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- Thread starter Airboy
- Start date
David A
Senior Member
This is a good sign, if the listening is sincere and doesn't end after the campaign. I feel probably the biggest beef about the current council is how rigid they often were and not responsive to public feedback.
It seems to be an overall group problem, however some councilors were better than others.
It seems to be an overall group problem, however some councilors were better than others.
policyenthusiast
Senior Member
I doubt this will change in any electoral outcome - the shortcomings in public consultation are largely from administration, not Council.
David A
Senior Member
Nope, I call bs on this. The tone is always set at the top, the current Council is far to deferential to the administration when it wants to dismiss or ignore public input.
If administration was called out or its fingers slapped a few times they would learn to change their approach.
policyenthusiast
Senior Member
I think that anyone who speaks to Admin semi-regularly can tell that the problem is much larger than the current Council. There are some very involved, brilliant folks on their team but as a whole, the City is fundamentally lacking in it's receptiveness to public feedback - not just the current mayor and councillors. Not saying Council is doing their part on fixing this by any means, but it's going to take larger-scale reform than just an election cycle.
It could be that so many City employees are now "remote workers", but no real point to speculating since we're going to find out after the election.
kcantor
Senior Member
I'm not sure the problem when it comes to public consultation and/or dismissing it is administration or council.
From my perspective there is simply so much public consultation (which is really more often presentation by administration than actual consultation) that everyone involved including administration and council and the public is simply inundated with more and more of the same old, same old.
Every phase of every project receives public consultation as if those concerned with each phase or similarly if those concerned with each and every project in each and every neighbourhood somehow have different concerns and priorities.
We used to jokingly call it the "cat bylaw syndrome" - spending so much time on relatively minor issues that don't warrant the air-time that there's insufficient time to devote to those things that need and warrant it.
David A
Senior Member
It seems the current council forgot it was the boss of the administration and not the other way around. The voters, who are the boss of council, may need to remind them.
In the end it will not go well for those who try to sabotage public input for whatever their agenda is.
In the end it will not go well for those who try to sabotage public input for whatever their agenda is.
kcantor
Senior Member
I don't think anyone purposefully sets out to sabotage public input (although I suspect some of trying to manage it to align with their agenda).
Unfortunately, I think the problem with any new councillor is that most of them get elected assuming that they can trust administration completely and it takes most of their first term to realize that administration (and certainly some more than others) has their own agenda and that their agendas and reporting and responses are not necessarily independent or impartial.
David A
Senior Member
I would agree in so far that some of the new councilors seemed to be either naive or slow learners. A number of them had little or no experience in business or in running a larger organization so that may be part of the reason.
I have watched councils in the past and yes there does seem to some time, around a year or two, for new people to get up to speed. However, in so far as I can tell, this group hasn't really yet.
Bureaucracy can excel at being unable to distinguish the trivial from the important and by proposing overly complex or cumbersome solutions, so this is also why Council has to show more leadership and clearer direction.
TAS
Senior Member
Care to share what councillors you felt were "naive or slow learners"? Or if it's a shorter list, those councillors you don't think fall into that category?
trevorhayden
Active Member
"being receptive to public feedback" is very subjective. One person might have 1 preference, but their neighbour might have a different preference. You can't satisfy both.
TAS
Senior Member
Well said opinion piece:
How can we elect people with the capacity and character fo lead with civility?
"It looks like people who can listen without mocking or attacking. Leaders who can answer hard questions without rage or evasion. People who value facts and experience over slogans or mob pressure. Those who admit mistakes, take responsibility, and stay focused on solving real problems, not scoring points or building personal brands.
That kind of leadership doesn’t just restore trust; it attracts it."
edmontonjournal.com
Unfortunately, civility among the general public seems too often to be lacking.
How can we elect people with the capacity and character fo lead with civility?
"It looks like people who can listen without mocking or attacking. Leaders who can answer hard questions without rage or evasion. People who value facts and experience over slogans or mob pressure. Those who admit mistakes, take responsibility, and stay focused on solving real problems, not scoring points or building personal brands.
That kind of leadership doesn’t just restore trust; it attracts it."
Opinion: Choose civility when electing your next city council
Citizens hold a powerful tool: the ability to choose civility at the ballot box.
edmontonjournal.com
Unfortunately, civility among the general public seems too often to be lacking.
trevorhayden
Active Member
Edmonton already has 2 organizations devoted to economic development.
policyenthusiast
Senior Member
We have way more than 2.
YEG Bus Rider
Active Member
Council is City Manager's boss and employer. City Manager is City Administration's boss.
Deputy City Manager, City Operations