City Council - 2018 vs. 2019 (Part 2)

We’re looking at how the new Council is functioning and to do this we’re comparing their first two months with the first two months last year under a different administration. Two months isn’t a long time, so every month we’ll continue to look at how this group compares to the prior group.

Bear in mind we’re only looking at the new projects initiated, and not at the normal processes of government. These normal processes are more-or-less similar from year to year.

Last time we noted nearly two dozen achievements in the first two months of 2018. Most of these were in the area of improving the way government works (e.g., written reports on committee activity, invigorated strategic planning), better communication (e.g., FB-Live, HOA Council, Mayor’s Minute), public safety (e.g., new seminar on child exploitation, updating active shooter protocols), and quality of life (e.g., search for a local animal shelter, advisory committees). Most of these initiatives turned out to be productive and successful.

Now let’s look at the new initiatives introduced in the first two months of 2019 by the new Council –

In case you missed them, here they are again –

In simply language, this Council has not initiated a single new project.

Some people will think that a "do nothing" government is a good thing. Didn't Ronald Reagan make fun when he said "The most terrifying words are 'I'm from the Government to help.'" And it's the popular mythology that the stock market goes up when Congress is out of session. But is that really true? Do we prosper when the government sits back and lets the staff, almost none of whom live in the City, dictate what happens? Let's examine that issue next time.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr. Jim Gardner is a former City Council member and Mayor. He is one of the organizing members of Lake Forest Community Action Network. You can check him out on LinkedIn and/or Facebook and you can share your thoughts about the City at Lake Forest Town Square on Facebook