Dear Mayor Amir Omar,
Congratulations on winning election to become Richardson's Mayor. You worked long and hard for this. You deserve it. Before you decided to run this year, you individually met with 200 Richardson residents for coffee. Friends, foes, and strangers. You tried to understand what the community cared about. Then, after you decided that you had something to offer, you kept on meeting with Richardson residents. Your latest count of coffee meetings is over 400. You had your finger on the pulse of Richardson. And the voters rewarded that. You were the clear choice of a majority of voters to lead our City.
You've already started down the road to success in your first remarks to the City after taking office. You thanked outgoing Mayor Bob Dubey, and acknowledged three former mayors in the audience and asked for their help and advice. Check. You expressed excitement about working with the current city council and city manager and staff. Check. You promised to continue to engage with the community through regular coffee chats and quarterly town halls. Check. You promised Accessibility. Transparency. Collaboration. Check, check, and check.
Now that you're in office, life comes at you fast and those promises will be put to the test quickly. Next Monday, the council needs to pick a mayor pro tem. Obviously, this is an important action for the six other council members, but it's also critical for you how you handle the process.
Listen closely to what the other council members had to say about outgoing Mayor Bob Dubey. Mayor Pro Tem Arefin highlighted the importance of open leadership and inclusive decision-making. Ken Hutchenrider said, "Bob invited us all to participate in every event that I ever went to with him." Joe Corcoran said, "You met us where we were, and I really appreciate that too, even the way you conduct our meetings, the way you let us breathe, the way that you let us express our thoughts and opinions, and all of it with infinite patience. It's really refreshing." Dan Barrios said, "From our first meeting when we elected a Mayor Pro Tem, you did not force your hand. You always had a way of allowing the process to happen, and stepped in when we needed a coach to get us back on track." Jennifer Justice said, "One of my favorite things about you is your elephant-never-forgets ability to recall just about every student or athlete that you worked with while you were in RISD. But more than that, you can recite where they are and what they're up to today." Curtis Dorian said, "Bob made it a priority to connect the council and allow all of us to shine. We all got our turn to provide proclamations, speak at events, network at a multitude of North Texas functions and seminars and meet other leaders."
I noticed while listening that no one said they admired Mayor Dubey's vision for economic development. Or his plan for protecting and investing in neighborhoods. Or how he values community engagement. Or how he promotes transparency. No, what they valued was learning backgammon from him, pitching quarters, sharing margarita recipes, karaoke night, and having a beer together.
Here's where I have to confess that those things aren't what I look for in a mayor. But I'm not a people person. Politicians pretty much have to be to be successful. (And Dubey, despite his protestations, was a politician, and a very successful one at that.) My priorities are economic development, neighborhood integrity, and open government. I was frustrated with Mayor Dubey's record on those fronts. I met with you, Mayor Omar, before you were mayor, over coffee, and I don't remember talking about your hobbies and leisure activities and non-work pursuits. What I admired about you is how you are always coming up with ideas for the betterment of Richardson. But know that I am not on city council. The traits that attracted me to your candidacy might come across as brash to others. I'm not saying you need to (but I would if I were in your shoes), but brushing up on Dale Carnegie's "How to Win Friends and Influence People" probably wouldn't hurt anyone.
Your first executive session will be a great opportunity to try a little Dubey coaching charm. Even if you have a strong opinion on the choice, let the council work out for themselves who they want as Mayor Pro Tem, then go along. I realized as I wrote that, that kind of thinking is how I talked myself into endorsing Laura Maczka for Mayor in 2013, so it might be a dumb idea. Regardless, going forward, spend a little less time pitching ideas and more time pitching quarters, or at least talking about, let's say, the Mavericks. ("How long do you think it'll take Cooper Flagg to make MFFLs forget about Luka Doncic?") That might make it easier to find common ground on more substantial matters later. There will come a time when you need to discuss how to fix Richardson. Get this first interaction with the rest of the council right and things are apt to go more smoothly when the tough problems need collaborative problem-solving.
Don't feel bad if you ignore my advice. I'm used to it. My blog's motto is "Not being listened to since 2006." I thought maybe with your election that my luck had changed, but I've been wrong before. I'm used to that, too.
Yours truly,
A Very Happy Richardson Voter
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