A year ago, on May 14, I arrived at City Hall with my family in tow. All four kids got out of school for part of their day. I had a meeting with a judge. No, not the kind of meeting that ends with a sentence (been there, done that).
A swearing in. In what was WAY longer than the oath that the President and Vice President took on January 20th, I committed to serve as an elected official.
As we departed the swearing in ceremony, I knew some of what was ahead - at least the weighty decision that I had to make that evening. The clouds of change had arrived and it was about to pour.
We headed for the much awaited Braum's ice cream with the kids and a phone call came in. A former member of our City Council had caught wind of the agenda item to discuss the City Manager's employment contract. Pleading with me to delay any action, the former Council Member conveyed a view of patience and taking a "wait and see" approach that would avoid any immediate action.
Standing outside the Braum's looking out on Main Street, I contemplated what I already knew about the leadership and history of our City and I had a strong idea of what else we would find when we really opened up the hood.
No one would be able to make the decision for me. In just a few hours, the Council would face a decision that would ripple through the City. I knew my own decision could sway the Council in one direction or the other since only 4 months earlier the vote to extend the City Manager's contract was only moved forward by a 3-2 vote.
That night, and each day since then, I have been living my oath:
"I will faithfully discharge my duties as City Council Member to the best of my ability."