by Jeff Burgar

So what’s the job of a local elected politician?

What really is the job description of a settlement councillor? Or a county reeve? A town councillor?

What is it we, those of us over the age of 18 at least, are “hiring” our leaders to really do when we vote for them and put them into office?

Already being asked is a question in Fort McMurray. Did the voters there, in the regular election over two years ago, give the go-ahead to town councillors to give themselves raises to $150,000 per year?

They did not.

The councillor’s story is, pretty well, “We will be working so hard on rebuilding our city, we need to make sure we are paid enough for all our time.”

No mention at all if they have the job skills to do this. No mention what the taxpayers might think, especially the question voters might ask: are these guys even capable of doing the job? This will likely be a multi-billion dollar construction project all told. Are these councillors the right people for the job?

The only people saying so are the councillors themselves!

And they aren’t even unanimous they can do it. They are also not unanimous the job is worth more pay.

Open a can of worms and ask a fair question: Why should people who couldn’t evacuate the city when clear and present danger presented itself now get the responsibility, and handsome pay, for rebuilding?

Moving on, there is no mention how they settled on that amount, which apparently could have been $200,000 per year, or $400,000. Or any number pulled out of the air! Why is $150,00 the magic number? And what will stop that from growing bigger next year?

It seems the only thing possibly stopping this would be public outrage, which may happen yet. Obviously, the factor of the moral conscience of the majority of the Fort McMurray councillors did not kick in equally.

Some councillors said this was all fine. Some actually did vote against the money. Moral conscience, obviously, does not come in the same helping size across all citizens.

Generally speaking, the fundamental role of elected officials is to make policy. Draw the big picture so to speak. So, elected officials say to their hired staff, after all the consultants and experts and local folks are consulted, “Drain the swamp.”

The hired staff is supposed to worry about the nitty-gritty, like what kind of pumps to use, when it will be done, how many people will be hired, etc., etc., etc.

Councillors do not manage. End of story.

The Fort McMurray rebuild will be a big job. What contribution city councillors will be making to that is unknown.

But here they are, determined to do good of course.

And just coincidentally, paid well for it. Really, it all just sort of smells, doesn’t it?