If there’s one lesson to be learned from Cal Huntley’s ascension to the mayoralty, it’s this: never underestimate voter indignation.
Over the past four years, Mayor George Fontaine embarked on an ambitious reworking of municipal politics. He tinkered with taxes, sought cost-sharing from neighbours and enacted cost-cutting measures that never quite reduced overall spending.
Fontaine’s heart was in the right place, but
many felt his tactics
were unworkable, his
style heavy-handed. He shook up a system that wasn’t ready to be shaken up, at least in the way he envisioned.
Enter Huntley and his promise of change. Change in the way Flin Flon forged neighbourly relations, for sure, and possibly even change in areas like taxation (he has “some problems” with the new special services levy) and infrastructure repair (he called for a “quality control program” to eliminate “rework” by city crews).
Granted, Huntley was not always overly specific when talking about the change he would bring, but that worked to his advantage. For voters disenchanted by the last four years, Huntley was something of a blank canvas on which they could paint their hopes for the future.
The reality, however, is that Huntley’s goal of change may not come easily given that he will preside over a council that is nearly identical to the one helmed by Fontaine.
The only difference is that the retired Skip Martin
is out and newcomer
Leslie Beck is in.
If Huntley, for instance, wishes to scrap the controversial special services levy for fire and police protection, will five councillors who supported it last year suddenly change their mind? It seems unlikely, but then again, the real art of politics is persuasion.
Razor-thin margin
Huntley’s razor-thin margin of victory presents another challenge for him. He has become mayor on the strength of just four votes.
There is obvious pressure on Huntley not to completely overhaul city hall or discount everything Fontaine did. Based on Huntley’s statements, it never sounded as though this was what he had in mind.
One of Fontaine’s
biggest assets going into the campaign was his personal popularity. A retired teacher and
long-time community volunteer, Fontaine is widely esteemed and rightly regarded as a stand-up guy.
When Fontaine said during the campaign that he always tried to be open and honest as mayor, I had to nod my head. Not once in four years can I recall him dodging a question. He gave it to you straight, whether you liked his answer or not.
Fontaine deserves respect for his eight years on city council, the first four as a councillor and the last four as mayor. Though voters have evidently rejected his approach, let there be no doubt that he cares – and cares immensely – about the future of this community.
Mayor-elect Huntley, too, deserves our respect. With the result so close, there is bound to be some hard feelings between those who backed Huntley and those who favoured Fontaine.
Such division serves no purpose, of course, and should not find its way into the public discourse. It is time for unity, a theme of Huntley’s campaign, to prevail.
Local Angle runs Fridays.
