At the time of writing this, Mayor Malcolm Brodie may well be putting the finishing touches on his speech to be delivered in a couple of hours at the Richmond Chamber of Commerce luncheon.
There is nothing new in having politicians speak at chamber luncheons - it's a regular occurrence. What's different about this speech is the fact it's the Mayor's annual state of the municipality address.
The address summarizes council's goals, where it stands and what it plans to do in the coming year. It serves as a roundup and refresher for the voting public, even if it is just the city's version of events. The address is an important part of the city's democratic structure.
Moreover, this address has always been delivered in city council chambers, free-of-charge and open to all citizens of Richmond. However, in recent years, attendance has been dismally low. Thus, the mayor decided to reach a "broader audience," as he says, and deliver his speech at a chamber lunch - for $38 (plus tax) a plate.
We absolutely applaud efforts to reach a broader audience, but how broad a representation of Richmond society is the Chamber of Commerce, and how diverse an audience is one that has $40 to spend on a Tuesday lunch to hear the mayor? The chamber is a special interest group, whose raison d'etre is, in part, to lobby politicians for more "business-friendly" initiatives.
This is no slight on them, just a recognition that chamber interests don't necessarily represent the interests of all citizens. It would be equally problematic if the event was held at a union hall or was hosted by a particular religious sect.
That said, poor attendance is a concern and maybe it's good to get out of city hall. If no other public facility is adequate, and reaching a broad audience is the goal, let's at least see the address be held somewhere different next year.
Until then, councillors might give some thought as to why so few people attend at city hall. Is it because people feel city affairs are well in hand, or is it they feel they'll just hear a sanitized agenda, over which they have no influence? Either way, and regardless of where the address is delivered, the prize we all need to keep our eye on is civic engagement across the board.
