In our ongoing effort to spotlight the experiences of women in municipal politics, we reached out to those elected in the 2022 municipal elections in Northern Ontario. We asked these newly elected councillors and trustees to share their insights and reflections on the transition from candidate to council. Here are their candid and firsthand accounts of the challenges, surprises, and lessons learned along the way.
Julie Ann Bertram is a School Board Trustee in Zone 1 for the Near North District School Board in West Nipissing.
What initially inspired or motivated you to run for council, and how did you envision your role before being elected?
I was inspired to help my community by actively participating, and promoting the role of public education as a means to improve society. I expected a large learning curve, which is still happening. I also expected to be able to share ideas easily with colleagues.
How did your expectations or perceptions change once you took office?
The abundance of red tape is ridiculous… e.g. Robert’s Rules [being] used as a hindrance to dialogue instead of a guiding template for meetings. There seem to be plenty of egos and personal agendas going around.
What do you wish people knew about running for office, based on your own experience?
People should understand that a board’s policies, bylaws, and guidelines are fundamental to governance. I wish I had spent more time familiarizing myself with them while running for election - it would have saved me months of stress, jumping into the role and frantically trying to absorb so much information while also dealing with decisions/processes that were already in place before I arrived.
Looking back at your first year in office, what were the most rewarding aspects of serving in your municipal role?
I found out that I love conferences, everyone is there for a common purpose. Conversations with people who genuinely care about making the world a better place [are] so inspiring! Bringing that enthusiasm back has been incredibly rewarding, and has helped improve my ability in the role.
On the other hand, what challenges did you face during your first year, and how did you navigate or address them?
I learned how to be bold! There is no [room] for being timid. I feel a lack of communication, and it’s difficult to navigate, but emotions should not overwhelm the reasons I’m there in the first place. Calming my anxiety has been a great skill to learn!
What valuable lessons have you learned or insights gained that you'd like to share with others considering a similar path in politics?
This is something that people should understand: diplomacy is key to building and sustaining relationships, [whether] with colleagues or with the public. Thick skin and strong ethics are required.
Where can people find you?
In our ongoing effort to spotlight the experiences of women in municipal politics, we reached out to those elected in the 2022 municipal elections in Northern Ontario. We asked these newly elected councillors and trustees to share their insights and reflections on the transition from candidate to council. Here are their candid and firsthand accounts of the challenges, surprises, and lessons learned along the way.
Kathy Hamer is a councillor in McDougall.
WERE THERE ANY SURPRISES OR UNEXPECTED ASPECTS ABOUT THE ROLE?
I was surprised by the learning curve associated with becoming an elected official. I thought I had experience from working on non-profit boards previously, serving in various roles on these boards and on different types of boards. While the gist of how a meeting is supposed to occur and how governance works are transferable skills, they did not prepare me for the formalities of council proceedings, the distinctions between resolutions and bylaws (which may seem trivial now), etc. I also found it difficult to locate the necessary resources to guide me on simple procedures.
WHAT WERE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES YOU FACED WHEN TRANSITIONING FROM A CANDIDATE TO AN ELECTED OFFICIAL?
I found a few great resources when I decided to run for council - a certain Amanda Kingsley for PoliNow was an amazing resource; ElectHer, government resources online which provided much-needed guidance on running a successful campaign. Once I became an elected official, the resources seemed to dry up. Yes, there is training by your local council, but I felt unprepared moving forward after the training. This might be affected by how many new members are elected to the council for the term. I also found it difficult to find the same level of resources as before the election.
It was like starting a new job with very little hands-on training. The available training doesn’t seem to start with the basics — things like how to deal with a ratepayer with a complaint or concern, initiate a bylaw, or support a request for support from another municipality.
WHAT VALUABLE LESSONS HAVE YOU LEARNED OR INSIGHTS GAINED THAT YOU'D LIKE TO SHARE WITH OTHERS CONSIDERING A SIMILAR PATH IN POLITICS?
When you are first elected, you are congratulated, and everyone you speak to seems happy that you were elected. Things start to change when you don’t necessarily support a ratepayer in the way they feel you should because you are making a decision based on the good of the whole community.
I am serving on a council with a very small population. Hence, you need to mind your conversations/behaviour/appearance in public, including personal conversations. People will recognize you, but you may not recognize all your ratepayers, or realize other community members are aware of who you are.
Ratepayers will also contact you with a concern/problem and expect you to fix it. This can cause problems with staff as they try to follow procedures and policies that you may be unwittingly not following. It is best to redirect the issue to the correct staff member and allow them to address it.
WHAT DO YOU WISH PEOPLE KNEW ABOUT WORKING AS A POLITICIAN, BASED ON YOUR EXPERIENCE?
I am learning that while I like to explain things, it is not necessarily the best thing to do. You may try to explain why a decision was made, and something you innocently said while trying to explain can be taken out of context and shared with other community members.
I think the biggest misconception is that as a politician, you have more control over staff than what you really do. We serve in a governance position, and as such, we provide the overall guidance/direction of how the community will run, but we do not get involved in the day-to-day operations.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Email: khamer30@gmail.com
These profiles are part of our ongoing series featuring women councillors and trustees elected through the ElectNOW initiative. Surveys were sent to all woman councillors and trustees who participated in the 2022 ElectNOW series. While some answers have been edited for clarity and spelling, the responses provided are the candidates' own and do not necessarily reflect the views of PoliticsNOW. If you are a woman councillor, mayor, or trustee residing in Northern Ontario and would like to be featured in this series, please fill out our survey.
