Loran Joseph: end of a term, but not the end of engagement
Get involved to work with others to take incremental steps toward a better tomorrow.
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Loran Joseph: Formerly the Mayor of Baker City, now just a wind farm owner/operator, audio engineer, bass player, woodworker, barista, entrepreneur, and general repairman.
By the time you read this, my term as Mayor of Baker City will have ended. Thankfully, it’s not a scandal that’s pushing me out—I somehow managed to avoid one of those for four and a half years. The conclusion of my tenure is simply due to the term limits in our city charter. In all honesty, I can’t deny that leaving this post will take a big weight off my shoulders.
The past year was hellish for elected officials and I am looking forward to reclaiming my private life. There are a lot of other ways to give back to my community that I will pursue just as soon as I complete this honey-do list that I've been putting off for the last two years. Oh and binge watch all of "Schitt's Creek" so I can understand these memes the kids are using.
In some ways, I’ll be more empowered to make an impact out of office. Being mayor in a manager/council form of municipal government probably doesn't line up with your expectations of being "The Mayor." There are no executive orders, no salary with government benefits, no wood paneled office with reserved parking space, no late night dealings and no flashy accomplishments. I didn't even have a key to City Hall. Imagine wanting to do something, then convincing at least three out of six other councilors that it's a good idea, and all getting together after work so the four to seven of you can tell someone else to do it. Then come back later to hear about how no one likes the result. That's pretty much being mayor in a nutshell.
Being successful means showing up, listening, working towards consensus, and following through. Very much a soul numbing, headache inducing slog to the finish. And the payoff? Usually a balanced budget that no one looks at but many criticize. Or an understaffed police department that balances "what we need" with "what the community is willing to pay." Sometimes, though, it's a bright and shiny new piece of playground equipment (that was a good day).
During my first few years in city government I was amazed at how many decisions our City Council made unanimously. I suppose I had been conditioned by our media and national political scene to expect epic left versus right battles, filibusters, and grandstanding. Lots and lots of grandstanding.
Lo and behold, when we all sat down together and looked at the issue together we almost always could come to consensus. I need to take a moment and thank my fellow councilors for coming prepared, listening, and considering others' opinions and conclusions before leaping ahead; and thank City staff for their thoroughness and diligence while not strangling us for questioning and second guessing their recommendations.
Of course, there were moments when Baker City politics mirrored those in Salem and D.C.: gridlocking disagreements that almost always revolved around hot button topics at the forefront of media coverage. 5G, Antifa, racial justice protests, etc. Topics that evoke an emotional response make it difficult for us as human beings to listen, consider, and compromise. The spread of misinformation doesn't help either, it becomes nearly impossible to reconcile viewpoints when they are based on completely different realities.
Throughout all the ups and downs I feel that I've come out the other side more informed, slower to act, and quicker to ask questions. A general mindset that has benefited me as an employer, father, and citizen of Oregon. There is value in politics, but only if one is willing to embrace the personal growth it requires in order to serve the community as a whole.
Being mayor would have been a lot easier if I felt that I only had to answer to those that voted for me. It became a lot harder when those were the people I had to tell “no” to. But when 49.9% of people oppose an issue does it make sense to push it through for the other half? History has plenty of exceptions to that question but luckily I wasn't asked to make history, just to figure out how to stop the rooster from crowing without banning all roosters from town. While I accept that we can never please all of the people, we can work to educate and compromise our way to a comfortable majority through engagement, listening, and understanding.
I hope that my experience encourages others to run for office and volunteer for local boards and commissions. Our democracy is built on being informed and getting involved and I believe one follows the other. Since you are reading The Oregon Way it looks like the former is being addressed, now it is time for you to tackle the latter.
Getting involved will bring long nights, a need for a stiff drink (or two), and plenty of frustrating moments. But, it’s also our obligation to be a part of the process rather than just an armchair activist that cries foul when one’s absolutist views are watered down by the difficult process of governing for a community and not just your slice of the political spectrum.
Don’t get involved for the glory; it won’t come. Don’t get involved to impose your views on the rest of the community; that’s not how it’s supposed to work. Get involved to work with others to take incremental steps toward a better tomorrow.
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Beautiful-thank you, Loran!
Loved your insight into the job and what that involved. I felt secure with your leadership Loran...unlike what I am feeling at present.