Bill Dalton

Well – week one of my “city councillor” career, and how has it been?

I’ve got to tell you, I thought, this is a breeze. In fact very little happened at all. A few emails came in – a few tentative meeting dates – it was all pretty cruisy. And then yesterday.

The first meeting with the boss – Mayor Barbara Arnott and, riding shotgun for her, her loyal CEO Neil Taylor.

And if those two set out to confuse, frighten and intimidate the three new councillors – then they can feel well satisfied. It would be all to easy for a new councilor, having had a meeting with these two power brokers, to feel that the whole system of local body governance was beyond them.

Standing orders – committees – sub-committees – members code of conduct – conflicts of interest – compliance – register of interests – seminars – training – professional development – respective responsibilities – the list of topics was mind boggling.

All I want to do is serve the city in a governance role and know where the cafeteria is for a coffee and bun afterwards.

Frankly I felt like a kid straight out of school – having his first interview with the boss. And I suppose that is exactly what it was.

But what it did do was prove to me, what a complex undertaking the governance of a local body is. And in these days of political correctness and not upsetting the morning tea monitor, I am going to have to watch my P’s and Q’s.

As I walked back to my office – yes, some of us still work for a living – I thought about this large step into the unknown I have taken. And I thought about those very successful councillors who have gone before me, and those who I am going to be working with for the next three years. They are all good people with our city at heart – but surely they can’t be more clever than me – they have all survived this baptism into fire I am experiencing – and they have all become good contributors to society.

And I can do that too – I am just not used to toeing the line – maybe the other councillors will have get used to my free thinking.

Anyway I still see the whole undertaking as a challenge – a challenge that will allow me to serve my community. And whatever happens – I will have my say and enjoy doing so!

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