Increased Civic Participation - A Silver Lining of COVID-19
I still love a good town hall, but providing another resource for our citizens to engage with us will, hopefully, mean more engagement, even after the pandemic is behind us.
Recently referred to as "the least political person in politics," Kelley serves as a non-partisan, elected, Klamath County Commissioner.
It is difficult to find the silver linings of the COVID-19 clouds. Deaths, the devastating detrimental effects on school-aged children, and struggles facing businesses are all reality, a reality that collectively we've been dealing with for what seems like forever.
And, while it will continue to be hard to point out any positives while the pandemic is still raging, in retrospect, I think increased and easier ways to engage civically will emerge as a bright spot during otherwise gloomy times.
Pre-COVID-19, getting civically involved was logistically difficult, financially (and often times emotionally) expensive, and time intensive. In the “old” days, local governments were notoriously non-tech savvy, but the pandemic forced what would have been a long and slow transition to happen quickly. Smaller local governments everywhere started ramping up their technological capabilities. Klamath County was one such example.
As a Klamath County Commissioner, I recall just a few short years ago strongly pushing our staff and board just to get our meetings streamed on the web. Now, we've invested in Zoom, WebEx, and various other platforms so our citizens can be with us, even when in-person meetings weren't desirable or possible. The logistics of staying informed have become much easier (everything is posted online). The expenses have decreased (no childcare required to “attend” a meeting). The time has even gone down (no commuting to a distant meeting).
I still love a good town hall, but providing another resource for our citizens to engage with us will, hopefully, mean more engagement, even after the pandemic is behind us. For example, every Tuesday morning in the Commission's Business meeting there is an opportunity for public comment. Nine times out of ten not one person comes in to make a comment. That’s regrettable. Every government does better work when it’s learning from those it’s supposed to serve. My hope is the flexibility technology provides means easier engagement, and with engagement, better policies and understanding for everyone.
State legislators have similarly embraced technology as a way to keep the public process open, without having the Capitol actually open. While many of us want the opportunity to get back in the building, as someone who lives a four-hour drive from the Capitol, a drive that involves crossing a mountain pass in the winter, I like the option of being able to testify from afar, even post-pandemic. Imagine how much better statewide policies can be when statewide participation becomes the long-term norm thanks to technology.
The silver lining of increased participation also means more people participating for the first time—increasing our collective civic engagement. And, with more people participating, the overall impression of government will improve—more people paying attention and buying into the process will increase confidence in our government at a time when the efficacy of government at all levels has been questioned.
As an aside, I'd like to offer some thoughts on effectively communicating with an elected official.
A recent email exchange with a constituent reminded me that while I know elected officials are just normal humans like everyone else, people who've never engaged with one often don’t know how best to convey their message.
The email was from a man angry about too many cars speeding near his home, which is near a school. He indicated he had gotten the run around from others in "government" whom he contacted. His tone was not exactly gracious and let’s just say respect was lacking, as shown by him not including my title in his email. Though it wasn’t my favorite email, I knew he was writing out of frustration and simply wanted to feel heard. I connected him with both our Public Works director, and one of our Sheriff's Lieutenants, asking them to stick one of those signs showing you how fast you are going in the neighborhood, and perhaps provide some extra patrols to slow things down.
When our Public Works director responded on the email chain, he referred to me as 'Commissioner Minty Morris' and then explained all the good work they were doing on that issue in that area. Almost immediately the gentleman who had written to complain sent me a message about how grateful he was that just by reaching out to us, we showed we cared about the situation and would like to do something. He also apologized profusely for not referring to me as Commissioner Minty Morris, and said, "I've never contacted an elected official and didn't know the rules." Of course, there’s no formal rule, but the “pros” of political engagement know that they’re more likely to get their desired result by doing the little things like using titles for officials.
I assured the man that not using my title was not a big deal, and that I had been called far, far worse than being called by my first name. Some officials, though, are a bit more standoffish and may not take the time to see passed little things like a missing title. The exchange reminded me that people probably don't know what to expect when contacting an elected official, and with some pointers, perhaps the experience would be better for everyone involved.
So, here's some thoughts based on interactions I've had during the pandemic:
Don't assume the elected official won't help you or doesn't care about you. Assume the opposite. Assume they are serving because they want to help and they want to solve problems. Or, go in completely open minded with no assumptions.
Don't call them names. Think about how you feel when someone you don't know immediately berates you. Doesn't make you feel warm and fuzzy toward them. It's also not necessary, and only the most superhuman among us can avoid feeling a little defensive when attacked. Your elected official is not your enemy.
Don't threaten that you won't vote for them. For some reason people use that threat often, and it's ineffective. I'm guessing if you took the time to reach out to a particular elected, you actually probably will vote for them. And if you don't, you don't need to tell them that. Instead, focus on sharing your concern or question, and getting it answered. No need to throw your vote out there like it's some weird quid pro quo thing.
If they offer to meet with you, do it! You will both get something out of the experience.
Finally, assume they've had to look at the situation from a lot of different angles and with various lenses (equity, legality, etc.). When you share with them what you'd like to see happen, and they don't do it exactly as you wish, don't assume they didn't hear you or respect you. Remember they serve a large and diverse base of citizens and perspectives.
I've often said being a County Commissioner is the greatest job in the world, well, I said that all the time, pre-2020. Leaders at all levels and in all types of arenas have struggled, right alongside our citizens, over the last 15 months. I know a lot of elected officials, and they ran for office because they like people, they like working for people, and they want to solve problems. Having problems that feel totally unwinnable is not why people run for office.
My most painful interactions with those I serve are the few times when I really know the thing they want me to do is something that just won't have impact or can't happen. I want to tell them I can fix things, but I also have to be honest (for example, a complicated legal issue that involves courts and lawyers and is way above my pay grade). When your leaders share their thinking and reasoning, actually listen—make it a conversation rather than a confrontation. And if they credibly share information that's contrary to what you thought or makes you feel differently, tell them that. We all need to be ok saying "I was mistaken," or "with this new information, I've changed my mind."
With more participation and more humanity in that participation, we can transform our politics and make sure this potential silver lining becomes a real positive post-COVID-19.
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Connect with the Commissioner:
@kelleymmorris
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