To the editor,
I am writing to make a public plea for our council to reconsider how the committee chairs are appointed in North Bay. Possibly even the deputy mayor one day.
Most people campaigned on being open to change, and in my opinion, we should start at the inaugural meeting on Nov. 15. We should create an open environment for people to volunteer for roles and then allow council to vote and select the deputy mayor and the chairs for our three major committees.
The way we have done it for years is less than ideal and creates an outcome that nobody was voting for on election day.
When I vote for people to be on council, it is because I believe they could be a great part of the team. It doesn't mean I think they should run a major committee or be the deputy mayor. That isn't on the ballot. If we are not going to make voting for these key positions part of our democratic ballot system, we should rely on the democracy of council to vote on the most appropriate person for each job. The way things are today, the procedural bylaws and the "way we have always done it," outline the process for the appointment of the deputy mayor and the chairs.
Procedural bylaw 2019-80:
- 3.4 states "At the Inaugural Meeting, Council shall appoint, by By-Law, the Councillor who placed first in the Municipal Election as Deputy Mayor".
- 3.5 states "At the Inaugural Meeting, the Chair and Vice-Chair of the following Standing Committees shall be appointed: (i) General Government; (ii) Community Services; and (iii) Infrastructure and Operations."
It is a shame that the person who comes second in the mayoral race has no opportunity to be on council. Usually, the runner-up is a strong public figure whom the public supports. Someone who would be well suited as a deputy mayor or chair of a major committee. That kind of change would be complex and take years to consider because it would change both bylaws and the election process.
In the meantime, we have the opportunity to improve how we select the chairs because our bylaw allows for it right now. It only says they "shall be appointed." We could also open a discussion about changing the deputy mayor's automatic appointment. I wonder if things would have been different in 2014 or 2018 if those roles were filled by an open council vote.
We have been told many times publicly that it is the custom for the top three councillors to be given the choice, in order of votes, to chair each of these three committees. Personally, I think that this creates a political situation that is hard on popular newcomers and does not serve our community as best as possible. No person, when recently elected, wants to publicly state, "I don't think that I should chair a major committee." That could appear as a weakness or a lack of confidence, which pressures people to take roles they may have never even wanted. There are many examples over the past decade of new council members in North Bay that are driven away in the end. Putting them in the spotlight on day one to take a leadership role is the first step in the wrong direction.
It seems that after every election there is a big discussion and immediate focus on the chairs of committees. Post-election 2022 has been focused on this hot topic, as the top three have no previous council experience. There was already public discussion and speculation about some of the new people being 'bullied' to back out of the chairs, which creates even more pressure for them to take them. I personally voted for two of those three people, but I did not vote for any of them to chair a major committee. Neither did anyone else. However, if the majority of our elected council believes that these people deserve these roles, then I trust their judgment. That is what democracy is about.
I suggest instead that councillors should volunteer to chair major committees at the inaugural meeting, outlining to the group why they would be the best person for the role. Then, the council can vote to select the best person for general government, community services, and infrastructure and operations. We only need to "change the way we usually do it," which is exactly what all these new people were arguing for when they asked for our votes. I think that everyone, regardless of their political viewpoint, could support this voting process as a fair and democratic solution to select chairs. Personally, I would be happy to see this done for the deputy mayor as well.
"It is time for a change," is the slogan of almost every new politician. I agree. Start on day one by minimizing the first distraction that has come up in the public eye. Just vote on it instead.
Ryan Grant
