With municipal elections around the corner, the conversations, rumours and jockeying for attention has begun.
Most people, regardless of their political views, admit that they could never handle being in politics. It is true you need thick skin, diplomacy and often patience when dealing with public opinions, needs and desires. Local politics, be it on council, school board or regional district, has the greatest opportunity to improve our daily lives and immediate surroundings.
Related: Interested in running in the municipal election?
Despite having the greatest potential for impact, local government generally receives the lowest voter turnout compared to provincial or federal elections. I believe we are starting to see a shift to more positivity and optimism amongst our community which allows us to build our community pride. There are still problems and concerns that warrant discussion, but more people are starting to offer solutions instead of just complaints.
What a novel concept to offer ideas or suggestions to improve a situation. Sometimes the ideas can be extreme, such as at a recent policing forum were we had suggestions to bus problem people out of town, or three-time offenders should be shot. Canada does offer many rights to its citizens and, ironically, one of the examples above came from a veteran who actually fought to uphold our freedom. Our problems are generally not unique to just Penticton, but we only see what is in front of us or disrupting our daily routine.
Over the next few months we will hear ideas about what Penticton should become, foster or explore. It is easy to have an idea; the difficult part is implementing a plan to achieve the desired outcome. In politics, many good ideas get lost in bureaucracy and simply don’t have the political will to gain critical mass. One of the best things we started doing at the City is utilizing shapeyourcitypenticton.ca to engage the community. We have just under 3,000 registered contributors that comment on their experiences, ideas or concerns on city matters. Instead of just a segment of the population, we hear from a broad cross-section which helps to shape the voice of how the residents feel.
We still have a long way to go as most people like to keep to themselves and find it difficult to carve out some time to participate in surveys or provide feedback. We make assumptions that other like-minded people will speak up on our behalf. We give credence and our ear to our neighbour Bob’s opinion as gospel regarding civic matters. Even if Bob has never built a road or building or created a service, we somehow consider Bob as an expert. In a world where news, opinions and emotions overload our attention span, it can be difficult to gather the facts.
We shouldn’t have to wait until an election cycle to hear new ideas or get motivated to explore new concepts. Community groups and champions have had tremendous opportunities to participate in informing our Official Community Plan, parks and recreation, Memorial Arena and moving towards being a smart city (healthy community).
This municipal election you have a chance to make a difference yourself and do your part to help make Penticton a better place. If you have a passion and desire to see this community move forward, then consider running for office. If you don’t feel you could handle the spotlight, scrutiny or pressure, then get involved in a community group or consider championing a cause, issue, or vision. And of course, be sure to exercise your right to choose by casting your vote.
Andrew Jakubeit is the Mayor of Penticton and provides the Western Newswith a column twice a month. Contact him via email Andrew.Jakubeit@penticton.ca. Follow him on Twitter @AndrewJakubeit