8 Things You Need to Know If You Are Thinking About Running for Council

When it is election time in our small municipalities, it is stressful for the Administration and the staff as new Councillors come on board with a passion for change but no real idea of what is involved. That puts the Administration in an odd situation of having a bunch of new bosses who think they know their role. It gets complicated when you are in the position of knowing more about their roles than the people in them but being subject to discipline if you don't do as your Council directs you. Training is not required for new Councillors; it is considered in most provinces that the Administrator is supposed to train the Councillors. If you are thinking about running for Council, there are things you should consider first. I've listed the most common ones here.

1. People change their attitude towards you as soon as you are elected. It seems there is no sense of boundaries now; once you are a councillor in a small population, you are considered by most to be on call. People often approach you at a hockey game or when you are out and about. Mostly it is to have you fix something. You must understand that complaints must be directed through the Administration so they can be addressed at a meeting. You shouldn't make a personal response. This is because...

2. Councillors have no power whatsoever as individuals. That means that individual councillors cannot speak on behalf of the rest, no matter their personal opinion. That means you cannot say what Council will do about an issue unless it goes to a meeting and is decided upon by the entire Council.

3. Municipal Councils are a part of the larger government. They are not an independent government and are expected to follow the current legislation and the standard rules of the government. That means rules around staff, safety, policy and procedure are expected to follow the government's lead. The Administration is expected to know the legislation and make sure you know it too.

4. Deciding you disagree with the legislation does not free you from your obligation to follow it. When you take your oath of office, you agree to a code of ethics and to work in the best interest of the entire community within the framework of the legislation.

5. You are not allowed to be involved in Council discussions about things in which you have an interest. Conflict of interest is complicated in a small town where you can belong to several committees that need money or support from the Council. According to the Ombudsman, a conflict of interest occurs when there is a financial benefit but also when there is a personal interest. For example, being on the rec board and fundraising for ball diamonds while being on the Council discussion, a donation for the ball diamonds is a conflict of interest. This can cause a bit of upset to those who run for Council on their agenda only to find out that this is not allowed.

6. Unless you have a bylaw to the contrary, the Administrator is your only employee. That means you have to let the Administrator take on the role of hiring, firing and supervising your staff. That means you cannot follow around the public works staff and tell them they are doing it wrong. That means you cannot direct the work of staff. You must follow your provincial legislation if you want that kind of involvement. Some provinces do not allow that at all. Stepping over that particular line can leave your community vulnerable to liability.

7. The Administrator is your resource person. If you have an experienced administrator, you have a guide through all things municipal. They are either trained or undergo training, generally with a mentor, and undoubtedly know more about how things must be done than new Councillors. Support and respect are the keywords here.

8. Being on Council allows you to make fundamental changes in your community. It is a sometimes difficult and critical position, especially now. You have the opportunity to make real change. Many of our communities are in a transition state, where the decisions Councils make impact the future sustainability. Good leaders are essential to our long-term survival.

10 Things You Should Know Before You Go to Social Media to Complain About Your Community

Complaining about Council, public works staff, and all the things you think your community should be doing on social media is, in my humble opinion, getting a little out of hand. Before you decide to take your beef to social media, pretty please consider the following:

1. The people in charge for now are your friends and neighbours. They have no better idea about getting things done than you do. They need time and support to learn the rules, and most came on board without any idea there are rules.

2. Administrators in small population communities are often the brunt of every decision the Council makes. They are the messenger. We are not supposed to shoot the messenger. We are not supposed to yell at them, and we are not supposed to say mean things about them on social media.

3. The federal and provincial governments subsidize our communities through provincial and federal funding and grants. Our population invests in us through countless volunteer hours. You most likely do not pay enough taxes and utility fees to pay for your current level of service.

4. Many of our municipal governments inherited multiple expensive problems due to the impact of short-term decision-making by some or all previous councils. Keeping utility rates lower than the service cost leaves many communities today without sufficient funding to fix their existing infrastructure. Once the water and sewer go, it can be challenging to maintain the community.

5. Municipalities are governed by legislation, meaning they cannot do many things people expect of them. Before you go to social media to complain about what they are not doing, go to a meeting and find out why.

6. Today's decisions may not have a significant impact for a decade or more. That means that the people on Council today are not around to experience the effects of their decision when it comes. The ones in the seats when a significant infrastructure fails bear that burden.

7. Community engagement is critical to long-term sustainability. Not only do people have to care about their community, but they also have to act as they do, which means getting involved. So many complaints I see show that their belief is out of line with the truth.

8. We all see you and what you write. It is a mystery that people will complain about their community on social media where everyone can see them but won't send a letter with their name on it to Council? Nothing should get solved due to a testy message on social media.

9. As a taxpayer, you get a vote. You do not get to yell at town employees. You also do not get to call them names in writing on a public page.

10. Change is fundamental to sustainability. Progressive leadership is necessary for sustainability. We must look at ways to create revenue within our communities if we are ever self-sufficient.

It is important to complain to your community leaders. Corruption, conflict of interest and other issues happen all of the time, and community leaders are accountable by the nature of their position. However, using social media to bully your leadership does not work and makes the writer look bad.

5 Things You Might Have Heard About Small Towns That Are Dirty Rumors...Mostly :)

1. There is nothing to do.

Well, if you come from a large center and you are fond of the big city nightlife, and recreational shopping in 20 different malls, you are right, you won't find that here. That is precisely why I prefer small-town living. But don't underestimate the entertainment value of street dancing to a live band, house concerts in someone's back yard, or hanging out with friends playing a game where you throw the bean bags into holes. I don't sell it well, but that was so much fun. We just had an event here this past weekend, that had so much to do, I couldn't actually get to it all. There have been events all over the place, all summer long. Pandemic kicked the heck out of the usual list of things to do, and that happened everywhere. It may not be what you are used to doing, but there are tons of things to do, once you lean into the community.

2. We are all hicks and/or rednecks.

Nope. We are not. A very nice couple, whose names I did not get, attracted by my gorgeous puppy, and lack of available seating room sat down at our table during a recent event. Making conversation, one part of the couple asked me the significance of the ring I wear on my right hand. It is my MBA ring, I said. In what, they asked? Community Economic Development I said, from the University of Cape Breton. They looked shocked. And they said, "you don't think that towns this size have people with education." I laughed, and I said, there are a LOT of people who are formally educated in small towns. There are lots who are not formally educated but are smart, very smart, about how to make money and run a decent business. There are rogues and thieves, but heck we know who they are and we can avoid them. The mister insists I'm a redneck because I am an excellent duck plucker. I admit I'm proud to be both. More than one thing can be true at once.

3. There are no jobs.

Well, that can be true if you are looking for someone else to employ you. But if you are self-employed, or capable of becoming self-employed, small-town living may just be an answer to a prayer. Typically, small towns offer a lower cost of living, and if you can adjust to limited take-out options, and lean into the wonderful things about living out of the City limits, you could make a fine living here.

4. There is no public transportation.

Again, that is a matter of definition. If you define a small town as anything under 50,000, that could be an issue. Here in southeast Saskatchewan, many of our communities are closer to 1,000-1500 people, many much smaller. If you can walk, you don't need public transportation, you can walk everywhere in 5 minutes. Unless I am leaving town, I typically don't even start my car, and I pay less for gas than some of my city friends pay monthly for parking.

5. Everyone knows your business.

Ah, that's not so bad. Social media means that you cannot blame that on the neighbours anymore. The people on the other side of the world know your business now. The upside is that when it happens in a small town, the people are happy to help. We tend to look out for each other.