Prospective Councillors, here's how you can earn my vote.Published 13th October 2016

My day’s full of conversation, it’s one of the perks of running a café. Last week’s blog about 389 million reasons to think hard before we vote in Council elections certainly struck a chord.

“Here’s a thought: We’ve got people standing for Council because they want to be community leaders. Shouldn’t it be the other way around – shouldn’t actual community leaders be the ones standing for Council?

It’s occurred to me and to those many customers I've chatted to, that we don't really know those people who’ve put themselves up for election. Sure, there were a handful of Good Council Group meetings and one all-candidate forum, but life’s busy and family and work always comes first.

Our letterboxes are stuffed with flyers where more effort’s gone into graphic design and posed photos, than into text about the author and why they’re putting themselves up for election. There are a few signs about the place, and some candidates have Facebook Pages – but really, it’s all one-way conversation.

Unless candidates bother to visit us, how do we get to know them? How do we make an informed vote? I hope candidates knock on my door and visit my cafe. (To any prospective Councillors reading this: see you soon!)

Understanding the skills and knowledge each candidate offers is a good start. To do this, I’ve prepared a selection criteria. This approach is used extensively in business and Government to help evaluate a person's suitability for a new role. I've developed my candidate questions from www.goodgovernance.org.au - the Municipal Association of Victoria, Victorian Local Governance Association and Victorian Government are behind this website.

The questions I’ve prepared give potential Councillors an opportunity to demonstrate their skills and provide examples from their work, life experiences and understanding of the role. This, of course, demonstrates their integrity. Being able to compare the responses of each candidate helps voters like me make an informed choice and hold those elected accountable further down the track.

So, below is the selection criteria I’ll be using. You’re welcome to borrow it, email it to candidates in your ward or better yet, look up the Guide and prepare your own questions. When you see one of our twenty candidates, put them on the spot. If they’re running for Council they should ideally already have a good understanding of governance.

How are you choosing who to vote for? I'd value your thoughts.

 

Questions to potential Councillors

Demonstrate how you have participated in the decision-making of a community group, board or committee.  Give examples of how you have represented the local community or stakeholders in that decision making.

How have you contributed to the strategic direction of an organisation through the development and review of key strategic documents?  This may have included a strategic or marketing plan, budget forecast, business plan or cash flow forecast.

In previous roles how have you considered the diversity of interests and needs of the local community, organisation, employees or stakeholders that you represented?

Provide examples as to how you have observed principles of good governance and acted with integrity.

Conflicts between people and groups always occur within organisations.  Describe a conflict scenario that you were involved in and how you worked to resolve to the situation while maintaining your integrity, and those around you and ensuring the organisation was not adversely affected.

Have you been prosecuted for misconduct in business or within your profession, been bankrupt, or have criminal charges laid against you? If so, please detail and explain how going through these experiences will benefit the council and the community in your role as a Councillor.

As a Councillor, you are expected to provide civic leadership in relation to the exercise of the various functions and responsibilities of the Council under the Local Government Act and other Acts.

How would you define civic leadership?

What are the functions and responsibilities of the Council under the Local Government Act.

What other Acts of parliament is Council responsible to?

Resources are always limited to an organisation.  Give examples of how you have successfully negotiated the allocation of resources within an organisation and how this has positively affected the budget and the sustainability of the organisation.

Provide three examples of how you have facilitated effective communication between an organisation and the wider community.

Summarise what the Councillor Code of Conduct means and how you will work to incorporate it in your role as a Councillor.

As a future Councillor, it is important to know the limits of your legal authority and responsibilities.  Outline where you understand your responsibilities as a Councillor begin and end.