“It is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.” – William Lonsdale Watkinson, 1907
An OPINION by Michael Stone
I remember reading that when I was in my early teens and it has stuck with me as a fantastic mantra throughout my life. I recently saw a post on Facebook from an individual mentioning an area in Wellsville being too dark at night and asking if the lights can be brighter. In that post there were several residents that agreed and even said they had the same idea or have “said the same thing in 3 different conversations this past week”.
Personally, I think it’s a great idea. But here’s the rub: the people that can affect that change may not be on Facebook or may not see that post when they are.
Over the last year, it has been my honor to have served the people of Andover as a Trustee on the Village Board, first through an appointment of an open seat, then shortly after elected to my first proper term in public office.
During that time, I have had many people stop me on the street, message me privately, or even stop me while I’m mowing my lawn to bring up issues or ideas. I’m happy to listen (truly), but my answer most times is always the same: “Bring it to the monthly village board meeting, we’d love to help!” I cannot overstate how important it is to participate in the process. Be a part of it, even if it’s just speaking your piece and getting your words recorded in the official minutes. Give your elected representatives a chance. If you have obligations that prevent you from attending, then write a letter and mail it to the village office. It’s another way that your voice can be heard and recorded in the official minutes, which are publicly viewable.
Since being put in this seat by the board and then by the voters, I have been astounded at the intricacies of municipal bureaucracy. Learning the details, regulations, history, procedures, and restrictions has been drinking from a firehose in the best way possible.
Sadly, we cannot fix every problem that is brought before us. There are always issues of budget, inter-departmental or inter-municipal boundaries, policy, state or federal law, or even just nature itself that may prevent a municipality from fixing every problem with the suggested solution. That doesn’t mean there aren’t other solutions, though. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be listened to, *truly*be heard, and have the problem brainstormed properly. That doesn’t mean if a brick wall is hit, you aren’t able to be given honest context communicated respectfully.
And for those jaded folks out there, yes: there have always historically been members of ANY municipality (village, town, county, state, federal) that simply don’t listen and dismiss you out of hand without even trying. My response to that is: “As a resident, don’t you owe it to your community to get your issue AND their response on the record so you can collectively make more informed decisions next time those people are up for election?”
Democrat, Republican, or Independent matters astoundingly little when it comes to local politics. How you feel about Ukraine or NASA’s budget doesn’t really factor when someone is trying to find a solution to their neighbors encroaching fence-line or when a particular street will be milled and paved. What matters is the individual and how much they will listen and work with you to find a solution, even if ultimately, a solution cannot be found.
Before I served on the board, I simply showed up. “Showing up beats 80% of the competition”, as Harvey Mackay says. I wanted to be an engaged citizen and I wanted to understand not just the “what”, but the “why” and the “how.”
I wanted my complaints or suggestions to be informed.
Outside of monthly open meetings, there are public hearings or emergency meetings. Keep an eye out: there’s a legal requirement to post and announce them within a particular timeframe. Those are also important.
Did you know the Town of Andover had a public hearing to discuss the annual budget just the other day on the 13th? Likely not, because I was literally the only resident in attendance (yes, even though I serve the Village, I still attend the Town meetings, but only as a citizen to, again, listen and to be informed).
I can’t count the number of meetings and hearings I’ve attended as a passive participant where I found myself the only one there. I listened as emergency proposals were discussed. I listened as timelines were laid out. I learned *how* things worked.
Then, when a hearing was needed to raise a tax cap, discuss a BESS, or increase a bill, it’s standing room only with people aching to let their voice be heard, sometimes peacefully and sometimes shouting.
As I sat there, listening to people’s heated inquiries, the thought kept repeating in my head: “The board has been discussing this topic for the past 5 months and asking for feedback. How is any of this a surprise to anyone?”
Then, without fail, as soon as the public comment is heard, the vote is cast, and the board continues on with the remainder of its agenda, everyone leaves. I find it flabbergasting; you were physically here! You made time out of your evening! Stay and listen, learn how this all works! Get to know your representatives and how they operate!
This goes beyond just government. I’ve spent my whole life in I.T. doing my absolute best to help people with their computer issues. It was not an uncommon thing for me to walk into a technical situation that was an absolute catastrophe. As I sat there, untangling the nightmare of a mess in front of me, I would hear from the individual “It started small about seven or eight months ago, and I kept telling my [son/daughter/coworker] about it,” which obviously did no good, as this was the first time *I* had gotten the call about it.
It breaks my heart to know that people have suffered for any length of time in a way that I could have alleviated, had I only known about it sooner. This is why I want people to participate.
I want the best for my community, and after speaking to other public servants in neighboring municipalities, I know I’m not alone. It’s not for the glory, the recognition, and certainly not for the money. Since getting elected, I’ve been putting an average of 10-15 hours a week of work into the job at the whopping salary of roughly $800 a year (I don’t mind stating that, all elected municipal salaries are publicly viewable).
It’s because I want to help people… and I want those people to give me the opportunity to do so.
Complaining is not a bad thing, but without trying to get it to the people’s ears that have the ability to address it, it’s just shouting into the wind. When it’s done collectively, it can easily whip up a frenzy, but that’s not the same as a fix.
Give someone the chance to either correct it, find alternative solutions, provide forthright contextual clarity on why it can’t be fixed, or dismiss you out of hand (in which case, it’s a good lesson for you to take forward with your next vote).
If you’re willing to go one step further, become involved in the process, even passively. Attend meetings. Sit and listen. Learn how things work. Show up.
Maybe eventually one day, as I did, you’ll find yourself sitting on the other side of that big table.
Mike Stone is a IT professional, elected official, artist, and community activist. You can reach him anytime, mikestone@gmail.com
