Let’s disagree!

A friend of mine applied for an appointment. When the city council has a vacancy, they may appoint someone to fill it until the next election, but before they do so, they usually interview the applicants.

One of the council members asked my friend a question:

“If you wanted to vote no, but the rest of the council wanted to vote yes, would you change your vote?”

The council member who asked the question wanted the council to work together, to be a team that solves issues in the community. Lone wolves in his mind distracted from the effectiveness of the team; hence, he was looking for my friend to say he would work with the council, and change his vote to put up a united front.

My friend was not appointed. His answer: “I would always listen carefully to my fellow council members, but if they cannot persuade on the merits of the argument, I would vote my conscience and say no, even if I was the only one to vote no.”

My friend and I think alike on this issue. There is no way I am going to change a vote of conscience simply to present a united front for my fellow council members.

Does this mean I am not a team player?

My answer is that I am not on a team. I am a member of a legislative body that represents the public. If the public is divided on an issue, then shouldn’t the council be divided on the issue?

My experience has also demonstrated that when someone wants people to “work together”, he or she really wants people to fall in line. No council member should ever fall in line. We are accountable only to the public, and we should not be taking orders from anyone but the public.

Healthy councils disagree. They have 4-3 votes, 5-2 votes, 6-1 votes, and an occasional unanimous vote. Councils that vote unanimously all the time are simply falling in line with the mayor, the staff, or some other group, and that’s means they're not representing the public.

I hope in the upcoming session that we council members do our jobs and disagree on issues.