Thinking of running for council 2016?

The next Halifax Regional Council Municipal election will take place on Oct. 15, 2016. I will not be reoffering for the District 8 Halifax Peninsula North councillor position. I am very interested in supporting others who are considering running for council, whether it is in District 8 or other districts.

Here are some considerations, activities and thoughts that may be useful when trying to decide if you would like to run for Municipal Council (in no particular order):

1. Attend Regional Council meetings. It is useful to watch council debate live streamed or on TV, but it is a different experience to be present in the chambers during the debate. On the Friday before a Tuesday council meeting, read all the documents (depending on the agenda this could take a significant part of your weekend), write down the questions you would ask and how you would vote on each item. Stay for the whole meeting, listen to the debate, consider changing your mind on how you thought you would vote, and then think of what you would say to the media if they were to interview you on your decision.

2. Attend Community Council meetings. Some of the toughest decisions are made at community councils. Again, go through the agenda and read all the material, attend the meetings (these are all held in evenings), and consider speaking during the community participation time at the end of each community council meeting.

3. Follow the agendas of Standing Committees and attend if you can. Council has six Standing Committees that are the first step in policy decision-making. This is a good way to monitor how policy is being developed.

4. Know your district. Don’t assume that your experience of your community represents the whole community. The districts are large, diverse and changing. Attend a broad range of community events in your district. Step outside your regular circle of friends and acquaintances and meet new neighbours. Find out what their interests and concerns are of their neighbourhoods and the municipality.

5. Read the Regional Plan. The first regional plan for HRM was completed in 2006. It was revised in 2014. This is the main planning document for our municipality — our policy decisions should be guided by this plan. Do you support the plan? What would you change or strengthen? How would the plan influence your decision making as a councillor?

6. Read Administrative Order 1. This is the parliamentary framework for how council makes decisions. Even after seven years, I still learn new things about this process — so you don’t have to know it all, but it is important to be familiar with it and feel comfortable working within this framework. A vote has been won or lost on how a motion was crafted or presented, so understanding the process of how decisions get made can be just as important as what the motion says.

7. Follow the current budget debate. There are several different ways to participate in the budget process. Go to the on-line Halifax Budget Allocator and help shape the budget for 2016-17. There will be several ‘Committee of the Whole’ meetings between November and March to review the budget plan for each department — read the documentation and think of how you would allocate funds. All the best policy in the world means nothing if it is not backed up in the decisions made during the budget process – does the budget reflect the vision and direction you believe are important for HRM?

8. Review the breadth of areas that Regional Council makes decisions on. Which ones do you feel less comfortable with or knowledgeable about – what would be your strategy to deal with these areas? Which areas do you think you have strengths in? What areas are of most interest to your district?

9. Test your comfort level of making decisions in public. There are no abstentions. For every decision you need to vote either ‘yes’ or ‘no,’ and all votes at Regional Council are recorded and publicly available. Talk to others on the positions you would take, in order to get feedback on where you stand on these issues – how do you respond to positive and negative comments?

10. Final advice — don’t be daunted by what may seem like an overwhelming workload but also be realistic. This is more than a full-time responsibility. Everyone learns as they go, but you need to be prepared to learn a lot and that takes time and an openness to listen to others. Running for public office is a right but it is also a responsibility. And running for public office is a public service in and of itself.