ROTHENBURGER – In days of old, before Kamloops City Hall became a fortress…
(Image: CFJC Today)
CONTRARY TO PREVAILING public opinion, City Hall has not always been a place of discontent between councils and administrators.
While there have been times when administration has bullied council, and times when administration has happily stepped into the gap when leadership from elected representatives was lacking, in large part they have co-existed quite well and quite productively.
My own experience, with the exception of an initial rough spot or two when both administration and incumbent councillors struggled against a more transparent and active approach to governance, was by and large very positive.
I’ll tell you how it was, not out of braggadocio but because it was reality, one that I’m pretty sure was the case with most of the councils and administrators who followed as well. It was as it should be.
City Hall wasn’t the fortress it is today, where council members are banned by staff from moving freely around municipal facilities, with bastions erected between those who are elected and those who are hired.
During the ‘90s, though, the place was dysfunctional, as is the case again.
Not long after my first day as mayor when I was told administration was in charge, things fortunately changed for the better with some voluntary departures and retirements that created a new corporate order within 7 Victoria Street West.
Mel Rothenburger is a regular contributor to CFJC Today, publishes the ArmchairMayor.ca opinion website, and is a recipient of the Jack Webster Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award. He has served as mayor of Kamloops, school board chair and TNRD director, and is a retired daily newspaper editor. He can be reached at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.
ArmchairMayor.ca 
Where on earth is this government mediator??
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It seems inevitable that our unionized employees will be wanting the same protection from the bullying and degrading comments they receive on a daily basis. I guess we’ll lock them behind closed doors and the citizens can haul their own garbage, fix their own streets, etc. to protect them. Maybe just double the their number so they can guard each other on the job. Tax increase here we come.
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Things change, Mel. In the past, I know there were some very good times you had with City administration when you were Mayor.
Now, should we wonder if there might be an inherent danger with a used car salesman hanging around instead of a newspaper editor on a leave of absence?
Thank goodness we have Mike O’Reilly at the helm to get us through these troubled waters. He knows all. He senses the seriousness of having Reid around. He is willing to act swiftly when called upon to do so even if that means missing the beginning of a regular council meeting to offer a blistering report against the real threat to our City.
Is time with the media a priority instead of performing his duty as an elected member of council to be present when a meeting is called to order?
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In my opinion, O’Reilly is part of the problem, along with nearly every other council person. The incumbents especially. In my experience, the Mayor is the only one to respond to concerns and communications from the public. Yes he is unorthodox, but that’s what organizations facing rot often need. He is trying to rattle some cages and trying to enact the mandate he was given by voters.
Ask yourself this:
Has council addressed any of the major issues of the electorate, like street problems, high taxes, cost of living etc? Has council addressed the pleas from the business community about crime, human excrement and the chaos surrounding service provider locations?
Has council personally even responded to your concern, let alone done anything to address it? In my experience, the answer is a resounding no on all counts.
Let’s strip away all the dysfunction at council and city hall. What exactly have they done since being elected to improve this community?
Is the Mayor the problem here? Are you not concerned about the opacity enacted by council to prevent the public from seeing what’s going on? The anti-democratic actions and statements made? The gross mismanagement by senior administrators? The constant bending and breaking of rules for some and not others?
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The reference to Mr. O’Reilly was laced with sarcasm.
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Well said Mel. I have worked around the city “system” for over 40 years, at the KXA and St. Andrews On The Square. The gradual change from team work to dictatorship has only occurred in the last few years. Everyone seems to have their own sandbox and nobody is allowed to make suggestions about how the sandbox would work better or play in that box.
At the KXA there was a constant give and take and exchange of ideas how to make things work better, between staff and admin. When we restored St. Andy’s in the late 1990’s, we had a great working relationship with city staff and then things changed. While we ran a very successful site, I was constantly questioned on everything we did. At one point an administrator stated that we were doing a lousy job and wanted the city to take over before the place fell apart. David Trawin stepped in, looked at our books and realized we were doing a great job. Take note that since the city has taken over, the site is not often used and is looking very “tired”.
As Mel stated , we need to return to a good working relationship with give and take and a free exchange of ideas. The group of 8 needs to learn how to play nice. RHJ has some great ideas but it will take cooperation and folks stepping outside their sand box to make things change.
Sounds like some folks need to grow a thicker skin.
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Wasn’t that new CAO quoted as saying “…this is MY council…” as to assert his at will dominance over it? Isn’t it were McCorkell learned about how to “handle” things?
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So what is the mechanism for a concerned voter to address the gross negligence and chaos at city hall? If things are this bad, how can we expect city hall to address the priorities of voters? Is there any oversight agency that has some kind of authority over municipal corporation decisions and operations?
Must the taxpayer wait until the next election and hope a group runs a slate of candidates that can vote as a majority to do things like suspend the CAO for gross mismanagement etc? I certainly hope prospective candidates consider this, so that voters can understand how a council person will vote on issues. I would vote for a group that prioritized street disorder and a significant shakeup at the city. If the dysfunction at the city isn’t enough to convince the electorate that slate candidates are an answer, I don’t know what else it would take.
Every council person and employee at city hall has their livelihood provided by the hard labour of taxpayers. They are acting as if they are kingdom unto themselves. I am shocked at the lack of mechanisms available to voters to force the administration and council to either step down, reset, recall or re-run the election. The dysfunction is astounding, and it’s hard to believe this is all because of a newcomer Mayor. What we are seeing is the administration and council actively working against the popular mandate given by voters, and shielding incompetent administrators from facing consequences.
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