MUNICIPAL COUNCIL FOUR YEAR TERMS ARE TOO LONG, WHEN YOU'VE GOT BAD APPLES IN THE BARREL

Raymond Community Hall – The Raymond Community Hall located at 2013 Highway 141 at Utterson remains a hub of activity with a large number of community and private events taking place in this historic hall that stands proudly overlooking the countryside of Utterson.    One of the last community halls in the region that hosts weekly meetings and general interest classes for the surrounding community. (Photo By Fred Schulz)

THIS SATURDAY, TICKETS STILL AVAILABLE


 

THE MUNICIPAL CONUNDRUM IN THIS PROVINCE - FOUR YEAR TERM IS TOO LONG

MAKING IT A POPULARITY CONTEST IS THE NATURE OF THE BEAST - BIGGEST SPENDERS INCREASE POPULARITY - GOOD FOLKS LEFT ON SIDELINE



     I DON'T WANT ANYONE TO MISUNDERSTAND MY POINT OF VIEW, IN CASE YOU HAPPEN TO BE ONE OF THE MUNICIPAL COUNCILLORS OF THIS TOWN, OTHER TOWNS, THE DISTRICT OF MUSKOKA COUNCIL, OR IN ONTARIO GENERALLY. THERE ARE OUTSTANDING ELECTED OFFICIALS, WHO NEVER STOP WORKING FOR THEIR CONSTITUENTS. THERE ARE ENTIRE COUNCILS THAT ARE GUARDIANS OF THE PUBLIC PURSE, AND THEY DO A DAMN FINE JOB OF IT. THERE ARE COUNCILS AND COUNCILLORS WHO SHOULD BE RECOGNIZED FOR ALL THE DUE DILIGENCE THEY PERFORM ON OUR BEHALF. IN MUSKOKA, WE HAVE MANY DEDICATED AND MOTIVATED COUNCILLORS, LOOKING OUT FOR OUR BEST INTERESTS, AND EVEN BECOME MINOR ACTIVISTS WHEN IT COMES TO ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS. THERE ARE SOME COUNCILS I HAVE MORE RESPECT FOR THAN OTHERS, BUT THAT'S BECAUSE I TRY TO STAY UP ON DISTRICT CURRENT EVENTS, AND WELL, YOU HEAR THINGS....READ THINGS.....SEE THINGS, THAT EITHER PULL YOU ONSIDE, OR IN SOME CASES, OUTRIGHTLY REPELL US.
     I AM PARTICULARLY INTERESTED IN THE TOWNSHIP OF MUSKOKA LAKES, THESE DAYS, AND THEIR ONGOING GRITTY INTERACTIONS OVER THE BALA FALLS HYDRO INSTALLATION. SOME PEOPLE MAY DISAGREE WITH THE MAYOR AND THE TOWNSHIP'S STANCE OVERALL, BUT FROM WHAT I'VE STUDIED OF MUNICIPAL POLITICS IN OUR REGION, SINCE THE LATE 1970'S, THEIR PROTEST, IN MY OPINION, SHOWS A GUTSY EAGERNESS TO CHALLENGE AUTHORITY.....AND PLAY EVERY CARD IT CAN, IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE TOWNSHIP. I DO BELIEVE THIS IS THE CASE. IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME SINCE WE'VE SEEN A PARTNER MUNICIPALITY REAR-UP LIKE THIS, AND I WISH THERE WERE A LOT MORE POLITICAL BATTLES BREAKING OUT.....TO SHAKE UP THE STATUS QUO WE'VE SUFFERED FROM, FOR FAR TOO MANY YEARS. THIS ISN'T TO SAY THE TOWNSHIP'S POSITION IS RIGHT, OR THE POWER COMPANY IS WRONG.... BUT THE DUST-UP BETWEEN THE PARTIES, IS THE KIND OF EXERCISE IN DEMOCRACY, I TRULY ADORE OF MY ELECTED OFFICIALS. COMPLACENCY HERE IS A FAR MORE SERIOUS THREAT TO DYNAMIC GOVERNMENT, THAN MAKING A STAND, AND CARRYING THE BANNER TO THAT END. THIS IS COURAGE. MAYBE IT'S POLITICAL SUICIDE. MAYBE NOT. BUT I'M ALWAYS IMPRESSED WHEN COUNCILS GET OUT OF THEIR COMFORT ZONE, AND SHAKE THINGS UP AMONGST CONSTITUENTS. IT WILL BE ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING ELECTIONS IN MUSKOKA'S HISTORY, NEXT OCTOBER, WHEN THE TOWNSHIP WILL ONCE AGAIN HAVE THE BALA FALLS FRONT AND CENTRE.
     BUT THERE ARE COUNCILS AND COUNCILLORS, WHO IN ALL HONESTY, CONTRIBUTE NOTHING TO OUR COMMUNITY'S WELFARE. THEY BOLSTER THEMSELVES WITH MUTUAL ADMIRATION, AND DECIDE QUITE ON THEIR OWN, HOW WELL THEY'VE DONE OVER THE TERM OF OFFICE. TO HELL WITH PUBLIC OPINION OR THE "WORD" ON THE STREET. IT IS TRUE WHAT THEY SAY. THESE FOLKS CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH.  THAT'S WHY THEY EMPOWER THEMSELVES INSTEAD, BACK SLAPPING TILL IT HURTS, BECAUSE THEY KNOW NO ONE IS GOING TO APPLAUD THEM OUTSIDE OF TOWN HALL. THERE ARE GOOD COUNCILLORS ON POOR COUNCILS. THE ARE GOOD LEADERS BUT LACKLUSTER COUNCILLORS. THERE ARE POOR LEADERS AND EXCEPTIONAL COUNCILLORS. FOUR YEARS IS A LONG TIME WHEN A COUNCIL IS SO FUNDAMENTALLY DISADVANTAGED BY LESSER CONTRIBUTORS.....WHO JUST WANTED TO RUN FOR OFFICE ON A LARK.

     FROM A YEAR TERM, TO TWO, TO THREE AND THEN FOUR YEARS. SOMETIMES, IT WAS SAID, BACK IN THE MURKY DAYS OF MUNICIPAL HISTORY, THAT EVEN ONE YEAR WAS TOO LONG, WHEN THE COUNCIL, CONSTITUENTS ELECTED, STARTED TO GO BAD BEFORE ITS EXPIRY DATE. GADS, WE GOT STUCK WITH SOME REAL STINKERS.
     THE ARGUMENT USED, BY THOSE INDIVIDUALS, WHO WANTED A LONGER TERM OF OFFICE, WAS THAT IT WAS NEXT TO IMPOSSIBLE, TO MANAGE LARGE SCALE MUNICIPAL INITIATIVES AND DEVELOPMENTS, WHEN THE TERM OF OFFICE WAS ONLY TWO YEARS. APPARENTLY THREE YEARS WOULD COVER THIS, SO THE ONTARIO GOVERNMENT CONCURRED. THEN THE ARGUMENT WAS MADE, THAT THREE YEARS WASN'T ENOUGH TIME TO GET THINGS DONE. THE PROVINCE, ONCE AGAIN, AGREED WITH THE MUNICIPALITIES, AND EXTENDED THE MUNICIPAL TERM TO FOUR YEARS. WHY NOT TEN YEARS? I WOULDN'T BE AT ALL SURPRISED IF THE PROVINCE, IN THE NEAR FUTURE, INCREASED THE TIME BY ANOTHER YEAR, TO SATISFY COUNCILLORS WHO WOULD LIKE TO MAKE MUNICIPAL REPRESENTATION THEIR PROFESSION.
      THANKS TO THE CITY OF TORONTO'S MOST RECENT MUNICIPAL DEBACLE, THERE IS INTENSE SCRUTINY NOW, ON JUST HOW POORLY SET-UP THE PROVINCIAL AUTHORITY HAS BEEN, CREATING SAFEGUARD LEGISLATION, TO DEAL WITH DIFFICULT SITUATIONS WITH ELECTED OFFICIALS. WHAT WE FIND OUT, BY FULL IMMERSION IN LEADERSHIP CATASTROPHE, IS THAT THERE IS NO EASY WAY OF EXTRACTING A ROGUE COUNCIL MEMBER, UNLESS HE OR SHE HAS BEEN CONVICTED AND JAILED FOR A CRIMINAL OFFENSE. ALLEGING CONFLICT OF INTEREST, WHEN PROVEN, IS A MEANS TO AN END, BUT IT IS SELDOM EXERCISED, AND EVEN WHEN IT IS, THE COSTS AND PERSONAL INVOLVEMENT IT TAKES, TO BRING ABOUT A LEGAL CHALLENGE, IS BOTH HIGHLY COMPLICATED AND EXPENSIVE. EVEN THEN, WE'VE SEEN CHALLENGES LIKE THIS FAIL TO MAKE EVEN THE SLIGHTEST CHANGE IN THE BAD HABITS OF COUNCILS. AND IT CAN COST THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN LEGAL FEES,  IF THE COURT DECIDES TO AWARD COSTS TO THE DEFENDANT, IF THE CASE IS DISMISSED.  EXCEPT FOR GETTING FEEBLE EXCUSES, AND INSINCERE APOLOGIES. "I'M SORRY," GETS A LOT OF AIR TIME THESE DAYS, BUT IT'S NEVER THE HARBINGER, OF WHOLESALE CHANGE IN LEADERSHIP ATTITUDES.  THE TYPE OF IN-HOUSE "CLEANING" THAT WOULD AGGRESSIVELY ADDRESS PAST ISSUES, AND MODIFY FUTURE DIRECTION. TALK IS CHEAP, RIGHT? HOW MANY APOLOGIES FROM ONE PERSON ARE TOO MANY?
     IF ANYTHING GOOD CAN COME FROM THE RECENT TURMOIL, IN TORONTO'S MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT, IT'S THAT QUEEN'S PARK MUST SURELY RECOGNIZE, BY NOW, THE RIDICULOUS POSITION, OF WHICH IT HAS FOUND ITSELF MIRED, NOT HAVING THE PROPER LEGISLATION AT ITS DISPOSAL, TO INTERVENE QUICKLY AND RESPONSIBLY, TO REGAIN ORDER AMIDST CHAOS. WHILE IT HAS PUT INTENSE SCRUTINY ON TORONTO, PROBLEMS WITH MUNICIPAL COUNCILS, AND ROGUE ELECTED OFFICIALS, IS MORE COMMON THAN MOST OF US APPRECIATE. NOT HAVING THE ABILITY TO UNLOAD BAD APPLES, CAN PROVE CATASTROPHIC FOR MUNICIPALITIES, ESPECIALLY SMALL COUNCILS, WHERE THERE ARE NOT AS MANY COUNCILLORS TO REAR-UP SUCCESSFULLY, AGAINST THOSE WHO BEND THE RULES TO MEET THEIR OWN VESTED INTERESTS. IT HAPPENS. NOT JUST AT TORONTO CITY HALL, OR IN THE SENATE OF THIS COUNTRY. NOT JUST IN MONTREAL, WHERE THERE IS THE SHADOW OF ORGANIZED CRIME.  THERE ARE ELECTED OFFICIALS WHO TAKE FULL ADVANTAGE OF THIS HUGE, GAPING LOOPHOLE AT QUEEN'S PARK, WHEN IT COMES TO ENFORCING STRICT PROTOCOLS ABOUT ACCEPTABLE CONDUCT; PERSONAL AND PUBLIC CONDUCT.
     A COUNCILLOR, BY THE WAY, IS A COUNCILLOR TWENTY-FOUR HOURS A DAY. EMERGENCIES, INVOLVING MUNICIPAL LEADERSHIP, DON'T OCCUR ON A SPECIAL DISASTER SCHEDULE. SO IF IT'S IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, AND COUNCIL LEADERSHIP IS REQUIRED, CONSTITUENTS COUNT ON IMMEDIATE LEADERSHIP FROM THE FOLKS THEY ELECTED; YES, TO LOOK AFTER THE HOME DISTRICT IN ALL KINDS OF WEATHER, ALL KINDS OF CIVIL DISORDER, AND TO LEAD THOSE WHO NEED LEADING. SO AS FAR AS BEING OFF-THE-CLOCK, GET REAL. FOR THAT FOUR YEAR TERM, YOU REPRESENT THE MUNICIPALITY EVERY DAY, MEANING TWENTY-FOUR HOURS, SO PERSONAL CONDUCT IS ALWAYS AN ISSUE. WE'VE SEEN THIS SPLASHED ACROSS THE FRONT PAGES OF THE DAILIES FOR THE PAST COUPLE OF WEEKS. YOU DON'T STOP BEING MAYOR UNTIL YOU'RE REPLACED. SO IF YOU DO BAD STUFF, YOU CAN EXPECT TO BE GETTING THOSE DOUBLE BANKED BOLD HEADLINES IDENTIFYING YOUR WEAKNESSES.
     I WORRY ABOUT THE NEXT ELECTION IN OUR HOME TOWN. THE POPULARITY CONTEST, IN THE GUISE OF A MUNICIPAL ELECTION, IS REALLY THE VERY DEFINITION OF "TRAVESTY" AS TRAVESTIES GO. EVEN BEFORE WE'VE GOT DECLARED COUNCIL CANDIDATES, I KNOW IN ADVANCE, THAT IT'LL BE A CASE, ONCE AGAIN, OF CONSTITUENTS REFUSING TO VOTE BECAUSE THEY BELIEVE ONE GROUP IS AS GOOD AS ANOTHER. THEY DON'T BELIEVE THEIR VOTE WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE ANYWAY, AND WILL JUST SURRENDER TO THE DARKER SIDE, OF WHAT SHOULD BE CELEBRATED AS A FULFILLING EXERCISE IN DEMOCRACY. POPULARITY IS THE PROBLEM, BUT IT'S AS OLD AS RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT ITSELF. OFTEN TIMES, THE BEST PEOPLE TO FILL POSITIONS AROUND THE COUNCIL TABLE, AND TO REPRESENT THE INTERESTS OF CONSTITUENTS, ARE DEFEATED BY THOSE WHO HAVE MORE MONEY TO THROW AT CAMPAIGNS. THEY WIN THESE LOCAL ELECTIONS NOT ON THEIR EXPERTISE, OR THEIR STELLAR REPUTATIONS, AND PROVEN LEADERSHIP IN COMMUNITY AFFAIRS, BUT BECAUSE THEY HAVE SOLID PUBLIC RECOGNITION, INFLUENCE IN ALL THE RIGHT AREAS, AND CHARACTER APPEAL. MONEY. LOTS OF MONEY TO THROW AT AN ELECTION.
      WHICH IS GREAT AT HIGH SCHOOL, WHEN STUDENTS CAMPAIGN FOR SCHOOL COUNCILS. BUT WHEN YOU'RE ELECTING REPRESENTATIVES TO MANAGE A MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR CORPORATION, WITH MANY, MANY NEEDS, POPULARITY ISN'T EXACTLY THE MOST IMPORTANT ATTRIBUTE. YET TIME AND AGAIN, THESE ELECTIONS GIVE US "POPULAR" COUNCIL MEMBERS, WHO HAVE LITTLE TO OFFER IN THE WAY OF GOVERNANCE MOXY, AND LEADERSHIP SENSIBILITIES. WHY DID THEY RUN IN THE FIRST PLACE? A NEED FOR PERSONAL AFFIRMATION? TO PROVE THEY'RE JUST LOVELY PEOPLE, LIKED BY ENOUGH CONSTITUENTS, TO OVERPOWER THE  COMPETITION WITH VOTES? EGOS? FOR GOSH SAKES, WHAT WE REALLY NEED, TO IMPROVE WHAT WE HAVE IN THIS TOWN, IS FOR COUNCIL HOPEFULS TO BE GENUINELY INTERESTED IN "US" FIRST. MUNICIPAL POLITICS IS WELL KNOWN FOR ITS MUTUAL ADMIRATION SOCIETY FELLOWSHIP, WHILE CONSTITUENTS ARE FORCED TO WATCH THEIR HOPES AND ASPIRATIONS CRUMBLE ONCE AGAIN, BECAUSE COUNCILLORS HAVE THEIR OWN AGENDAS.....WHICH USUALLY BECOME KNOWN THE DAY AFTER THEY ARE ELECTED. WOULDN'T WANT TO BE TOO SPECIFIC ON THE ELECTION CAMPAIGN? RIGHT? BEING STRAIGHT-FORWARD ISN'T ALWAYS A VOTE-GETTER.
     THE ONLY WAY THAT DEMOCRACY TRULY GETS ITS EXERCISE, IS IF THE CONSTITUENTS BAND TOGETHER; AND DECIDE TO HOLD THE TENDER WEE FEET OF ELECTED OFFICIALS,  "TO THE FIRE," AS THEY SAY. THEY MAY NOT BE ABLE TO FERRET-OUT ALL THE WINNERS FROM THE WEINERS, SEEKING ELECTION, (SOME ARE LATE BLOOMERS EITHER WAY) BUT IF THEY WANTED TO MAKE IT UNCOMFORTABLE FOR THE ROGUE COUNCILLORS, NOT PLAYING FAIR, THEY COULD INSPIRE EITHER BETTER BEHAVIOR, OR GENERATE THE KIND OF RABID PUBLIC FERVOR, TO HAVE THE SUBJECT OFFICIAL RESIGN. THERE'S NOTHING THAT STOPS PUBLIC PROTEST, TO RID A COUNCIL OF A BAD APPLE. IF THE PEOPLE OF TORONTO WANTED CHANGE AT CITY HALL, WELL SIR, THERE'S ENOUGH OF THEM TO SHUT DOWN MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT, UNTIL ACTION IS FORTHCOMING. SEEING AS WE'RE SHUT OUT OF FULL DEMOCRACY MOST OF THE TIME, IT REALLY COMES DOWN TO HOW EFFECTIVE WE CAN PROTEST IN RETALIATION, TO  SOMETHING WE BELIEVE IS UNFAIR AND WRONG-MINDED. BUT HERE'S THE THING. FAR TOO MANY PEOPLE TODAY, HAVE LEARNED TO EXPECT LESS FROM THEIR LEADERSHIP. HOW MANY WERE SHOCKED TO FIND OUT ABOUT THE ALLEGED FRAUDS IN THE SENATE? ALL IT DID, FOR MOST, WAS TO INSPIRE THE WHISPER, "SO WHAT ELSE IS NEW." SO FED-UP WITH WHAT WE ARE OFFERED, AS POLITICAL REPRESENTATION, AND SO TIRED OF HAVING THEIR HOPES DASHED WHEN FOLKS THEY VOTED FOR, TURN BAD....., THAT THEY JUST OPT OUT OF THIS PART OF THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS. THEY EXPECT THE WORSE TO TRANSPIRE IN ELECTIONS, AND THEY'RE NEVER SURPRISED WHEN CATASTROPHE IN GOVERNMENT TRANSPIRES. "IT'S JUST MORE OF THE SAME," THEY CONCUR. "IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO KNOW THE OVERSPENDING HABITS OF ALL THE ELECTED OFFICIALS....NOT JUST A FEW SENATORS," IS THE SOFTLY HEARD REFRAIN, FROM THOSE WHO HAVE LOST ALL FAITH IN RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT. AT TIMES, I COUNT MYSELF IN THIS NUMBER. WE ELECT DICTATORS, WHO WILL PROMISE TRANSPARANCY AS LONG AS IT IS IN THEIR BEST INTERESTS.
     THE POLITICAL MESS IN OTTAWA, QUEEN'S PARK AND AT TORONTO CITY HALL, SHOULD BE THE KIND OF STICKY, UNCOMFORTABLE CONFLUENCE OF UNDEMOCRATIC REALITIES, THAT INSPIRES BEEFY REACTION AMONG THE CONSTITUENTS OF THIS COUNTRY. HOW MUCH MORE CAN WE TAKE OF THESE NUMB-NUTS BEFORE WE COME TOGETHER, AS THE DEMOCRATIC FLAG-BEARERS WE ARE, AND MAKE OUR DEMANDS FOR RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT, ONCE MORE, KNOWN.....LOUD AND CLEAR. REBELLION? REVOLUTION? GOSH, EVEN A SLIGHT REARING-UP WOULD BE  MORE ENCOURAGING; THAN TO SEE, ON THE OTHER HAND, THE RECLUSIVE, PASSIVE, AVOIDANCE OF ISSUES, WE MOST OFTEN EXPERIENCE AS THE "OH WELL" AFTERMATH.  HONESTLY, IT'S A SAD STATE OF AFFAIRS, AND OUR FUTURE SEEMS PRETTY BLEAK, UNLESS WE CAN CONVINCE OUR CITIZENS TO STAND UP FOR THEIR RIGHTS, AND ELECT REPRESENTATIVES BECAUSE OF QUALIFICATIONS AND PROVEN TRACK RECORD, IN ALL WALKS OF LIFE. BEFORE HANDING THEM THE KEYS TO OUR MUNICIPALITIES.....TO RUN GOVERNMENT AS THEY, AND THEY ALONE SEE FIT. OF COURSE IT'S TIME TO RE-BOOT DEMOCRACY. IS IT TOO LATE? THINK ABOUT THIS, IN THE NEXT YEAR, AS WE APPROACH YET ANOTHER MUNICIPAL POPULARITY CONTEST.
     YOU'LL KNOW I'M TELLING THE TRUTH, IF WE HAVE ANOTHER ALL-CANDIDATES MEETING IN THIS TOWN, LIKE WE HAD FOUR YEARS AGO, WHERE QUESTIONS WERE VETTED IN ADVANCE, AND THERE WAS NO DEBATE WHATSOEVER BETWEEN CANDIDATES. I CALL IT THE GRAVENHURST "LOVE-IN," AND THERE'S A HUNDRED PERCENT CHANCE, IT WILL BE DONE IN THIS FORMAT AGAIN. IF I WAS RUNNING FOR COUNCIL, AND YOU NEVER KNOW, I WOULD REFUSE TO PARTICIPATE IF IT WASN'T AN OPEN FORUM. DENYING VOTERS TO HAVE A CRACK AT CANDIDATES, BEFORE THEY CAN WIN THE POPULAR VOTE, (AND I MEAN THAT), IS AN OBSTRUCTION OF DEMOCRACY. I COULD NEVER BE A PART OF SOMETHING LIKE THIS. I SAT THROUGH THE LAST ONE, WITH MY CHIN ON MY CHEST THE WHOLE EVENING. IT WAS THE MOST CONSTIPATED EVENT EVER CRAFTED IN THE SPIRIT OF DEMOCRATIC PRIVILEGE. IT WAS A NICE EVENT IF THAT'S WHAT YOU WERE LOOKING FOR. A PACKED OPERA HOUSE WHERE NARY A CROSS WORD WAS UTTERED. OUTSIDE WAS A DIFFERENT STORY. THAT'S BECAUSE  ORGANIZERS COULDN'T CONTROL THE UNIVERSE, BUT GIVE THEM CREDIT FOR TRYING.
     I'D SURE LIKE TO SEE TWICE, TO THREE TIMES AS MANY CANDIDATES, RUNNING IN THE 2014 MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS. NOT THAT A LARGER NUMBER WOULD GUARANTEE A TRUER EXPERIENCE OF DEMOCRACY....BUT IT MIGHT SHAKE UP SOME OF THOSE CANDIDATES WHO EXPECT TO WIN.....OUT OF THAT DELUDED SENSE OF ENTITLEMENT, OF BEING SO DARN POPULAR. LET'S PUT PEOPLE AROUND THAT COUNCIL TABLE WHO ARE QUALIFIED TO BE THERE.....NOT JUST BECAUSE OF A NAME, CONGENIALITY OR KINSHIP. NOW THAT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO!
     THANKS SO MUCH FOR JOINNG ME TODAY. IF YOU'RE A COUNCIL HOPEFUL, AND WANT A FREE HISTORY LESSON ABOUT MUSKOKA, I'M WILLING TO TUTOR YOU FOR FREE....BECAUSE I THINK THE FIRST STEP TO BEING OUR REPRESENTATIVES, IS TO HAVE A SENSITIVITY TO LOCAL HERITAGE.....BEYOND TAKING THE OCCASIONAL STEAMSHIP CRUISE, OR WANDERING INTO A LOCAL MUSEUM. I CAN FORGIVE YOU FOR NOT KNOWING OUR HISTORY, EVEN IN PART, BUT I CAN'T FORGIVE YOU, IF SELF IMPROVEMENT ISN'T AS IMPORTANT AS GETTING ELECTED.
      WE CAN MAKE THE NEXT MUNICIPAL ELECTION A BARN BURNER INSTEAD OF A FORGONE CONCLUSION. WE CAN MAKE IT AN "ISSUES" ELECTION, INSTEAD OF A REWARD VOTE, FOR THE BEST ELECTION SIGNAGE. OUR TOWN IS HURTING IN MANY WAYS BECAUSE OF A DISCONNECT BETWEEN ELECTED OFFICIALS AND CONSTITUENTS. THIS IS THE FIRST CHASM THAT NEEDS TO BE BRIDGED BY THE INCOMING COUNCIL.