Elaine Harris Spearman Commentary: Give new mayor, council a chance to get settled

Kudos to the outgoing mayor of the City of Gadsden. The soon-to-be-retired mayor has withstood an onslaught of slings and arrows that have seemingly been there during his entire terms of office.

This is not to say that there are not legitimate concerns that could have and should have been addressed. The premise is his willingness to work on behalf of the city's residents, which many are unwilling to do unless they have an ulterior motive that is guided by personal ambition, or are part of a small group determined to run something, anything.

The “honeymoon” period is a relic of the past. People stand ready with their issues immediately upon transition of leadership. It would be a good thing if the newly elected mayor, newly elected City Council members and others would be given the opportunity to learn the “lay of the land.”

The learning curve is not high and long. The newly elected officials must be quick studies. There are issues already on the table, with new ones already looming. All of this and more, while absorbing the newness of governmental work on behalf of the residents of Gadsden, while interacting with the rest of Etowah County.

No matter what the talk in the greater community may have been, running a government is not, absolutely not, like running a corporation. People working in government have certain protections that are not afforded to employees in private industry.

There are rules and procedures that are not applicable to a corporation and a board of directors, if there is one. There are laws that govern conduct when one is serving as a public official that do not concern a corporate head.

It would be in the people’s best interest if an elected official does not hit the ground running, over employees who are there in public service and those looking to become a part of the new direction.

There are those who are still bitter over their personal loss in the quest for public office, and those whose candidate was unsuccessful. It is our hope that they will not allow that bitterness and anger to cast a dark cloud over a city that is planning to move forward.

There is, with certainty, the knowledge that those who do not agree with any decisions made, those decisions not made and those that require reflection and work before being made will be subject to criticism and harsh words. It behooves anyone in public service to develop a thick skin. This is not work for a sensitive and easily offended person.

We do not need to see any more retaliatory behavior than we have witnessed for the last several years (and in Gadsden over the last few months).

Our elected officials must keep aware of the “Greek Chorus.” This term comes from ancient Greek tragedies and comedy. Modern work is still inspired by the “Greek Chorus.” It is a “homogenous, non-individualized group of performers who comment with a collective voice on the dramatic action.”

This ancient Greek practice declined after the 5th century, but you will still see modern references to those on the sidelines functioning as one voice for the community in the exercise of their own beliefs and disagreements.

We are looking forward to some mayoral town hall meetings being held throughout the city at various intervals, with the cabinet members present. We also look for City Council members to get out in the community that elected them to hear their issues.

There should be no reason for any resident of Gadsden to hire or call upon a non-elected official to represent them before the council. That is the exact reason for the existence of the council elected from each district by the people.

Gadsden has to establish its own relevance. The mayor must keep Gadsden first. That does include looking at what Gadsden has done and building a foundation for what it must do.

That certainly includes making the city viable for everybody. The South is being looked at again after a period of drought because of how many Southern states look and behave.

As I read newspapers from around the country, corporations are moving their headquarters out of large cities because of higher costs and crime. Having this as a backdrop, their employees want a diverse area with good schools. Gadsden is on the way.

Making difficult decisions and choices is part of the human experience. No one should fear what people do or say. The ultimate judge of character and right and wrong lies elsewhere.

Elaine Harris Spearman, Esq., a Gadsden native, is an attorney and is the retired legal advisor to the comptroller of the City of St. Louis.

This article originally appeared on The Gadsden Times: Elaine Harris Spearman looks at city government