A USER’S GUIDE FOR THE INCOMING COUNCILLORS
The election’s over, now it’s time for the city’s business, writes Steve Desroches.
Congratulations on your election victory. This is an exciting time for you and I fondly remember my days in 2006 when I prepared to take office. I know that it is a busy time for you as you wrap up your election campaign and begin to focus on your first days and year in office.
While it is often said that everything that we need to know, we learned in kindergarten, there are still a few things to understand about city hall and I am happy to offer some friendly advice.
The transition period is a time of celebration and you and your family should briefly enjoy the excitement of a new and exciting chapter of your life. Very soon though, the congratulatory notes will decline and the daily (and nightly) calls, tweets and emails on a range of issues related to a large and growing city will take their place.
The election platitudes now need to turn into concrete ideas and proposals. It is time to ratchet down the election rhetoric because you are now a part of municipal government. Political arrows that you may have launched now become boomerangs because they land squarely on your lap for action and remedy. After all, it is hard to criticize the city and its administration that you are now part of. If you have a practical fix in mind then you should put your nose to the grindstone and bring the matter to city committee and begin the process of building support from your colleagues and senior officials. The city has a very smart electorate, with the highest per capita number of doctorates in Canada, and they will expect honest and realistic solutions.
One of the first big jobs will be to shape and build the 2015 city budget. As you would expect, developing the budget is a mammoth job considering the $3 billion in programs, services and infrastructure that will fill your binders. Take the time to learn from the first exercise because the budget process does not end with the final ratification vote. It has always been my view that the city budget is a 365-day process and not just a few weeks of the legislative calendar. Throughout the year you should collect best practices and ideas from the public and other jurisdictions and take the time to research and make a strong case to your colleagues leading up to next year’s process. City budgets are best when they are not done on the fly.
The budget is a reflection of the city’s priorities. When articulating your personal priorities, you should keep in mind that a lengthy list of a thousand initiatives is more like a bulky laundry list rather than a manageable list of do-able, credible and affordable projects. Over-promising and under-delivering is never a formula for success in any job and therefore you should focus and refine your wishlist.
Generally speaking, you will have little success at city hall unless you can convince your council colleagues to agree
Political arrows that you may have launched now become boomerangs because they land squarely on your lap for action and remedy.
S TEVE DESROCHES
with you. As in life, respect is earned and is a two-way street. Your colleagues are just as busy as you and also have a competing list of priorities in their respective jobjars. A friendly ear is often a helpful ear and respect will go a long way at the council table when you asking for the support of your colleagues.
Take the time to understand the city at large, not just your ward. The city is vast and you will make decisions affecting neighbourhoods that you have not visited or perhaps never heard of. I often hear from residents that they do not want their political leaders to be too narrow or parochial in their politics. After all, if we were too ward-focused we likely would not have gotten the shovel in the ground for light-rail transit or a common agreement to clean up the Ottawa River.
That said, spend lots of time in your ward with your residents and resist the craving to headline the society pages. You will quickly become oxygen-deprived if you are not listening directly to the people who elected you. For example, I learned that doorto-door canvassing should not stop after elections and is a healthy way to gauge the mood and feelings of your constituents.
While you are out of the office in the ward, you will need a strong and trustworthy staff to help you manage city business back at the office. Hire a loyal and capable staff that will work hard and put your business and the needs of your constituents above all else. For example, many ward residents and stakeholders know Andrea in my office who has served with me for last six years and as I leave office it feels like I am losing my right hand.
We live in a great city and, despite our challenges, it is a very special time to help move our city forward. As a father of four children, I would be remiss if I did not remind you to do your best to put your family first as they will shoulder a big part of the personal sacrifice of your new public life. At the end of the day it is our children’s future that prompted many of us to seek office in the first place. Good luck and may providence help guide you with your new responsibilities.