Lack of Candidates Running for Council - Bad News

25 Jun 2010

To the legions of people screaming for change, you are going to have to turn up the volume if you want to see any significant changes to this next City Council. With nine out of fourteen wards having two or fewer candidates vying for office, we are almost assured of having a very similar look on Council next year with too little change to its makeup and structure. In fact, as of this writing, four of those wards will go totally uncontested unless more people step up to the plate in the few days remaining for eligibility.

We have all heard the standard rhetoric around why people choose not to run including; "I don't have time", "It's a thankless job" and "It doesn't pay enough". But frankly, if more candidates don't declare their intent and soon, none of these excuses will matter much, we will have a Council that could quite accurately be called, Council by default. Not exactly what anybody had in mind when this city was contemplating the adoption of its new governance model.

That said, I have often been asked by the curious - what exactly are the skills and experiences one needs to run for office and I wish that I had an exact, scientific response for them. Problem is it doesn't exist. There are however, some conventional thoughts that bear repeating. First, diverse groups (including the business perspective) tend to make better informed decisions, so it is important that council not only represents the community they serve, but also have a wide range of skills and experience.

Knowledge and experience gained through one's personal and professional life are important and helpful, but today's Council member will need a bit more than that.

I suspect that if the Chamber could clone the best possible candidates to represent the business perspectives in our community we would very likely put together a qualification list something like this:

Be a Strategic Thinker

A modern, effective Council should be populated with people who know how to think strategically, who get the bigger picture and can focus on the really important issues facing our community not what colour to paint the washrooms at the lawn bowling facility. The City has a talented and competent staff - let them do what they do best while you focus on strategic objectives, visions and goals.

Think Bottom Line

Yes, we know the City isn't a business, but it does try to operate like one and with an $800 million annual budget it simply has to run like a business in all aspects. At the very least, candidates should have a working knowledge of how to read a profit and loss statement, a balance sheet, a budget and a cash flow forecast as well as the reporting mechanisms associated with all of them. And all of the above should be performed with the inescapable truth that all of the money that you are dealing with, does not belong to you.

Be a Good Communicator

Skills here should include good listening and interpersonal skills, public speaking skills, the ability to articulate a thought and being able to accept alternative points of view as well as the ability to negotiate, mediate and resolve conflict.

Be a Problem Solver and Think Analytically

This includes being able to get to the bottom of an issue and to think of different ways to resolve it, including advantages and disadvantages of each - always with the best interest of the taxpayer at the top of your agenda.

Be a Team Player

This includes being able to work with others in meetings and on committees and being able to complete any tasks on time that you agree to do. Grandstanding works well at the county fair, not so well in council chambers.

Have Good Organizational Skills

These include being able to plan and manage your time, keep appointments and meet deadlines. The workload of a councilor is not getting any lighter or less important.

Engage with Your local Community

You'll need to make yourself available through meetings, the media (including social media), the internet, public forums, on the phone and of course, face to face.

Know the Law

Much of what you are charged to do will have some legal ramifications so it's important that you have some working knowledge or experience with legal matters. When in doubt, refer to the City's legal team, but knowledge in this area will help to execute decisions much more quickly and efficiently and keep the City out of the courts.

Use your Business Knowledge to Better London

If you have accumulated knowledge and expertise gained from a corporate or business setting past or present, why not put that experience to good use by contributing to the growth and progress of the community where you earned that experience.

Not to lay a guilt trip on anybody, but if we as a community don't do more to show the kind of leadership we say we want and are capable of, then collectively we'll need to sign an affidavit that prohibits us from ever complaining about the Council that we'll have come December of this year.

← Return to news & media