What does it mean to be a city Alderman

I am really excited to be asked to contribute to the Kingdom Politics’ Blog.   While my experience in city government is limited and I have a lot left to learn, I wanted to share my experiences and insight so far to hopefully encourage anyone desiring to get involved in local politics within their community; it’s much easier to get started than you might think.  I believe my target audience for this is anyone thinking about being more active and engaged within their community and who are curious to know what it means to be a city alderman or a councilman. Admittedly, I am coming at this from a small town perspective, but I believe the message here applies to larger towns as well.

Maybe you’ve heard some rumors going around town about a city official. Maybe you’ve seen a lack of basic city service. Maybe you’ve heard about, or seen in action, inequalities in how city ordinances are written or enforced. Maybe you’re just interested in how things work and want to be involved.

A year ago, I had very little knowledge about how my local government functioned.  I had no idea who was involved in my city government.  I had lived in my town for 16 years without really getting to know very many people.  I’m a natural introvert.  The local mayoral election of 2022 brought with it a bit of controversy, and as is the case with most small towns…  the rumor mill was working overtime.  Among the rumors were the usual claims of financial mis-deeds, corrupt officials and the like.  Even with my limited exposure to ‘people in the know’, I still heard no less than three different versions of the same rumor.  My curiosity was peaked.

To combat choosing which of the three versions of rumors I heard after each council meeting to believe, I decided to attend those meetings for myself.  I learned who my alderman was for my ward (after learning what a ward was), and I also learned that my in-person experience at the meetings often did not match the rumors I’d hear the following day, passed along by people who were not even in attendance.  (Context and tone add a lot of value to a conversation.)  Though I had lived here 16 years, I was basically a newcomer.  I did not have the same history with these people as they had with each other. I found myself in a unique position of only being able to take people at face value. I knew I could not and should not base my dealings with these people based on rumor.

After attending a few meetings and speaking directly with some of the city officials I learned a few things.  1)  Council meetings are not regularly attended by very many citizens.  2)  It is hard (especially in small towns) to get people interested in being active in their local government. 3) It is easier than you might think to get involved.

As I attended these council meetings, I would mill around with the (albeit small) crowd afterward.  I injected myself into nearby conversations and introduced myself (a difficult task for an introvert like me, but manageable).  I myself didn’t have many experiences that would add to the conversation, so I listened.  Though they didn’t know me, and I didn’t know them, people want to be heard.

To make this long story a little shorter, I’ll skip forward to a few months ago when one of the aldermen in my ward resigned from their position.  I was asked if I’d be willing to fill in for that position until the next election.  I agreed and was sworn in a short time later.   The key point of this to note is that I was asked to fill in for not much more reason than that I showed up and listened.  I don’t want to over-dramatize my role or feelings about this, but through the process of showing up and listening I felt myself being drawn to get involved.  I spent a lot of time praying for guidance and wisdom, and for a door to be opened if it were God’s will.  When the opportunity to fill an empty seat came up, I not only accepted the chance to be involved, but sincerely wanted to do the job well.  I want to make a noticeable and positive difference in my community, and I think an alderman is in a good position to do just that.  While I don’t think it necessarily requires a ‘calling’ to get involved, you do need to be prepared to commit a certain amount of time and energy to the job.  I have long believed that the most valuable asset I have to offer anyone is my time.

Finally, back to the topic at hand:  What does it mean to be a City Alderman?

An alderman is someone who is elected to the city council to represent other citizens within their specified voting district (or ward).  The city council is basically the legislative branch of your local government.  The council is responsible for city ordinances and anything related to city finances.  Cities are divided into districts or wards based on population distribution.  Your specific voting ward or district will be found on your voter id card.  Usually, a quick Google search will get you this information as well.

So, what does it mean to be a city alderman?  It means you have agreed to represent the people of your ward and take action and make decisions that benefit them and the community as a whole.  It means listening to your fellow citizens and addressing their concerns.  A lot of times it means providing perspective to people about their issue.  It also means communicating the ‘how’ and ‘why’ regarding decisions that are made. It means using logic and reason to make decisions and not just acting off of emotion  while simultaneously showing empathy toward what others are telling you.

It does not mean you will be able to solve everybody’s problems.

In short, it means being somebody that cares enough to donate your time and get involved.

There are obviously other things that can make one more effective in a city council role.  It’s great to have the ability to understand complex financial statements and budgets.  To be able to plan effectively and efficiently, take in the big picture.  Having leadership skills and being an effective communicator; the ability to work in a team environment.  These are great qualities to have, but I would argue they are not a prerequisite.  If you care, you will learn these things as you go.

‘Should Christians involve themselves with local politics?’ could easily be its own dedicated article, but I do feel its worth addressing in this one as well.  This is something I’ve thought about quite a bit and how it relates to myself; but which was clarified for me in a recent sermon.  Our Pastor mentioned Matthew 7:16 which begins with ‘You will recognize them by their fruits’.  What better way for a Christian to uphold and represent the Kingdom of God than by serving their community and letting God’s light shine through your actions?   Our communities are made up of believers and non-believers alike.  We pay taxes and utilize city services; we are already a part of the government at its most basic form.  We pray that our leaders will reflect our Christian morals and uphold our Christian ideals. So, it makes sense that we offer up ourselves as a Christian option on the ballot.

As an alderman everything you do reflects who you are.  The job is to represent your ward and your town, but HOW you do that will reflect who you are as a person.  Like Christ, we have the opportunity to show empathy and compassion (as he does in Matthew 9:36) and to also show justice in how the city government interacts with its citizens.  

I’d like to sum this article up by encouraging you to get to know who runs the government in your city, and research how it is being run.  My hope is that more people will get involved in their communities and work together to make those communities a better place for all.