By Tim Duhamel, President, Bloom Centre for Municipal Education

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THE MUNICIPAL COMMUNITY MAKES A DIFFERENCE

For my entire career, I have worked with municipalities and feel blessed to have done so. Municipal Government is an amazing business that provides a real opportunity to make a difference in people's lives. When we consider the sometimes overused saying “we are changing the world” it is important to consider that though the world feels like a big place, the reality is a person's world is no larger than the community they live in. 

We work in a dynamic and transformational field, but I fear that we are losing sight of our potential with the ugly evolution of behaviours that we classify as dysfunctional. I'm often asked by those with less time in the municipal game, “Has it always been this way?” The answer is no. Social media, polarizing politics, and a lowering bar for what is considered respectful behaviour all contribute to what we now call municipal dysfunction. I firmly believe that with all the challenges we face in an ever-changing and complex municipal world, we need great leaders. Great leaders and functional democracies are the wall that protects us and our communities from the damage that a dysfunctional minority creates. And when I say minority, I believe the majority of the dysfunctional problems often come from a minority comprised of problematic individuals. Unfortunately, one bad egg can ruin an entire council for an entire term.

THE DAMAGE OF MISTRUTH

One area of dysfunction that can be extremely damaging is the lack of rigor and importance that a misguided minority of elected officials place on the truth. All too often I have seen the municipal community get caught up in cycles of gossip and untrue rumours. An example that hits home and is unfortunately all too common is the practice of criticizing a CAO after they have ended their term at a municipality. I, personally, have been a shoulder to lean on for CAOs who feel their opportunity for future employment has been damaged by unfair criticism or untrue comments made by misguided elected officials and staff.

Unfortunately, I've seen many elected officials, CAOs, municipal staff, and even residents unfairly hurt by hearsay, slander, and gossip. How often have you attended a municipal event and heard the whispers of a rumour? It’s always tempting to lean into the rumour mill to learn more. Who did what? To whom?

When making damaging comments or repeating comments you have heard, it’s important to consider what is interesting to us can destroy someone else’s world. The culture of gossip can impede our colleagues’ reputation and wellbeing, ultimately inhibiting their ability to work or find work. And this is exponentially compounded if the statements are untrue.

IF YOU CAN'T KILL THE MESSAGE, KILL THE MESSENGER

Politics is a difficult game, and, occasionally, it can get tough and dirty. Trusted advisors have a tough job. Sometimes they have to provide advice or facts on an issue that elected officials don't want to hear. It is common to see the practice of criticizing and attacking the messenger in an attempt to discredit them and muddy the water for political gain. Additionally, elected officials are often personally attacked when choosing a political position that is not popular with other elected officials. What is most concerning is the willingness of a dysfunctional minority to consciously use mistruths, gossip, and slander as a political weapon.

This gets compounded when the unfair or fabricated criticisms do not allow for “truth checking," as the statements are often made when the staff, targeted trusted advisor, or elected official is not present to defend themselves.

THE DAMAGE OF WORDS – CASE STUDY

A common example of when the temptation of dysfunctional behaviour occurs is when CAO performance reviews and contract decisions are made. The decision to keep or fire a CAO can be a polarizing choice. This decision too often does not follow a proper, professional, and respectful process. The outcome often splits councils and leaves lingering effects that permanently damage the functionality of a council.

Subsequent efforts to discredit and damage a CAO, consultant, or elected official’s reputation due to a lack of agreement is a strategy often employed in today's municipal environment. The courts are becoming filled with wrongful dismissals, bullying, and defamation lawsuits in the Canadian municipal community. City managers in the US are starting to win these lawsuits in the battle against defamatory behaviour. The former city manager of the city of Hallandale was awarded $4.4 million dollars due to defamatory statements made by elected officials. These damaging behaviours provide absolutely no value to the community on the whole and can damage a municipality's reputation irreparably.

THE DEFAMATORY DYSFUNCTION HAS BEEN GROWING

This culture is bleeding into our municipalities, creating tension within councils or between councils and administrations. Anonymous use of social media, letters, emails, etc., have become issues that municipalities deal with on an ongoing basis.

For many, the go-to solution is to file a code of conduct complaint and complete a code of conduct review, but these are expensive. The more common and unfortunate action is usually to ignore the issue to avoid conflict and the expense associated with conduct investigations. This enables the behaviour, as the individual causing the dysfunction faces no consequences. This will not improve it and will likely damage behaviours, organizational morale, and culture within a municipality. And ignoring the issue certainly can't undo the damage done to a person’s reputation.

I believe that this cultural shift is not because our community is full of negative individuals, but because of a few bad apples who pull us into an environment of misinformation and mistrust. But, by being proactive, we can change this culture and stop these behaviours before they become habitual.

THE SOLUTION IS ELECTED OFFICIAL LEADERSHIP AND THE MUNICIPAL COMMUNITY

Municipal government is a community, and when a community has checks and balances to curb bad behaviour, that community is strengthened. I've had the privilege of working with some amazing and talented elected officials in my 25 years in municipal government and have witnessed some very functional councils. Lately, I've been pondering why some councils achieve so much and maintain a level of professionalism while others are mired in constant controversy, governance issues, and dysfunction. I believe the difference is leadership and culture.

When employed at Strathcona County, the Town of Bruderheim, the City of Spruce Grove and, recently, the Town of Redwater, I was lucky to serve some very functional, professional, and respectful councils. Better said, I had the privilege to work for some great leaders!

When I ask elected officials why their councils work, the common answer is team culture and having a mayor that has the soft skills to overcome issues with individual councilors as they arise. One elected official told me they just don't allow dysfunctional behaviour and are unified in calling it out when they see it. They focus on team building and positive culture. As an example, I’ve heard many positive comments about how Mayor Stuart Huston of the City of Spruce Grove would foster the culture of council and good governance. I witnessed the functionality of the Spruce Grove Council personally, and it was incredibly impressive.

As mentioned, I truly believe that the majority of elected officials are incredibly talented, are doing it for the right reasons, and are committed to their code of conduct. When the majority of council has a positive culture aligned with shared values and hold themselves to those values, the dysfunctional loud minority becomes quiet.

In the battle to overcome municipal dysfunction, overcoming defamatory behaviours is one necessary step. Ask yourself these critical questions when hearing information that could classify as gossip:

• Why is this person talking about someone who isn’t here?
• Is this information true? • Is the person credible?
• Is this information helpful or is sharing it mean-spirited?
• If I know the person being talked about, does the information seem out of character?
• If I said to the person who shared this information “Can I tell the person you said this about them?” What is their reaction?
• Is this something I would be comfortable repeating? And if I do, what will I do if I'm challenged on the truthfulness of the information?

With the important work that we do together, it is time the municipal community holds each other accountable to a level of professionalism our communities expect and deserve. Let’s do more than avoid the gossip and dysfunction. I've seen too many undeserving individuals damaged by this business due to dysfunctional behaviour. The only solution that will succeed is when the municipal community and our elected officials reject dysfunctional behaviour and those who choose to use it as a weapon for harm.