The timelines of municipal politics present paradoxical challenges for St. Marys Mayor Steve Grose.
On one hand, things happen too slowly. When asked by the Journal Argus — in a recent year-end interview — about one thing he has learned during his first year since being voted in as a first-time elected official in October, 2010, he responds that his experience in the business world (he’s a manager in the Delhi, Ontario location of a US manufacturing company) didn’t prepare him for subcommittees, public meetings, Ontario Municipal Act requirements, and Town Council deliberations.
“I had some thoughts about the way (municipal leadership) would be. And some of it has turned out as I expected,” Grose comments. But the speed with which things happen “has been slower in many ways.”
“Nothing has been overly frustrating,” he clarifies. It’s just the reality of bringing proposals up through the subcommittees, and the ramifications if it’s decided more information is needed from staff. “And, at that point, it still hasn’t come to Council yet.”
“And it seems like some of the things that take the longest are the ones that you might think you would be able to deal with the quickest,” he adds. As an example, he cites Councillor Don Van Galen’s suggestion that something be done about motorists proceeding out of the St. Marys DCVI Arthur Meighen Wing parking lot onto the Town-owned Rogers Avenue without any delay. Van Galen wants a Stop sign erected. But that topic has been working its way through the Public Works and Police Services Board subcommittees for months, hitting various snags related to regulations, with no resolution in sight.
On the other hand, however, municipal politics can also proceed awfully quickly for somebody who — again, he says, in keeping with his business background — believes it’s crucial to plan for the long term. For example, Grose predicts an 8-12 year process for bringing about a solution to what he calls a pressing necessity to establish a long-term capital infrastructure plan for the Town. But it’s possible that, a little less than three years from now, he won’t be around to maintain that thrust.
“I think a lot of people would be surprised (if they knew the specifics of) where our infrastructure is, particularly in terms of the bridges,” Grose stresses. With the less-than-flush state of the Town’s reserve funds, he adds, “it’s going to be a challenge.” The mayor would like to see a 10-year plan developed for funding infrastructure renewal — mainly for bridges, but also for roads.
“It’s my understanding that we probably have fallen behind a little bit on the roads.” Over the last five years, he estimates, funding was only set aside in the budget to complete the amount of work that should probably have been done over three years, effectively putting the town two years behind schedule for regular road upgrades.
“We’re not in trouble. But we’re on a path that could lead to some real financial troubles down the road.”
Infrastructure funding initiatives from the upper tiers of government have been effective, and Grose credits the previous administration and Council for making sure St. Marys got its fair share of those initiatives. To do so, the Town generally had to ante up a portion of the funding itself, since most of those initiatives had cost-sharing stipulations.
“It (was) the right thing to do, while the money was there.”
Grose concedes, however, that the era of infrastructure funding from upper-tier governments has probably passed. And it will, undoubtedly, be a challenge selling the idea of setting aside taxpayers’ money into reserves at a time when practically every Town department is fielding pressure from the public to maintain or expand services in the short term.
The mayor credits fellow Town Councillors, however, for recognizing the looming infrastructure challenge. The topic, he says, has formed an undercurrent of the ongoing discussions towards finalizing the 2012 budget.
“It’s a matter of building reserves, spending within our means, and putting a real focus on infrastructure,” he says. But that’s where the potentially short lifespan of a democratically-elected mayor comes into play. “We’re building a foundation. And, whether or not I have eight years or 12 years to deal with that will be determined three years from now.”
The process, however, must start now: with the upcoming budget. Asked what he would like to see Council achieve over the coming year, Grose first mentions the prospect of improving relations with the Township of Perth South and the County of Perth. But he quickly returns the discussion to long-term thoughts of setting aside money for the future.
“It’s hard for me to drift away from budgeting. It’s so important.”
What does that mean to taxpayers, and to the users of the Town’s services?
“There’s only one way to finance these things, and that’s through taxes. We’re certainly going to have to tighten our belts and get accustomed to some tax increases over the next few years,” he cautions. He quickly adds, however, that tax increases represent “the easy way out, to some extent.” There must also be belt-tightening within the Town.
“Every department has been given the mandate to come in with a zero-increase budget. That is definitely the goal. If that goal is not achievable, our Council would like to see some real facts as to why.”
Reflecting on some of the recent controversies which have dogged Town Council, it’s clear one way he’d like to see departments tighten their belts is by looking to home-town expertise whenever possible.
Grose refuses to comment on the proposed new Town logo and slogan, created by a consultant firm after a series of focus group meetings. He’ll only say that Council will make its feelings known on the issue soon.
But he welcomes the idea of creative people within the St. Marys area getting involved in such projects — as an alternative to bringing in high-priced consultants.
There are obviously jobs that must be contracted out, he notes. If the Town is applying for upper-tier government funding, for example, it’s generally the requirement of the application process that the work be done by approved contractors, and that the paper trail exists showing how those contractors were chosen.
At a Town Council meeting just before Christmas, Grose waded into the ongoing discussions about whether or not the Town should create a Heritage Conservation District downtown. He didn’t argue for or against; instead, he gave credit to St. Marys Museum staff for “playing hardball” with a consultant in just such a case — sending back the consultant’s proposal for modification, after it was submitted with more than the requested amount of work and more than the expected cost.
In the year-end interview with the Journal Argus, he reiterates that praise. But he also notes there may be room for citizen participation even when an outside consultant is required.
“(Using an outside consultant) doesn’t mean . . . that you can’t get a task force together and review the work done by that contracted company.”
One area where this type of approach is already happening is recreation. In keeping with a campaign promise, the mayor established a Recreation Task Force — made up of members of the public — to brainstorm, over the past six months, the future directions of recreation services.
“Their recommendations or suggestions will come to the Administration and Finance subcommittee meeting in January,” Grose reports. He looks back on it as “a very valuable process,” adding that, although the Task Force’s work is now complete, members “are on standby if there are questions from the recommendations. It strictly becomes up to Council how (the approval and/or implementation of those suggestions) is going to happen.”
Is it a process he will use again? “I said that when I was campaigning that we have talented people within our town. Bright, intelligent people with a lot of great ideas and skills, and a real caring for the community.” And that expertise and passion can be utilized for free.
“It’s my intention that we’re going to see more of this type of work being done by groups like the Recreation Task Force.”