The first rule for any small-town governing body should be: If what you want to do requires a phone call to a big city attorney to justify it, don’t do it. The letter the Haines assembly has shared with the community (sort of, it’s in the assembly meeting packet on-line, if you are looking) after firing a very good manager over old feuds and petty politics, must have been written by the lawyer. It explains that the manager is wonderful in every way, however this is a good time to make a change. During a global pandemic? When no one can attend assembly meetings? When the entire local government budget and our economy is one huge question?
Never mind — they can. So they did.
Well three of them wanted to, and three didn’t, and so technically, the assembly didn’t fire Debra Schnabel. The mayor did, since she can only vote to break a tie. The good news is that one of the yes votes could reconsider. There are always miracles, and when you have lived in Haines as long as I have, and love it as much as I do, you have to believe in them. We live among a lot of bears with very few negative encounters, so surely we can learn to live with each other in relative harmony.
Since my new book, Of Bears and Ballots is about my recent 3 year term on the Haines Borough Assembly and surviving local politics (It comes out in June. I will post the virtual events schedule, soon), I have been asked to make a list of tips to make life on an assembly or council easier, and to help citizens engage effectively with politicians. I’m thinking about it. For starters, the warning about making decisions based on an attorney call, especially during an executive session (that’s behind closed doors) is a good one. Another one is not to call anyone names. Be nice, lower your voice, and speak and write in the affirmative, even when you are really angry and it’s tempting to rant. (Do that in private, outside. Where no one can hear you. Never on Facebook. You will regret it and it’s bad for your soul. )
Here is a letter I wrote to the assembly:
Dear Mayor Hill and Assembly Members Josephson, Rogers, and Thomas (with copies to the others please),
I am very sorry that you chose to fire the longest serving manager in recent history during such an unprecedented unstable time in what amounted to an information blackout, especially since it all happened in executive session. I think trust is important, always, but more so right now, and you have deeply shaken mine in local government.
I am especially sorry that you could not come to consensus on such an important decision and that when Mayor Hill was forced to break a tie, she chose the extreme negative over any reasonable positive options. In the past, when this happened it didn’t bode well for the future (as such a slim political win, it can’t hold) and deepened animosity towards our government. In Haines, it’s safe to say, that if a majority of the assembly is not on board with a controversial decision, then 60 percent of the public won’t be. Think about it, for left and right, that’s been true.
Jerry Lapp demonstrated his courage and leadership, and proved why he has been a fixture in local politics for so long. He knows the community well, listens, and he is fair. Mean isn’t a word I associate with him. I knew Stephanie and Zephyr had good hearts and minds before this, and I thank them for their steady heads and wise, kind, community-minded solutions to the impasse with the manager. I’m sorry you ignored them.
I don’t envy the rudderless position you have put yourself and all of Haines in, or the many long, difficult meetings and encounters with concerned residents that will occupy your summer as you take the helm, or try to convince someone else to. I have been there, and it was terrible— and that was not during a global health and local economic emergency.
As I said at the beginning, I’m very sorry you chose this route, now. You could still reconsider, and that would be a pleasant surprise. Please think about it.
Good luck,
Heather
