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Good morning, Hawkesbury! If I had the great privilege of being your Mayor for a day, my focus would be on laying the groundwork for a Council that is not just efficient but genuinely visionary and deeply connected to the community. My day would involve clear, practical steps aimed at transforming our local government from the inside out.
Morning Session: Setting the Foundation for Accountability and Empowerment
My initial priority would be to focus on the heart of the Council's operations:
- Measure What Matters: The "Hawkesbury Dashboard" Initiative. You can’t manage what you don’t measure. I would immediately assign our senior leadership the task of creating a transparent, public-facing "Hawkesbury Dashboard." This system wouldn't just monitor activities; it would track outcomes against key performance indicators (KPIs) for every department, especially in critical areas like road maintenance, waste management efficiency, and development application processing times. We would monitor resident satisfaction ratings for services, response times to inquiries, and the tangible impact of community programs. This isn't about blame; it's about ongoing improvement and celebrating successes. Imagine a clear visual display of our progress, accessible to every resident.
- Empowering Our Greatest Asset: The "Hawkesbury Innovators" Program. The Council staff are the backbone of this community, and their insights are invaluable. I recommend launching the "Hawkesbury Innovators" program, based on the principles of Respect for the Individual, Excellence in all we do, and Service to the Resident. This isn't just a slogan; it's a change in how the Council operates.
- Leadership Development: Managers would attend mandatory "Empathetic Leadership" workshops, focusing on active listening, collaborative problem-solving, and fostering psychological safety within teams. They would be trained to empower, not just direct.
- Voice of the Front-Line: We'd establish an immediate, anonymous feedback channel, and a "Bright Ideas" committee where front-line staff suggestions for efficiency, service improvement, or problem-solving are not only heard but actively triaged and implemented, with recognition for successful innovations. No fear of retribution – only reward for proactive solutions. The people doing the work often know the best way to fix it.
Mid-Day Focus: Back to Basics, With a Modern Twist
After a productive morning, my focus would shift to the Council's core mandate:
- The Four Rs: Re-Centring the Mission. Refocusing the Council on its core duties. The Four Rs would be:
- Rates: Ensuring responsible financial management and transparent allocation of ratepayer funds, demonstrating clear value for money.
- Roads: Prioritising immediate action on critical road infrastructure and developing a proactive maintenance schedule based on the Hawkesbury Dashboard data.
- Rubbish: Innovating our waste management with an eye towards sustainability, increased recycling efforts, and cleaner public spaces.
- Resident: This is the cornerstone. Every decision, every initiative, and every service must ultimately serve the well-being and needs of Hawkesbury residents. We would establish regular "Meet Your Mayor/Council" forums, not just formal meetings, but casual opportunities for residents to voice concerns and contribute ideas directly. This fourth 'R' would permeate all others.
And with that ambitious start to the day, it would be time for a well-deserved, but brief, working lunch! My commitment would be to ignite a culture of transparency, accountability, and empowerment that extends far beyond a single day.
