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.
Lindsay Koch is a councillor in Kenora.
What initially inspired or motivated you to run for council, and how did you envision your role before being elected?
I’ve been involved in my community in a number of ways for so many years that it was only a matter of time. The timing wasn’t necessarily right for me for this election, but the timing for the community was - we needed some new faces and new generations making decisions for us, so why not go for it! Is anything ever truly the right time, anyway? I envisioned lots of meetings and hand-shaking. I envisioned working as a team with others who were elected and hearing many different points of view which would ultimately help to inform my votes and our collective decisions.
How did your expectations or perceptions change once you took office?
The Municipal Act really precludes us from functionally doing business. I’m all for transparency and making efforts to keep the public informed about processes and decisions, how they can engage and participate, etc., but I’m disappointed by how hard it is to get anything done because of legislative restrictions and the policies that have been generated at a local level in response to provincial requirements. Much of what I perceived this would look like holds true, but the barriers that exist and the challenge of making effective change and keeping up with the times lead to frustration for me and others around our council table.
Were there any surprises or unexpected aspects about the role?
I thought I would hear from people more. There’s an assumption that people complain to councillors any chance they get, but I don’t get a lot from people, even when I ask!
What were the biggest challenges you faced when transitioning from a candidate to an elected official?
The relationship with Administration was a challenge — knowing council’s role versus administration’s; knowing when to push back or push for more, and sorting through how to support and manage our one employee (the CAO) in a way that is helpful in meeting the objectives of the corporation and our strategic plan, helpful for council, and helpful for every other staff person who ultimately relies on us to be making good decisions to support them in their work. Also jumping right into the budget - what a beast.
Looking back at your first year in office, what were the most rewarding aspects of serving in your municipal role?
Taking the time to share on social media — which can be a tough place — and all the positive engagements and connections made there. I never tire of hearing from people that they know more, understand more, pay attention more, and are more engaged in not just the City or Council but in the many wonderful things happening in our community because so much of it is shared in one place in a consumable way.
What were the significant milestones or accomplishments you achieved during your tenure?
Working hard on addressing violence and harassment in the workplace through continued Provincial advocacy and making some headway! Learning and connecting almost every day with women across the province in similar seasons of life is huge.
On the other hand, what challenges did you face during your first year, and how did you navigate or address them?
I continue to struggle with bringing forward the priorities I campaigned on because of existing policy and procedure requirements. I also very much wish council could gather in a more informal team-building capacity — we’re still in what feels like an early forming stage when I think we could have moved along the forming - storming - norming - performing spectrum in a more timely way if afforded that opportunity. There’s such a fear of ‘advancing the business of council’ in an unsanctioned meeting and the threat of FOI requests, integrity commissioners, closed meeting investigators, etc., that we’re all left a bit disjointed.
What do you wish people knew about working as a politician, based on your experience?
There’s always more to a decision than comes out in public / is reported on, and a lot of it is available for you to read in the minutes or watch in the recorded meeting. Working as a municipal politician is different than party politics because decisions are made by consensus — I can’t make a decision for our community on my own in this capacity. I’m my own person with my own priorities; I work hard to make decisions with this council with the information I have at the time that, based on my experience and the input others have offered, is the best for our community because I signed up to help make positive change and support growth and development and opportunities for residents to thrive. I am not here to raise your taxes for my own gain.
Where can people find you?
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.
