Perspective seems to be a rare commodity in some Moose Jaw homes.
Recently, the provincial government started talking about changing municipal elections from every three years to every four years. The province floated the idea, the media picked up on it and mayors were asked what they think of the idea — because the mayor is often contacted as the spokesperson for city council.
So as soon as Mayor Glenn Hagel said he was in favour of the idea, some people were all over him for trying to secure his position for an additional year.
The man is just months into his first term as mayor. He hasn’t really even had a chance to decide if he would want to run again. He’s hardly had a chance to make any decisions or bring any new ideas to the table.
But he says he supports an idea — not his idea — and people start seeing ulterior motives.
A four-year term means councils will have more time to finish projects, more time to become familiar with individual and group roles. It also means the municipal taxpayers won’t be forking over for a costly election as often and we won’t face the prosect of heading to the polls twice in the same month if a municipal election falls in the same year as a provincial election.
Now, if in all of this people still see this as somehow being Hagel’s way of securing employment for another year, here’s another fact to consider.
If the province passes such legislation, it would take effect in 2012 — after Hagel’s current term is up. If he chooses to run again, and if he is elected again, then he would serve four more years rather than three. But that would be at the will of the people. If he runs again and is not re-elected, then how does he profit from the change in legislation?
People need to start putting things in perspective. Not everything everyone does or says has hidden meaning. Political agendas serve an obvious — and usually immediate — purpose.
