In addition to serving as Mayor of Morro Bay, Janice is a professional photographer, Coordinator of the Winter Bird Festival, and co-author of a new series of childrens books.
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Changes and Challenges
by Janice Peters
As I announced at a recent council meeting, I do not intend to run for re-election as mayor of Morro Bay. I have served three terms in a row. It is a very challenging job, especially since the primary adds eight months of campaigning to the second year of each term. It is also a very rewarding job. For anyone who might be considering running, here's a job description to aid in your decision:
Qualifications
- Must have been a Morro Bay resident for at least 6 months.
- Must have a comprehensive reading ability to handle the 100-500 monthly pages of reports and information on everything from sewage to fireworks.
- Must be comfortable with public speaking, able to think on your feet and not put one in your mouth.
- Must have a writing ability for reports, speeches, responses to constituents, newspaper articles, etc.
- Must be diplomatic and respectful, willing and able to hear and respond to both sides of issues;
- Must be well-groomed and friendly . . . you are the primary public image of our city;
- Must be law-abiding and responsible . . . you need to be an example to others;
- Must be thick-skinned and patient . . . no matter what, some people won't like you and they'll let you know it. You need to be able to accept that and not react in kind.
Experience
So that you have some idea of the issues and the workload, a term on the City Council is the best experience . Also helpful is time on the Planning Commission or another advisory board. You need to understand how a city operates and how it differs from a private business.
The Work
- Set the agenda and tentative time schedule for twice-monthly council meetings; do the research, reading and discussions to prepare; run the meetings.
- Attend numerous other city and county meetings (I attended 170 in 2009).
- Attend 50-100 public events, from ribbon-cuttings to school events to speeches at celebrations.
- Phone calls are frequent and e-mails are endless. I receive over 100 per day on city issues, most of which require a response, sometimes brief and sometimes lengthy. (And I never press "send" before imagining what my response would look like on the front page of the newspaper!)
- Shopping and other public activities are opportunities for face-to-face contact with the people you serve. These spontaneous conversations take time, but they offer a vital source of information and education for both of you.
- Travel to Washington D.C., Sacramento, and other destinations to represent the city's interests.
- Develop relationships with county, state, and federal representatives and their staff.
- My work hours for 2009 totaled 1,175 scheduled hours. A 40-hour/week job totals 2080 hours, so being mayor is a major time commitment. (If you have a family, consider them in your decision to seek office, as they will be directly affected by your workload. ) Add another 100 hours of campaigning in your second year of office if you run for re-election.
As a councilmember, you can work your council hours around your regular job. As mayor, you must be able to adjust your regular job hours around your work as mayor. And you must keep your regular job because . . .
Cost and Salary
Campaigning for office, even in a small town like Morro Bay, costs between $10-$15,000 for the primary and election, although most of that should be covered by donations from supporters.
Salary for Mayor is $700/month plus health insurance coverage. Councilmembers get $500/month.
You are issued a city credit card for expenses incurred traveling and attending certain events.
Morro Bay does not provide laptops, internet, or car allowances as some other cities do.
The Frustrations
The major frustration of holding office is not being able to educate everyone on important issues.
Individuals don't have time to study all the issues, so they elect us to do that for them.
But they are understandably reluctant, given political behavior these days, to trust us once we are elected. It's all a matter of education and information, but there seems to be no complete solution to the problem.
A personal frustration is being lied about and having the lies believed. And sometimes you have to make decisions you feel are best for the city, but cost you valued friendships. These things hurt, but they are part of the job.
The Joys
The most rewarding moments are when people take the time to thank you for serving . . . that kind of comment makes my day!
It's also very gratifying to see projects you supported or initiated succeed, in my case, the Harbor walk, the roundabout, the new fire station, dredging the bay, the Fundraiser Follies and the Mermaid and Pirate Parade, in particular.
Best of all is getting to know so many interesting people and working with them to the betterment of our community.
So that's the job of mayor as I see it. I have been honored to perform it these past few years, but now it's time for someone else to accept the challenge and bring their talent and vision to the job. If you have the inspiration, the dedication, and the time, nomination papers are available from the city clerk right now!
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