Keith Gerein: Young Edmonton city council will miss Sarah Hamilton

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Edmonton City Council has already had little political experience and will soon become thinner.

Mayor Amarjeet Sohi is fighting for a return to Ottawa, but he will not return to his second mayor whether he wins or loses the game.

library. Andrew Knack, Andrew Knack’s longest-serving member, announced six months ago that he would not be back either – although Sohi left the federal government apparently now considers the mayor’s campaign.

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Two-term committee. Tim Cartmell is certainly running for mayor, which is at greater risk than the political future of his re-run for the seat of lawmakers.

Experience in an elected office is not a prerequisite for success – sometimes it can even be a damaging – but it is often a valuable element in the governing body. The current council features eight members’ tenures and certainly has some growing pain.

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While this is expected, while newbies have come with other skills, in many moments, some other collective seasoning will be beneficial.

After more than three years in office, these new immigrants now have more seasonings, which can make it easier to set up a council in the next semester. But, of course, Edmonton voters may not be willing to give them the next semester.

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So I regret to learn that one of the other senior members of the group, Coun. Sarah Hamilton, also known as the potential mayoral material, will return to vote after two terms this fall.

She is the mother of a young son and she says her decision is largely based on a desire to seek “different types of leadership experience” in the context of “less public life.”

The public part of the show we watched in the Council Chamber Hall – Hamilton rarely turned to the microphone this semester – was just part of the work.

There is a lot of policy and outreach work behind the scenes, and I suggest this is where Hamilton’s most important contributions take place, including work on Indigenous relations and building urban reserves, supporting the creation of the Great Island provincial park, and helping lead the blackhead independent innovation agency Edmonton Unlimited.

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Although I disagree with the timing of the second project, support for the Valley Line LRT and West Road at Lewis Farm Entertainment Center is also her record.

Police politics

I think her six years on the Edmonton Police Commission’s council representative was more controversial, a time of big turbulence, with Dale McFee serving as police chief, making many reforms to manage the explosion in social issues and negotiate a new formula for police funding. Coincidentally or not, Hamilton’s time on the committee has ended, and his relationship with the Council has been really ugly over the past 18 months.

(She supports police reform, but not always in a way that many council colleagues prefer.)

In addition to conflicts on policing, the past few years have brought greater political, social and financial tensions to the Council, which I think has led to some sort of split atmosphere.

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As for these dynamics, Hamilton is not the majority seat in the council, which leads to moments of frustration.

Once, when the Council discussed some of the controversial options to address social challenges in private, she even raised the charge of “toxic governance culture”. At another point, she ticked several colleagues when she and Cartmell joined a provincial public safety task force that did not invite Sohi. Her several votes against the recent budget have also caused stimulation.

When asked about these tensions, Hamilton took a diplomatic attitude. She said the council’s relationship didn’t play a role in her decision not to run anymore and spoke about the challenges of everyone in the face of public service.

She noted that when she started serving in 2017, she benefited from her experienced colleagues.

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“It helps me and other new councillors make cohesive decisions and remembers that the oath we swear is an oath to the city of Edmonton,” she said.

“I think everyone is studying together this semester, including the four of us who are back because we’re only going into the second semester. I think it slowed down and let us down, and I don’t know we’re reaching this cohesion. I think it takes more than a time to get that rhythm.”

Feelings and facts

Nevertheless, while public services are difficult at their best, there is no doubt that the political environment has also recently become particularly polarized, requiring elected officials to adapt in ways they may not have expected. Hamilton said her experience has increased the need for compassion in dealing with confused and scared voters.

The next group of 13 people will need to maintain this idea when stabilizing some of the really critical debates about municipal finances – “I think we’re working on correcting this for four to five years in investing in core services. Similarly, there is further discussion on the density goals of cities and whether they can balance the public’s anxiety about housing affordability and neighborhood character.”

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“One of the risks of any leadership position right now is to satisfy people’s feelings through fact books,” Hamilton said. “When people come to you and say, ‘I’m not safe’ or ‘I’m frustrated, we tend to respond with factual reasons that they shouldn’t be that way. It’s not what people want.

“They are looking for a little empathy and understanding. It’s uncomfortable to sit with people who are angry, sad and fearful, but it’s work.”

Whether you agree with her politics or not, this observation shows why our city missed Hamilton’s presence. She is smart and compassionate, and I think one of the best strategic thinkers in the organization.

As I mentioned, she kept her speech time to a minimum at the council meeting this semester, and some people may cut a certain disengagement, but I think that is more due to a strong policy understanding that doesn’t require a lot of questions and debate.

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Her point of view is almost always worth listening to when she holds the microphone and can often cut off some of the extra complexity.

It’s a valuable skill in today’s era full of political noise and I hope Hamilton can use it again sometimes when he’s at work another time.

kgerein@postmedia.com

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