MAYOR John Moran clearly isn’t a Status Quo fan. His opposite number at Limerick City and How’s Your Father, Director General Dr Pat Daly, recently suggested at a local authority meeting that Mayor, executive, and councillors alike should all “get down deeper and down“, as the tune goes. Keep the heads to the floor, get on with the job at hand until the countless grievances are sorted and, above all, maintain the Francis Rossi. He was spot on.
Washing the dirty linen out in public doesn’t serve anyone. It certainly shows questionable leadership and communication skills, at the very least.
“What you’re proposing“, Dr Daly, is the sound advice of a man you would go to war for and with. “Whatever you want, whatever you need”, councillors John Sheahan and Michael Collins will undoubtedly be in the dugouts with you.
Lead your troops by example, and, if you seek respect from the rank and file, earn it. Perhaps tell-all blogs aren’t the best way of bringing about unity.
At this stage, the Siege of Limerick wouldn’t get a look in and, I tell you what, the blame can’t all be flung solely Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael’s way either, no matter what way you want to colour it, they’re all at it.
What’s evident now though is the thing most needed and most lacking – leadership.
After the recent Corporate Plan meeting and the drama that followed, Mayor Moran decided enough was enough and took to his corner of the interweb tell his side of the story.
“Since my election, a small minority of councillors within the two ‘ruling’ parties have consistently opposed almost every significant initiative I have brought forward. I emphasise: this is not the majority of councillors. Many across the chamber engage constructively. But a small group have chosen a different path,” he wrote.
He aired his grievances and received a backing from his supporters that has been sorely lacking in some quarters of the Council chamber.
Labour councillor Joe Leddin, however, was having none of it.
“The Mayor is regrettably losing the room,” Cllr Leddin told this newspaper. “His blog post speaks of leadership but that is what’s lacking.”
According to the City West representative, the Mayor rejected an arranged facilitated workshop because he disliked the facilitator selected rather than focusing on the end objective – “namely agreeing our corporate plan.”
“A failure to look closer to home will not serve the organisation, or more importantly Limerick, any good,” the Labour councillor opined.
As wise old sage Rick Parfitt might have also pointed out about the trials and tribulations of local government, “Dear John, sometimes it’s hard!”
– Local Democracy Reporting Scheme