Is the ‘Great Resignation’ having an impact on local councils?
Posted Jul 29, 2022 07:09:25 PM.
With a number of would-be incumbents choosing not to seek re-election this fall, where are all their could-be replacements?
Several long-time local politicians (and some shorter-serving ones too) have said in recent weeks they do not intend to run again in the coming municipal elections this October. Yet, at the same time, the current list of people vying to replace them is … lacking.
“First thing that occurs to me is this is part of the 'Great Resignation' we're seeing across every industry,” said Melissa Durrell, a former Waterloo city councillor now President of Durrell Communications. “The pandemic has really taught a lot of people […] that there's something called a work-life balance and I wonder if we're actually seeing some politicians say, 'is it worth everything I give at this time?'.”
Having herself served on a municipal council, Durrell said that work-life balance can be tough to impossible to nail down while serving as an elected official. That said, she says the job itself can still be quite rewarding.
“It really is one of the best things that you can do for your community because you can actually see the changes that you're making right in front of your face,” she said.
But while making an impact can give you the boost you need to continue, Durrell says public life also isn't for everyone since you do also need to deal with keyboard critics whose only goal, it may seem, is to bring you down.
“There is a real issue with people saying things that they wouldn't say to your face, but they feel very comfortable 'at-ing' you on Twitter,” she said.
Meantime, as for the seeming lack of locals wanting to put their own names forward to serve, Durrell said she does still expect the field to fill-up more before the August 19 filing deadline.
“Fresh blood, new perspective, hopefully we'll see candidates that actually reflect our community in a real and meaningful way,” she said, adding she knows of a number of potential candidates waiting until nearer the end of the nomination window as they're also still working their regular day jobs.
“So I think you're going to see a real run,” Durrell said. “We're going to see a full candidate list of some really exciting new leaders in our community — this is a good thing for us I think.”
