Citizens need to get off the fence - and demand accountability of councillors

I’ve just now finished reading the weekly news and have been clenching my jaw for the past half hour. The elected officials representing our home town interests, have made it clear they’ve cut individual department budgets responsibly, and that a proposed eight percent increase is the result of fiscal responsibility. No it’s not! If they were responsible the new town hall project would be scrapped, plain and simple. It’s what most of us have had to do throughout our lives. We’ve had to deny luxuries, even staples, in order to survive financially in all other areas of life and times.
The problem with our elected officials is really quite simple. They believe, when they are elected, the votes "for" are clear evidence of popularity and support for their management prowess. Elected councillors have a false sense of security, and may be quite delusional in fact, about the range of authority they’re entitled. Almost sensing a divine right to possess the seat at the council table, they almost immediately develop the "do you know who I am" self-righteousness that has doomed many, many high fliers in the past. From the pre-election begging for votes, to the post election arrogance, is a really short but profound adventure in character. From being sincere that they do give a crap about your concerns, to not recognizing your right to question them within weeks of the turn-around, it’s an all too familiar failure in democracy. While elections do not provide us with conduits to everything we, the constituents desire, we do assume that councillors will remain humble and insightful enough, to recognize that democracy does have inherent checks and balances. As they have their rights and privileges to govern and make responsible decisions, they shouldn’t be aghast when constituents challenge actions and policies that appear to be irresponsible.
An eight percent tax increase is staggering to this ratepayer, and if it happened in the City of Toronto, not just heads would roll. And although councillors can claim they’ve been as fiscally responsible as they can be, without cutting services further than they already are, the very reality of a new town hall is sickening. The new pool is far more important than town hall, and even though I probably won’t use the facility myself, its longterm benefit to the community is undeniable. If there was a separate demand for fundraising, a one time extra hundred dollars or so, to offset that cost, it would be infinitely more acceptable than providing frills at town hall, regardless of the feeling of entitlement,...... a few councillors view as "making all the difference" to a happy town administration. Councillors are not living within their means as most of us have to contend.
There is a serious disconnect blooming hardily in our town.....an unacceptable indifference to the personal hardships and disadvantages that weigh us down. Do councillors appreciate the fact that we need the Salvation Army to operate the Food Bank? Has any town councillor given five minutes thought to the potential that the group may not be able to operate the facility forever.....and is there a plan "B". When one councillor recently was quoted as saying the downtown is such a vibrant place, it was clearly a case of delusion because it’s not the case. Maybe councillors need to actually walk up and down the mainstreet, that will soon be ripped up for re-construction, and count the vacancies in this vibrant zone. I apparently don’t understand what "vibrant" means, because in the case of some business folks downtown, it means having one foot on a banana skin. I can not tolerate elected officials being unaware of the intricacies of their own town. Do we have a poverty issue? How big is it? How many people are going through the food bank each week? Are you aware of the difficulty the Food Bank is having presently, to meet demand? If you are a councillor who knows that the answers to these questions are "large," "expanding," and "precarious," then for God’s sake drop the facade and the word "vibrant," and pull some of the other naysaying, or nothing-saying councillors onboard, for a truly revealing tour of stuff they should know inside and out.....and be bloody concerned that the illusion of progress is just that.......an illusion.
Gravenhurst citizens have few choices left. Either get involved in this year’s municipal election or live with many, many more tax increases in the near future. When you are afforded an opportunity this year to discuss issues with council hopefuls, don’t hold back asking questions about competence and leadership capabilities. Ask about what democracy means to them......and if they subscribe to the dynamic of democracy that allows us access to the government process. If they sputter and fart about, and don’t know what you’re getting at, don’t waste a vote on these folks. When you have a chance to address one of these "I’m going to save democracy" grip and grinners out on the election hustings, ask of them for a wee meeting of the minds..... to make a few inquiries about reasons they wish to be councillors / mayor; for civic good or "I just want to prove that I can be a winner!"
The wake up call in Gravenhurst is clear. There are many folks today in organized groups well aware of the shortfalls in responsible governance, of the past seven years...... which has been a highly controversial period in local history......and I am afterall an historian with no reason to lie about such a thing. Councillors have drawn a huge amount of attention to their decisions to allocate funds and borrow more. They have made claims about being fiscally responsible yet feel it is almost an invasion of privacy to be hounded by those who pay the taxes. My honest advice for any one interested in a council position for the coming four year term, post November, is to think about your own commitment to democracy. Think before you put your name on that ballot, about the balancing act you must perform to work responsibly for a more prosperous community.....and how to separate your personality and opinions, from the job you have been elected to perform.....which is to be open to constant education, committed to reason and debate, crowned by insightfulness and open-mindedness. Sometimes staunch opinions should be left home when the elected official goes to the council chambers.....unless it is one that unquestionably brings the right ingredient to the improvement of municipal governance. Far too much untutored, unhelpful, non-requested personal opinion enters the forum where it clearly doesn’t belong......good business and good management do belong.
I have found, in large part, many elected officials believe they are smart and accomplished enough, and that’s why they were elected. With the miserable turn-out of voters, they should be well advised that even as a popularity contest, well, it’s not much of an endorsement. Years of being abused and ignored by local government hasn’t done much to inspire the electorate to surge in enthusiasm. They truly believe the new crop will be the same as the old no matter what! It’s the trend all over in a population that feels democracy is the act of electing a dictator. Yet every now and again there is a rearing of civil disobedience that makes being an elected official quite precarious. Objectors do get involved and they do make demands. With an eight percent tax increase this year, in Gravenhurst, it’s reasonable to assume the old crew is on the way out. I can’t imagine lakeshore property owners relaxing on this issue, and I happened to be a reporter in the early 1980's, when several cottager associations, in our region, ran a slate of candidates for municipal elections...... to insist on representation for their concerns. I think it will be an issue again. And rightly so. There are many inequalities out there that will soon have to be addressed as taxes and property assessments continue to climb.
It’s not easy to be an elected official.....admittedly, you’ve got to be somewhat popular and convincing to get the votes. I don’t underestimate the stress that is placed on councillors, and the huge responsibility they face running the community infrastructure, budgeting and servicing us all. At the same time it is exactly what they signed up for......and while they might complain about the burdens they are expected to carry.......we offer not a single apology. Don’t run if you have a fragile constitution, or you feel above criticism. If on the other hand, you are the candidate who carries on with the same enthusiasm as demonstrated before the election, into your term, then you will appreciate that meeting adversaries and inviting counter-point, is the very reason hot water is applied to ice at the arena to make a good, fast drying surface. Being prepared for contrary opinion is just an aspect of enlightenment. Most adversaries of town council maintain their grudge because of longstanding indifference. Yet it might surprise councillors to know that adversaries can also be good friends of government, as hot water to ice, when approached as equals, not as pursuers and shit disturbers for the sake of argument.
I like this town. I don’t like the politics. I don’t like the indifference shown by some councillors to counter-point, just because it doesn’t mesh with their own mission statement or game plan. We need councillors who represent all of us at once, and respect that it is our home town as much as theirs, and we have every right to defend its prosperity and welfare regardless .......whether we are elected officials or just plain old folk who have a little common sense to reflect upon.
No councillor should feel too comfortable, too complacent about their role in democracy, if they believe constituents only have a say once every four years. It’s the first misconception of many that need to be stripped away in this new reality of fiscal reconsideration.
As for the new council term, the number one issue is the status of South Muskoka Memorial Hospital, and its reduction of services. As our councils in Gravenhurst, and Bracebridge, have been encouraging and facilitating retirement communities to expand residences, how irresponsible to be so quiet when cutbacks are being imposed.......to the very health care provision that inspired those senior resident developments in the first place. This is a clear example of stupidity at a zenith, and will necessitate ongoing municipal protest and action against the province.