The Role of a Mayor

OPINION 

It is clear that for getting on to two decades Launceston's Town Hall has seen the increased and increasing domination of 'management' over the city's elected representatives – the elected 12 ... Mayor & Councillors. Arguably, the city's Aldermen(now Councillors) have been seen as abdicating their role and allowing 'management' to usurp it as too many have been perceived to be standing haplessly by on the sidelines mouthing patronising platitudes – and attending just enough ribbon cuttings etc. to appear relevant.

The outcome, well historically that has come to be known as 'the tail wags the dog syndrome' and it's something that is in evidence at Launceston's Town Hall. One way of looking at all this is that the GOODcouncillors had aspirations and expectations but have subsequently been persuaded that they are not up to the task. It might well be more sinister than that but that would be speculation based an incomplete set of evidence. 

In any event long serving Councillors have become rather used to their role on the sideline, and sadly, happy enough so as to collect their stipends without looking to their moral compasses for guidance. 

More than sadly, for well over two decades the city's mayors have increasingly exhibited all the signs of a diminishing 'leadership function'. That is, in terms of 'leadership' as much of it has could be left to 'management' has been and that has cost ratepayers a great deal. Mayors may well turn up in their 'mayoral bling' to cut ribbons and open events but they are all too often they somehow seem to be bereft of ideas when it comes to policy and strategic initiatives. 

The trickle down of this has been expensive for ratepayers as 'The Council' has increasingly become a 'revenue collection agency' in the service of Town Hall's bureaucracy. Here we have the bureaucrats self-interest as a driving force. This is best exhibited by, at the top end, them receiving salary packages they cannot possibly be 'earning'. 

For instance, how can a servant purportedly serving a community of 50,000 voters 'earn' significantly more than the state's Premier? Likewise, how can 'a loss' or a 'budget over run' that exceeds an executive salary, say two, three or four fold go without any kind of accountability being required? 

Rhetorical questions maybe, but they do invoke a rather bad smell in the credibility stakes.

THE ROLE OF THE MAYOR

Sadly, currently Launcestonians have an unexpected opportunity to address the Mayor's role and function. Therefore, it is timely to reiterate the Act's words being that the functions of a mayor are:

• To act as a 'leader' of the community of the municipal area; and
• To act as 'chairperson' of the council; and  
• To act as the spokesperson of the council; and 
• To 'liaise' with the general manager on the activities of the council and the performance of its functions and exercise of its powers: and 
• To 'oversee' the councillors in the performance of their functions and in the exercise of their powers.

Leadership is a contentious role often likened to herding cats. However, if the leader has the wherewithal, herding cats can be done. Here’s the thing, it can be easy if you know the secret.

Cats are pretty independent animals.  Nonetheless cats can be easy to herd if you can persuade them all to want the same thing. Show them where that thing is, and step back and the cats will do the rest. 

The same thing can happen around the decision making table. People go in different directions when they either don’t agree on goals or don’t know how to achieve goals. A leaders job is to get them to agree on the goal and show them how to achieve that goal. Do that and your cats will move together towards the goal.

Of course, it’s not quite as simple as that. People have different and often divergent goals. Some want money, some want prestige, some want to spend time elsewhere. Leaders need to demonstrate  how achieving strategic goals can help them achieve their personal goals. this is called goal alignment and it’s the key to leadership. 

There is one goal that most people share. People want to be part of something important, something that makes a difference. Generally people are hungry for meaning and there is nothing new in that. Throughout time, humanity has searched for the 'why' of their lives. When you work to get paid, you search for meaning elsewhere. This does NOT have to be the case.

VIDEO LINK

It is interesting to know that there is a Dutch tradition where a gaggle of geese are herded and follow a couple of musical clowns through a town centre as a spectacle. The geese do this presumably because there are rewards and they are careless of the fact that they have been cast in the role of circus clowns just so long as their needs are met when they are not 'performing'.

Civic administration should not be like this but it is just the case that over a couple of decade Launcestonian Aldermen/Councillors have become performers in Town Hall's BUREAUCRATICcircus – and more's the pity.

When local governance descends into those weird and quirky depths and into some kind of cloud cuckoo land we should be much more worried than is currently evident. Local governance is almost entirely about 'placemaking', nothing more, nothing less. When the distinctions between 'governance' and 'management' are blurred neither governance nor management can perform as effectively as they should. Indeed, it indicates that the very structure of the  corporate entity is broken. Likewise, it is the point when the metaphor of 'the tail wagging the dog' is ever likely to be invoked.

Turning this around in a Council is key component of a 'leader's role' ... indeed the Mayor's role as it not anything that 'management' is either inclined or equipped to do as it just the case that it is not the role of management.

A WAY FORWARD

In Tasmania after the next state election it is unlikely that there will be a majority government, that is a single political party with a majority on the floor of the House of Assembly. Four compelling factors are at work pushing Tasmania towards minority, or more likely, a coalition government. 

Returning the House of Assembly to 35 seats essentially lowers the threshold for being elected. Therefore for independent and Green candidates, there is a higher probability for them to be elected. The second factor is the growing loss of faith in traditional parties to be able to represent the increasing diversity of societal interests and values. 

Thus the ability to simultaneously appeal across the spectrum of voters is slowly fragmenting. The numbers of groups seeking recognition, rights, restitution and redistribution is growing almost daily. Moreover, this disenchantment with the traditional status quo mainstream notion of 'representation' in local governance is fragmenting as well.

Right now in Launceston, given the appalling and persistent personal attacks on Mayor Gibson that made his position personally untenable his supporters are going to be looking very carefully at the options to hand. Mayor Gibson garnered two quotas and 15+% of the vote and looking at the overall distribution of votes at the recent election there is no single Councillor likely to capture his support for their candidacy given that voters chose by-and-large to disrupt the status quo in a compulsory vote.

Indeed, since the election, as they say, "some of the chickens have come home to roost" to the chagrin of those who have invested heavily in the 'status quo' that now appears to be even more unsustainable. This is born out by the press calling out the now retired Mayor and the GM/CEO as bullies which until very recently appeared to be quite unlikely albeit that the evidence might well have been there. 

Moreover, when a developer hits back at Council saying "Delays by a hostile and vindictive Launceston City Council cost me more than $100,000," one might well speculate that there are incumbent status quo candidates with more lead in their saddle than they would like. It wouldn't be drawing too long a bow suggest that the 'stinky past' might stick elsewhere too.

Clearly, the political mood has changed and is changing! And, given that the pool of candidates is confined to those already around the table the smell of incumbency and other alignments is ever likely to linger right up to the close of polling in the Mayoral By-Election. For all concerned the stench will be as welcomed as a ton of rotting fish at the scene of an environmental disaster and there is no perfume to spray on powerful enough to hide it.

SO WATCH THIS SPACE

Ray Norman & Doreen Bowen