February 2010 Council Message: A few thoughts about being on City Council
This month’s message by Ken Suer, Vice-Mayor
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“What is it like to be on Council?” “What do you have to do?” A person asked me about this over the holidays. Here are some things I mentioned in providing an answer:
There are a lot of meetings. We have two regular meetings of Council each month. Each Member of Council is the Chair of a Council committee plus we serve on two others. Also, Council members serve as liaisons to our volunteer Boards and Commissions. Some of us attend meetings of outside organizations like the Ohio Municipal League, First Suburbs consortium, OKI, etc.. We all attend various City events throughout the year. I looked back at my calendar for 2009 and counted 162 meetings and/or events I attended as a Councilmember during the year. This number is typical for all of us.
Being on Council is a team sport. We sink or swim depending on how well the team functions. We avoid public feuding and fighting. Working out differences via civil discourse is vital. At the end of the day we all have to be willing to support a team decision. This is the key to getting things done.
Being on Council is a privilege. The other Council members and I know we have a responsibility to serve the City well by showing up consistently, being on time, being prepared, being professional, listening to people, understanding people and being engaged. The job requires more than just occupying a chair.
Having a thick skin and being patient are important. Being criticized goes with the territory. Making everyone happy is often impractical or impossible, and there are a lot of “armchair quarterbacks” out there.
An advantage to being on Council in Montgomery is getting highly professional
support and expertise from the City Manager and the outstanding staff she has assembled. This is not the case in many cities, and the performance of other Councils suffers accordingly.
In a typical year we pass sixty or more ordinances and resolutions that are needed to govern the City. We set the direction for City policy. We provide the City Manager and staff what they need to keep Montgomery running day to day. If Montgomery were a company, Council would be pretty similar to a Board of Directors.
Being on Council provides a person with an on-going education on a wide variety of topics. I find it interesting that we could be talking about paving roads, buying a fire truck, H1N1 flu shots, the leadership academy, zoning issues, historic landmarks, swimming pool membership and chickens — all in the same Council meeting.
Reaching correct decisions can at times be a strenuous process. There are usually several sides to controversial issues — most of them with valid points. In many cases only the passage of time will confirm whether a particular decision was indeed the best outcome for the City.
Being on Council is not a hobby — it’s a job and business is conducted 52 weeks per year. So, why am I and others on Council? It is not a matter of fame and fortune. It’s not because there are amazing perks. It’s not because we have nothing else to do. Instead, I think we do it because we really like this town and really want to see it succeed. That is what it is all about. Really!
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