Questions, Six of 'Em

I wasn't sure what to make of the media request that came to my town email box last week, but I decided to play along.  

Here's what was asked, and below, how I responded.

 

The next municipal election is just one year away: Oct. 24, 2022. With that in mind, with just one year left on your mandate, we have some questions for you. We will run your answers in CollingwoodToday.ca verbatim. 

One caveat: each answer for each question cannot be more than 150 words. 

Please return answers to me by the end of day Oct. 25.

1. What do you think is this council's biggest accomplishment this year? Be specific.

 

Thanks for the opportunity to review 23 pages of votes taken since January! We are doing hard and time-consuming work to bring back trust by implementing the governance and accountability recommendations from the Judicial Inquiry. It is vitally important the Affordable Housing Task Force comes up with concrete plans to help with the current crisis. We prevented another summer of difficulties at Sunset Point with reasonable rules to accommodate visitors and locals. I’m ecstatic with the rainbow crosswalk, and that Collingwood’s hate symbols resolution was supported by more than 2000 Canadian municipalities. The town helped the hockey league change its name and symbols to be more inclusive, and we are honouring a town Manager whose death on the job is possibly connected to systemic racism.These actions show we are moving forward, and while progress is too slow for some and too fast for others, it is happening.                      

2. What is the biggest challenge facing town council in its final year?

Recovering from the pandemic. Some projects are a year behind schedule, and we’re just starting to see the implications of supply chain issues that are an echo of the first waves. While we continue to regain public trust following the events that led to the Inquiry, we also have to focus on managing growth mandated by the Province and allocated by the County to keep the quality of life that draws so many people here; things like that Collingwood is safe, walkable, welcoming and inclusive.

3. Are there any decisions you've made so far this term that you regret or matters that, in hindsight, you might have approached differently?

Early on, I was challenged on how I had voted on a particular item, and I could not articulate why. I learned from that humbling experience that not only should a councillor closely read the provided reports and think about them, then listen to any argument with an open mind, but, before any vote, be sure we’re getting all the information, and correct information, to be clear and confident we are doing the right thing for the community. I aim for that standard every time I raise my ‘yes’ or ‘no’ card. 

4. What has been your greatest learning experience from governing during a pandemic?

I have learned that people will find a way to get done what needs to be done. For example, I belong to a volunteer group that is working to attract and train more women candidates for municipal office in Grey and Bruce Counties.  (Shameless plug: here’s the website: electhernow.ca  we have an event early next month!) It started with about a dozen of us, some elected, some not. We have -still- never met in person, but we have found a way to reach out and teach, network, plan, help, and advise (and hopefully change the world).

5. What do you feel will be this term of council's most enduring legacy?

That’s not up to me to decide and it’s too early to say. We may have made decisions with unintended consequences that we cannot fathom yet. We’re certainly dealing with the unintended consequences of previous councils’ decisions. What would be an excellent legacy is implementing the recommendations about accountability and open decision-making from the Judicial Inquiry and working with the province so other municipalities don’t find themselves in the same dire straits. Another excellent legacy would be preventing unreasonable tax increases and providing a safe and livable place for all sorts of people. 

6. Do you intend to run again? Why or why not?

It is an honour to serve and I’m grateful for the opportunities that come with this work, but let’s not be distracted from the important year ahead. This is serious stuff: the town is a 100-million dollar corporation allocating taxes levied from the people it serves, and Councillors are its Board of Directors. 

Media plays a vital role in a democracy, even more than I understood while working in it. I urge your publication to take your responsibility seriously and refrain from printing comments, praise, or attacks on council decisions without identifying when Letters to the Editor etc., come from people affiliated with Municipal or other campaigns, past or present. It can be misleading to provide commentary from current or former CFOs or Campaign Managers without disclosure of such connections, as has been happening recently. 

These questions have given me the opportunity to clarify my thoughts. Thanks.