intentions. Slogans, sound bites, and feel good messages just don't give you enough information about how well the candidate understands what they're getting into.
If they're already on council, ask them about their voting record. What motions did they support, and why? Where do they think council could be doing a better job? Are they satisfied with the way that council keeps the public informed, or do they see areas for improvement? I'm sure that you have your own questions for incumbents - I'd wonder if someone is 100% satisfied with the ways things have gone over the past three years, and I'd hope that they would have ideas on where things could be done better.
If you're talking to someone without any council experience, you should have even more questions, because for new members of council, it's a very steep learning curve that they should already be trying to get ahead of. For example, have they ever been to a council meeting? Have they reviewed agendas, and do they understand how council meetings are conducted? Did they review the budget that was passed this year? Where would they have spent less? Where would they have spent more? Do they know what the city debt level is? What ideas do they have to reduce this?
Some issues come up repeatedly. Do they have new ideas on how to reduce crime levels, or revitalize downtown? Do they have ideas on where a second bridge should be built, and why? Are they satisfied with current levels of road maintenance, or the cost to the taxpayer for various city facilities? If not, what suggestions do they have?
In the end, your vote is your decision, and no one else's. To me, that's one of the great things about democracy - once you're standing behind the cardboard dividers, pencil and ballots in hand, it's all up to you. If you've already voted, thank you. If you haven't voted yet, please do. The more people who take the time to educate themselves about the options and then vote, the more likely we are to end up with a strong group of people who can collectively take on the challenges that face this next council. I sincerely hope that the voters of Ward 3 decide once again that they want me to represent them in these challenges - I'm looking forward to it.
"A vote is like a rifle; its usefulness depends on the character of the user." - Theodore Roosevelt
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