I try to stay away from politics. I have my views, they're not something I like to share. Politics are a volatile subject and there is a LOT of passion surrounding peoples' views. I am not spouting my political views. I am simply giving a little bit of insight from a family who has recently been involved in municipal politics.
In one weeks' time our quaint little town, and all other cities, towns, hamlets and villages in Alberta will vote in their municipal elections. One week from today determines how your community is run for the next four years.
My husband has been fortunate to be involved as a town councilor for the Town of Devon for the past four years, and we as a family, decided he would run for another term.
This decision did not come lightly. The past four years have been very, very challenging. Not only for my husband to be a part of the team that makes many of Devons' decisions, but also for our family. He is away for this job. He is away at times that are inopportune and inconvenient and frustrating. It is disheartening for people to be seeking this position, with no knowledge as to how much this will affect their families' lives.
I was not much in favor of the decision to run again. In my, obviously biased opinion, he and this group of individuals has done an outstanding job in their term. They were all relatively new to their positions and they grew and worked well, together. One persons weakness was anothers' strength. My husband worked tirelessly in this position. He received the meeting agenda and would spend hours preparing, researching, balancing numbers. He took this job very seriously and was always able to put his own personal interests aside, to make the best decisions for our town.
The hours he would spend preparing for a meeting, would end on a Monday evening, twice a month, sometimes as early as 5:30. So, I've mentioned that he's already spent many hours, even before the meetings, preparing? Hours. Not spend with his family. Hours. Where his mind was not with us, but was concerned with an e-mail he received from a resident about a pertinent issue. Hours. Time that he took, himself, to be the best councilor he could be. For our town.
My husband has a thick skin. He's able to hear criticism, and immediately be looking for a solution. A rational way to appease everyone. He knows that not everyone likes him. He knows there are some who are exceptionally critical. He has respect for these opinions, even. As his wife, the one who has seen the countless hours put into the job, who has been the sole caregiver during all those hours away, this hurts my heart. To be a municipal representative in these modern times is more difficult than ever before. Anyone, anywhere can reach out, from behind the brightness of their screen, and type whatever disgusting thing they want. Sometimes, the social media remarks are positive. Far, far too often, they are nothing more than bullying.
I support those who are stepping up and throwing their hats into the ring. It's fairly difficult to be a top critic of a current council, and not have your stakes put in. It shows passion, and a willingness to try to make things better. What I worry about, however, is that there are individuals who have not done their research. They have never attended a council meeting in chamber. They may never even have been a volunteer. Perhaps they know what toll this will take on their family, but perhaps not. Maybe they know they are mentally tough and can handle the constant criticism. But maybe not. There will be times when you will carry the stress of your own life, as well as the stress of a towns future. This is big. This means a lot, to us, the voters, that you are able to carry, and manage all of these stresses, with grace and poise. You will no longer have social media as an outlet, as you are a representative of this town. I worry that there are people who are simply unaware of the weight of the positions they're running for.
I'm writing this as a bystander. A close one, but a bystander, nonetheless. I am not mentally tough. I'm soft, and susceptible to criticism. I like my alone time. I do not like to dress up. (Another requirement - suits are a must. Have you considered that in your families' budget?) Running for council isn't even on my radar. My hope is that my husband holds a seat on the next term of council. It is what he wants, and I think he was damn good at it. Truth be told, though? If he doesn't get in? Every second Monday night, I will be glad he's home, and not stressing over the decisions for the town, only to be social media fodder the following day.
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