Derr: City hall needs to do much better at listening

 

Last updated 9/18/2019 at 10:49am

Aaron Derr

Councilmember Aaron Derr is running for mayor of Electric City and wants to fix the perception that city hall is running amok and just doing what it wants.

"There were things with city hall I felt needed to be better," Derr said about his decision to run for mayor in an interview with The Star on Tuesday. He'd like to see city hall show "a willingness to be more communicative to the community."

"For instance, with this Western Avenue construction," he said, "on the web page, it's just a small little blurb underneath a picture that you could easily miss. To me, it should be a blaring, 'Hey this is our schedule; this is what's going on,' because it greatly impacts people in that area."

"I feel like city hall hasn't reached out enough," Derr continued. [Current Mayor John Nordine] has gotten better near the end of his term, but I felt like city hall wasn't wanting to hear the community. To me, elected officials are employees of the electorate. Even if they are an electorate that voted against you, you're still their employee, you still need to listen to them."

Derr, a council member since 2014, cited an experience that helped shape his perception of government-citizen relations: Based on the opinions of 10 people who spoke at city hall, the council had voted against a planning commission's recommendation on auxiliary buildings. Survey results showing the community opposed those 10 outspoken people hadn't been made available to the council prior to that vote, Derr said. The planning commission quit in protest.

"So the loudest people at city hall aren't necessarily representing the majority of the community," Derr said. So it's important that city hall reaches out to community to get more input. "One of the things city hall has to do is be the ears."

Derr says many complaints about the city are due to a lack of communication, and that it's the mayor's job to see to that engagement with citizens. He has been critical of current Mayor John Nordine and City Administrator Russ Powers as having been reluctant to hear some criticisms.

But Derr also defended Powers against some of his critics. "Russ is taking a lot of heat when the buck stops with the mayor," he said. "So that mayor should be out front saying, 'It's not the city administrator, it's me,' or 'These policies aren't from Russ, they're from the council and I enforce them; I'm the mayor."

Regarding the "New Direction" candidates running for office, including Derr's opponent Diane Kohout, Derr said, "I don't have a problem with anyone that's running right now. I think they all have genuine intentions to why they're running and we all believe we're the right fit."

But the city has been going in a new direction the past few years, he says, noting many improvements during his time on the council:

"We have procured financing for two parks," he noted. "We're getting new streets that'll be accommodating to walkers and bicyclists. More street lamps were put in for safety. We repaired a lot of infrastructure that's been blowing out."

Derr said that parks and safety were two of the main reasons he got into city politics, but currently the biggest challenge is changing the perception of city hall.

"I think some of the biggest challenges are the current atmosphere that we have" he said. "The perception of city hall by a large portion of the populace, not necessarily a majority portion, but a loud portion, is that city hall is running amok and the city council is clueless on what they're doing."

The solution to that, Derr said, is being able to explain things, such as why a grant has to be spent a certain way.

"You have to be able to tell them so they can understand it," he said. "You can't just bark it at them; it's gotta be delivered with understanding and compassion and consideration of their perspective."

Derr also noted how complicated city politics are, operating not only under city codes, but under the laws of the state and federal government and the regulations of their agencies.

Derr has worked for the Grand Coulee Dam School District for 12 years, the past two as a teacher, having completed his teaching certificate through the online college Western Governors University while working as a paraprofessional at the school.

He moved to the area in 2005 to be with his wife Carrie, and moved specifically to Electric City in 2010.

Derr said his experiences teaching, and formerly as local president of the Public School Employees union, help qualify him for the role of mayor.

Raising three sons over the years, one still living at home, also got him involved in city politics.

"My catchphrase is going to be 'For a Family Friendly Electric City,'" he said, "because to me crosswalks in our heavy traffic areas, doesn't matter if you're old or in a stroller, that safety is important. Parks? That's important."

"City beautification. We need to be enforcing our ordinances that keep our community looking good and healthy," Derr continued. "And if we do that, we'll attract more residents, which means more tax payers, more income for the city, more entrepreneurs, new ideas, new politicians. I can't see how we can lose on this investment. To me, it only points to a better future."

 

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