Municipal Matters: Assume positive intent

By Ann Mitchell on April 2, 2025.

Working in the public service, I have adopted the concept of assuming positive intent. I have advised both politicians and bureaucrats to assume that those that came before us made decisions for the good of the community and the organization with the information they had at the time.

It is easy to cast aspersions or doubt or even point fingers at our predecessors, however, it is not constructive.

Remember we were not sitting in that chair, around the council table or in that role. Many factors make up complex decision making, and running our cities, towns and counties is becoming increasingly more complex every day.

We’ve all been guilty of being armchair quarterbacks and say we shoulda, coulda and woulda done this, that or the other. But it’s important to remember that gaining knowledge to understand the whole is critical to understanding local government and local government issues.

Decisions on which services we provide are a complex cocktail of legislation, budget and the public good.

Assuming positive intent means giving grace and giving space – this allows those contributing to solutions to create and innovate. If you continue to second guess, you will always find flaws, it is a self-fulfilling prophecy.

“We never understand a man until we walk in his shoes” (H. Lee, 1960)

This axiom certainly applies to the government closest to the people. As we make our way through a municipal election year it behooves us to embrace this.

For those of us that work on the administrative side of the local government equation it deepens our understanding as to why sometimes we enter an organization and hear the old adage “we have always done it this way.”

Understanding that rationale before we attempt to make critical changes can smooth the way as this insight can lead to better collaboration and decision making.

Mid-sized cities such as ours provide services that are mandated as well as services that are desired by the community. This ranges from protective services to supporting the arts, culture and leisure activities that are the fabric of this city we call home.

Council must balance these needs within the budget to ensure affordability and livability for all residents and vested partners. The difficulty of this task cannot be overstated.

As council must consider what is in the greater good for the whole community, careful thought must be taken by those of us tasked with putting forward solutions or creative ways in which these services can be delivered.

As a governance body, council must ensure that their strategic vision is being implemented and should be focused on the big picture and long-range visioning in their manner. Those outside of this process often do not understand the challenges this encompasses.

Assuming positive intent as well as seeking to understand the perspectives of others helps us to be a more robust, diverse and resilient community.

Ann Mitchell is the city manager for the City of Medicine Hat

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