Comment
What’s at stake
It is the last week for good people to raise their hands if they wish to see change at Shire Hall. At 2 p.m. Friday, the window to nominate a candidate for County council will close. As of Tuesday, the incumbents in five of nine wards were set to be acclaimed— elected without facing an opposing candidate. (In Picton, two incumbents and a new entrant are vying for two seats around the council table.)
Things can, and likely will, change before the deadline. It is a quirk of County politics that such decisions are often left to the last minute. But as things stand, it is difficult to see how change emerges from complacency.
Some incumbents may argue that an uncontested race signals public contentment— that residents are satisfied with their representation, the direction of Shire Hall, and the quality and delivery of services across Prince Edward County.
The sad truth, however, is that Shire Hall has moved too far away from their lives. Over a few decades, local government has become more akin to provincial or federal administrations. Distant, unreachable and unresponsive. Taxes rise. We pay them and move on.
Many have stopped believing that they can impact local decision-making. They don’t believe that their individual concerns or those of their community resonate at Shire Hall. Some have lost faith in local government’s ability to improve their lives, viewing it less as a positive force and more as an unhelpful obstacle.
It wasn’t supposed to be this way. Nor can the drift continue. Outside interests already exert too much influence over the workings of local government.
Municipal government was meant to be close to the people it represented—on the ground. It was your neighbours. Visible. Accessible. Accountable.
It is harder to see that now. Decisions are made according to provincial rulebooks rather than the needs and aspirations of the communities affected. The powerful understand this. They know how to work the rules. And they make them work for their bottom line.
It doesn’t have to be this way. It is not too late for good people to step up and take the reins.
But there is something else that needs to be said: Please, don’t raise your hand if you are looking for a job. The business of governing an organization with a $100 million operating budget requires a rigorous set of skills and experience. It requires stamina, communication skills and the ability to process information quickly. It means working with others to reach a consensus.
There is no easing into the role. As soon as December, you will be asked to evaluate millions of dollars in spending—operating budgets and capital projects for roads, bridges, waterworks and agencies you may not have heard of. You will be setting property taxes and water rates. You will assess asset management plans, debt policies, and waterworks strategies.
All the while, you will be fending off the advances of developers who insist that you serve them rather than your constituents.
sn’t a job. It is a solemn responsibility— one that demands life experience and, ideally, the professional background needed to hit the ground running from day one.
There are many such folks in our community. Folks who have built businesses, managed firms, operated complex organizations. County council needs these skills. Folks who can read a balance sheet—and spot the red flags. It needs this now more than ever.
A thorough rework of the local municipality is overdue. The governing council must shrink—become more nimble and better qualified to make the weighty decisions it takes. At the same time, our communities need better, more direct representation in the decision-making.
A stronger, more agile council must learn to delegate authority outward—closer to where folks live. The County is guided by advisory committees for traffic, heritage and accessibility—why not similar representation for the issues in Wellington, Consecon, Milford or Rossmore?
A muscular new council must do things that past councils failed to do. It should put serious guardrails on spending. It should encourage investment without betraying the County’s traditions, experience and values. (And certainly not by paying developers’ way.)
It should nurture the local economy. Ours is fraying on the edges. It needs attention.
The next council must sell buildings and land it can’t afford to maintain.
To do any of it requires good people to step up this week. It needs talented, experienced folks to commit to the job of reshaping a municipality that has been buffeted by outside forces for a decade. They need to be ready on day one.
Comments (0)