To be or not to be Leslie Knope
Prior to this course, most of my understanding of municipal governments came from watching Parks and Recreation. An underlying theme of the show seemed to be the challenge of funding initiatives and last week’s conversation on city budgets made it that much more clear why. Another motif of the show was the public engagement that civil servants of local government constantly pursued. How many times did Leslie’s department get tormented at the public forums she held? I lost count.
But this is something that last week’s virtual field trip to Toronto City Hall made me think about. A number of the Munk alumni said that one of the reasons why they decided to enter municipal government was the opportunity to make and see impact locally. Many mentioned they were only a few levels away from top decision makers and see their work actually being implemented in real time. Having worked in the federal government for my internship last year, this was something I didn’t get to experience. I think being able to witness my work in action and see it contribute to the greater benefit of my city or surrounding area would be something I would incredibly value in a career. But to juxtapose, working from a higher order of government could also contribute to more systemic changes, ones that affect not only Torontonians but all Canadians. And while the trickle down effects can take longer, the impact can still exist. Nonetheless, I think experience in all orders of government and even outside of government is beneficial and would allow for a more well-rounded perspective when it comes to policy and decision making.
Another interesting insight mentioned by Munk alumni that resonated with me was the interaction with multiple councillors. Unlike in the federal or provincial government where you report under one minister, Toronto’s City Council is made up of 25 councillors (and the mayor). On top of balancing requests from multiple councillors, you are also limited within provincial statutes and legislation. I’d be curious to learn more about harmonizing instructions coming from different directions and how initiatives are operationalized in this context.
It seems that cities are tasked with so many responsibilities for service delivery but don’t have much agency in how services are delivered or funded. Since the services that cities provide are utilized or visible to citizens everyday, it seems they also face the most scrutiny. What an impossible undertaking municipal governments endure.
