Congratulations on your Election to Municipal Council! So, Now What?
Running for elected office is a grueling and difficult task, one made worse by the pandemic. Whether or not you were successful in your election campaign, your efforts are to be applauded. Our elected leaders take a lot of criticism and are under intense scrutiny, but our society only functions because people are willing to put their name forward to better their community. Our thanks go out to all that ran in this past municipal election.
That being said, for those that are newly elected: there is a lot to learn, a lot to read, and not a lot of time to do it. Budget discussions are happening immediately, code of conducts have to be signed, and municipal education courses must be taken. We thought we would put a list of things to remember for some of the “rookies” new to municipal politics.
1. Teamwork
Most elected leaders ran on a platform. Typically wanting to change or accomplish something in their community. It’s important to remember that Council is a team, and each member only has one vote. You need to build consensus and work together to get things done. Build relationships with your fellow Councillors and it will be much easier to get those votes you need to accomplish what you hope to. The better a Council works together, the more can be done to advance the interests of your municipality. That being said, you also need to work with Administration.
2. Role of Administration
You will learn more about this in the Munis 101 course; however, it is a pretty critical distinction. The role of Council is different from the role of Administration, and it is important to focus on your role of Councillor. Think of it as your job to provide strategy and administration’s job to figure out how to implement it. You (along with the rest of Council) are steering the ship but it’s administration that is feeding the engines, scrubbing the decks, and ensuring the ship is running in top shape. The municipal staff are pros and you should listen to their advice, but ultimately you need to make the decisions. Once the decision is made, let them do their job and carry out the task.
3. Code of Conduct
While the Municipal Government Act has a lot to say on what a municipal councillor can and can’t do, it also requires your municipality to have a code of conduct in place that each elected official must sign on to. It’s important to pay attention to the content of what you are signing as there have been instances in the past where a councillor has been offside and has led to some interesting inter-council situations.
Also pay attention to any conflicts of interest. We have seen in the past that where a conflict exists for a Councillor that doesn’t disclose, or outright ignores the conflict, result in a difficult situation for the individual and Council as a whole. Conflicts of interest can be a very serious problem if ignored.
4. How to Handle the Media
It can be exciting to be elected and all of a sudden you are thrust into the local spotlight. Whether that is traditional media, social media, or even just at the local coffee shop, everyone wants to talk to you about municipal issues. It is important to remember that as a member of council you have to be careful about what you say. Typically, there is only one voice that can “speak for council” and that is usually the Mayor or the Reeve and you need to be careful that you don’t speak out of turn.
It would also be useful for Council to seek some sort of media training (Alberta Counsel can help!) as this is definitely a learned skill and can be hard to get your message across effectively.
You also need to pay attention to your social media as you are no longer a private citizen with the ability to post whatever you want. You are now a representative of Council and your municipality as a whole and need to ensure that your posting is reflective of that.
5. Personal Branding
Speaking of social media, you also may want to cultivate your personal brand (Alberta Counsel has a webinar coming up on this, too!) and social media is a great way to do this. Many use platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram to provide their constituents insight into their role as an elected official. This can be useful in distributing information to constituents, soliciting feedback, or just to connect with residents.
Your personal brand is different from Council positions and can be used to show who you are as an individual. Just make sure you stay onside of your Council Code of Conduct.
Ultimately, leading your community as a member of Council can be incredibly rewarding. Thank you again for your willingness to serve and the best of luck in the next four years. We look forward to seeing you at your association’s annual general meeting in November. Come see us at our hospitality suite!
