Keys to Good Governance

When I was elected to Town Council in 2007, I went looking for resources, the way I do when faced with any new situation. One of the books I bought was called Guide to Good Municipal Governance by C. Richard Tindal & Susan Nobes Tindal (2007) published as part of the Municipal Knowledge Series by Municipal World Inc, Union, Ontario. Municipal World is an excellent magazine that I also subscribed to in order to stay informed about municipal issues across the country.

Tindal & Tindal lay out 10 Steps to Good Governance that could serve Peace River's new Council well: 

Step 1. Start with a shared sense of what there is about the municipality that is unique, distinctive and worthy of preservation.
The community committee that developed the Town's vision statement has captured this well and the work of the municipal sustainability planning committee has added to this understanding. 

Step 2. Identify, in consultation with the public, the key priorities that the municipality needs to pursue.
Again, the community consultations carried out over the past three years have laid excellent groundwork and this work deserves to be honoured by the new Council. 

Step 3. Review what you do and how you do it. 
This involves looking at what is offered, what is not, what the Town can afford, etc. It's an important part of the budget process, which the new Council will be undertaking over the next couple of months. 

Step 4. Align the organization so that planning, policies, procedures, resources and structure are consistent with the priorities.
Again, there has been excellent work already done on this. It would be a waste of municipal resources to completely re-do because some segments of the community object to having rules. 

Step 5. Measure results and reward superior performance.
Staffing is stable and functioning well. 

Step 6. Involve the public in municipal decision making.
Good headway was made in this over the past three years and there is much more that can be done. 

Step 7. Manage intergovernmental relations more effectively.
The former Council established regular meetings with our MLA and MP and there are protocols in place for regular meetings with neighbouring municipalities. I hope the new Council sees the value in continuing to nurture these relationships. 

Step 8. Articulate the values of the municipality, ensure that they are not in conflict, and reflect them in the decisions that are made. 
Values were articulated during the community  various consultations and are visible in the Town's vision, in the Municipal Development Plan, and in the Municipal Sustainability Plan. 

Step 9. Recognize that ethical considerations underlie many municipal decisions. 

Step 10. Agree on the roles and relationships of council members and staff and spell this out in a written code of practice.
This may be a critical step that needs to be undertaken soon.