You really want to be Councillor? Why?

According to Council's 3-year shelf-life of the past: there would be an election any day now. The third year always and inevitably sluggish - deep breath and enough already! On both sides.
With - from the current Council onward - a term stretching from 3 years to 4, the big question is: will their energy - demonstrably low at this point - stretch that far?

Mayor Kozak and Council - very conscious of the 3-year wall - recently held a meeting to take stock of what they accomplished over the last 3-years. So they're done? What's with the coming 4th?

For everybody's sake: Councillors now should be allowed 1 term only! While 2 consecutive 3-year terms were still doable - 2 consecutive 4-year terms decidedly are not.
Adjustment upward by 1 year just to bring municipal terms in convenient line with provincials shows extraordinary lack of interest in municipals by the provincial government.
What with provincial politicos professionally fulltime and very well-compensated - Smallishtown City Councillors are remunerated only so-so as parttimers: pensioners or those - by vital necessity - with primary focus on a fulltime job elsewhere.
But then - municipalities could/should have spoken up loudly in/through their Union of BC Municipalities and MLAs - yet did they? Were they consulted? Not that we and future Councillors know.

Despite public knowledge here that the current term was to be 4 years, a surprisingly large number of would-be Councillors presented their elect-me shtick. Go figure!
That may happen again next year, and it would be good for us Nelsonites if those even just vaguely considering running - to keep later surprises to a minimum and conserve energy - soon started to give it in-depth attention. Keeping in mind that Council - ostensibly! - has the power to shape Nelson. A hefty weight - best not carried lightly!

So - once campaigning: showing-up at a Council Meeting or two just before the election to see in person how it's done when/where it's done is irresponsible. Leading to unrealistic expectations. An unhealthy Council from the get-go.

Random Reasons For 
Is it that you have been attending Council Meetings as spectator, sitting through Agendas presented/passed - possibly without adequate cause-and-effect consideration - saying to yourself: WTF - I could do this better?

Is it that you don't have a life and feel being a Councillor would give you one?

Is it because you're frustrated with the way the current Council has been rubber-stamping big-ticket items, and as Councillor you would feel ready to - if need be - push for their full engagement, framed by diligence, transparency, accountability: with you totally ready to come from that place?

Is it that you are a control-freak?

Is it that you - with your biggish ego - feel underutilized in this here Smallishtown, thinking that as Councillor you could calm the restlessness within: channel it into positive changes and - what could be better! - get stroked for it publicly?

Is it that you have a hush-hush agenda not directly related to the responsibilities of a Councillor?

Is it that sitting on one board or another isn't cutting it any longer - you're frustrated with treading water: ready for the bigger pond?

Is it that you feel: good enough just isn't good enough?

Is it that you have an urge to prevent Nelson from doing itself in?

Or what?

Reality Of
A Councillor's job does not begin/end in Council Meetings - its nature is time/energy-consuming: if done circumspectly, often leaving little time for fun and games at home and the real job done conscientiously, if there is one. Something's gotta give - visible to the great unwashed is Council's performance in the public meetings only. They're rarely seen in the streets.

To arrive at a well-substantiated personal opinion on an Agenda item - a few days before it is tabled in Council - with material of frequently shallow and/or subjective depth provided by the CAO/Staff - needs a clear, logical head, extensive research - and time.

A focused two-prong approach - not only as Councillors but also as members of the community - is crucial.

As in: all Councillors consistently conscious of this basic position would lead to vigorous discussions, ending in solid decisions. Would.
Sadly - it's been Councillors up there and the community down here all along.

They frequently are superficially prepared, seemingly leaving a decision to bubble to the surface during meetings, or having been nudged in a particular direction by the CAO. In the backroom, just prior to the official vote on an item in public. Prepped.
An habitual lack of personal connectedness has led Councillors to approve items generally - specifics within big-ticket items usually left unaddressed. Meaning: once they approve the thing in principal (only), crucials undoubtedly arising later are no longer their business - their concern.

As in more and more Cottonwood Market funding - but still no acceptable toilets; Hall St. Phases 1/2 in bits and clumsy pieces; the Panhandling Bylaw without panhandlers; Wood-Chip Steam out of steam; the Solar Garden an invasive species.

Then there are committee-meetings at all hours, often little different from private-sector board-meetings: talk, talk, talk and the decision when to talk some more.

 

So Why?
One wonders what prompts Nelsonites to want to be Councillors: their by-rote election-rhetoric never a believable explanation.

So - the rare oddity knowing clearly what the job entails - endless stacks of stuff, endless meetings, endless in-house politicking, endless sacrifices in their personal lives and endless boredom - but still wanting to take it on, is to be enthusiastically embraced!




Image Credits:
glutendude
memolition


City Council
nelsoncouncil@nelson.ca

Kevin Cormack, CAO
kcormack@nelson.ca

Deb Kozak, Mayor
dkozak@nelson.ca