City Council Agenda and Packet 2024 01 22 - SP

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Sometimes, an elected official's personality and proclivities seem to be just plain incompatible with holding elected office! Politics, at the governing body level, has to be a team sport: decision -making requires collaboration and consensus. One member's "agenda" can become the "agenda" of the body only by successful team play. A "lone wolf" who lacks the capacity or desire to be a team member is not going to be successful on the body. Add a few more "lone wolfs;' and frustration and paralysis may result. Governance is also about leadership. If the voters put someone in office who is afraid to take a stand, is perennially "on the fence;' or is strictly a follower, leadership qualities may be lacking. A majority of non -leaders can create a perception of a "rubber stamp" governing body, resulting in extreme frustration for those members who are willing to stick their necks out. Preconceived personal agenda. There are many good reasons why citizens run for public office. However, the workings of municipal government are not always clear until well after you're seated. So the agenda that a candidate ran on may collide with reality, and turn out not to be a workable agenda after all. Under those circumstances, clinging to the preconceived agenda is only going to sow the seeds of discord. If you have several members, each bent on pursuing only his or her own particular agenda, a fractured body can result. I once spoke with a newly elected councilmember who said his one campaign promise was to ensure that water and sewer rates were lowered. But when he took office, he began to understand the economic realities of operating the town's water and sewer system, and he saw that demanding the lowering of rates was unrealistic and fiscally irresponsible. He said he had some explaining to do to the citizens, but he wasn't going to cling to his agenda given the realities he now understood. That's a smart elected official. Impacts The impacts of severe dysfunction and discord are manifold. They include: • Lack of productivity. The body's agenda may hit a standstill. Or getting through it might be slow and painful. Even if decisions are made, they may not necessarily be the best decisions. • Power transfer to tie -breaker. If you're constantly split down the middle, then you may be transferring all decision -making power to the tie -breaker (often the Mayor). Is that desirable? • Financial consequences. If you've developed a public reputation as a dysfunctional body, then your community may be missing out on economic opportunities. Businesses want a predictable environment. Volatility may be driving them away. • Public embarrassment and loss of public confidence. If you're airing your discord for the camera, your viewership may be up, but public confidence will be down! Residents want to be confident that their elected leaders function at a high level and in their best interests. • Driving away the best and brightest. I've heard people say they were reluctant to run for office because they witnessed the discord and didn't want to be a part 13