While canvassing, I often get asked about what a councillor actually does.  Anyone can make general statements (they run the municipal government, they represent their constituents).  Let me give specifics that separate good councillors from bad ones.  It’s important to look at your council candidates and their past behaviour to determine what type of councillor they’ll make.

Councillors solve problems for constituents.  Good councillors take a planned and systematic approach to decision-making, often anticipating problems and solving them before they arise.  Average councillors wait for their constituents to raise issues and they tackle them one-by-one.

Councillors also serve as a source of information for their constituents and help residents navigate the mess we call bureaucracy.  To enable that, good councillors write blogs and send newsletters to keep people informed.  They also act as a liaison between municipal staff, bylaws and policies, and people they serve.  Average councillors only research questions when they come up.  Poor councillors do not stay connected with staff and do not participate in subcommittees, and are always poorly informed themselves. 

Effective councillors put right policies in place that allow staff to solve problems themselves.  Though it’s fun to hear council argue about stop signs and debate sidewalk (both happens, sadly), it’s not an effective use of their time.  Their time should be spent debating issues that non-elected staff cannot, or should not, handle. 

Councillors do not just represent, they also lead.  That’s what distinguishes an average councillor (a representative) from a good one (a leader).

Voters should look at candidates and analyze their past involvement.  Are they already leaders?  Do they regularly volunteer in the community?  Do they already represent their neighbours in subcommittees?  Do they attend council and committee meetings?  Do they attend public meetings? 

Regular readers of my blog may not be surprised to learn that I have decided to enter the race for the Local council for Ward 8.

I am not going to make vague and ambiguous promises. I am not promising to change the world, bring about world peace, end world hunger or to teach every bad driver how to drive. However, I do unconditionally promise to be accessible, transparent and representative (full commitment).

A councillor is supposed to listen to his or her constituents and represent their interests in the Council. Those who know me know that I can do that very well.

I want to improve the quality of our lives, and those of our children. You can get highlights on my campaign page (or drill in deeper to get a whole lot of details).

If you support me then perhaps you’ll consider fanning me on facebook to show support. You may also consider making a little campaign donation.  Every bit helps.

[ps: I have disabled comments on this post. Please leave a comment on my campaign page instead.  Thanks so much]