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Elected Official Orientation
Elected Official Orientation
Three things to take away from today:
• Choose your comfort level
• Use what’s out there
• Proceed with courage
Powerpoint rules
Your comfort level
• Administrative staff know the personalities
• What works for those personalities will be different everywhere
• Some elected officials, or some councils, are secure – others, not so much
• Your approach needs to fit the situation and what works for you
What can we do?
• Huge range of options for small and large communities
• Big city or small village, we can all do something to give our councillors and directors a look at the job that’s ahead of them
• Can start any time, before or after the election
Traditionally . . .
• We get started right away after the election ends
• Every administration has its own style of dealing with its political officials
It’s either this . . .
. . . or this . . .
. . . and not much in between
• But it doesn’t have to be that way
• With a good start we can be closer to the otters than the Somme
• And that can be a good thing.
What did we do last time?
• Not much – had turnover of only two councillors; one retired, one beaten for mayor
• One new councillor was a returnee
• The other made a study of council for three years prior to coming on board
• Offered orientation, no takers
What we did . . .
• We went out on a limb last time and put on a pre-election workshop for aspiring councillors
• Worked out OK, too
• No casualties!
How it worked
• Former mayor, retiring councillor addressed political aspects of the job
• Former CM discussed staff-council relations, administrative realities and other good stuff
• The clerk talked about processes, legalities, agendas (boooring)
• Good crowd
Our Organizational Chart (For This Week)
MAYORCoffeePersonAlderpeople
AlderpersonsMinute Maid
Standing Committees
Sitting Committees
Forgotten CommitteesAlderothers
Head of Dept. Heads & General Head Cheese
Spare DirectorIndirect Director
Director of a Few Things
Director of Some Things
Mysterious Important Person
Coffee & Lottery Fund Coordinator
Keeper of Keys
Manager of Memos
Duplicate Filer
Bulletin Board Boss
Clerk Jerk
Trainee Director
Leader Helper
Hockey Pool LeaderPlan Man
Custodian of Spare Offices
Assigner of Titles & Door Signs
Inventor of New Terminology
Pre-Programmer
Programmer
Scape Goat
Follower
Spert
Ex-Spert
What we want to avoid
. . . a fiasco
Olympian quits before he startsJamie KomarnickiCalgary HeraldWednesday, October 24, 2007Two-time Olympian, World Cup downhill champion and international motivational skier
Cary Mullen is quitting Chestermere town council before taking office.The commitment was greater than he anticipated, said Christa Haberstock, vice-president
of Mullen’s management company, who spoke on Mullen’s behalf.With 14 candidates running for councillor, Mullen clinched the sixth – and last – spot on
Chestermere council in the October 15 municipal election.He learned after the election that he wouldn’t be able to dial in to committee meetings
while his extensive travels keep him away, said Haberstock.“He is not one to do anything halfway,” said Haberstock.“He realized he wouldn’t be doing the community any justice. They needed someone who
was fully engaged.”The town will hold a byelection to fill the seat.It’s the first time chief administrative officer Terry Hurlbut has seen someone resign
before their first council meeting.“We’ll find someone who is more committed,” Hurlbut said.
Realism before idealism
Because we’re all friends here, we want to be totally fair to Mr. Mullen, who at least recognized that he wasn’t going to be able to fulfil his commitment to the town.
It would obviously have been better if he’d known what was required prior to getting elected.
Using what’s out there
• Lots of resources on line
• Staples McDannold Stewart has really useful guides that they post on their web site (www.sms.bc.ca)
• The UBCM (www.civicnet.bc.ca) has fact sheets that are used at the newly elected officials seminars
• Go to publications, then fact sheets
Call around for ideas
• There are lots of people around who will help you out
• I got lots of calls and lots of ideas, more than I could use, and I wasn’t even desperate
• That’s what we’re all here for
Proceed with courage
• Pick a course and go with it
• However you decide, chances are things will work out well – they usually do
• Otherwise this place would be a real mess!
If you’ll bear with me a moment . . .