No Fat Cats Here Despite Raise

Every time I've seen Parliament, Queen's Park or a big city council vote members a fat raise, I have denounced the inequity of it. So, I was mindful of the whiff of self-hypocrisy when I recently voted with the majority to give Mississippi Mills councillors a modest raise. The justification for voting for the raise among councillors varied. (Some residents may think there is no adequate justification.)

Mississippi Mills in 2012

We are now at the start of the second full year of the current Council. I believe I have shed most of my downy rookie fuzz to reveal a councillor better equipped to work in the "house of eleven hard-to-herd cats," a.k.a. town hall.

Here is my list of the challenges, issues and opportunities ahead.

Judge the Results, Not the Process

Last week I had three conversations (complaints, really) about the sometimes clumsy, often pedantic, frequently laborious, and occasionally mind-numbing decision-making process of Mississippi Mills Council. In each case, I asked that people not judge us during "the construction phase" of policy, but on the final result.

Planning Lessons from Afar

On November 13 and 14, Amelia and I toured western Ontario. Two towns we visited provided examples of how we can do better in Mississippi Mills.