NSFM president no stranger to local government pressures
Yarmouth Mayor Pam Mood is no stranger to a busy schedule. Mood, who first served as president of the Nova Scotia Federation of Municipalities in 2019, returned to the role after being chosen by her colleagues at November's fall conference. Photo: Nova Scotia Federation of Municipalities
Pam Mood is no stranger to a busy schedule. Mood, first elected to Yarmouth, N.S., town council in 2012, was re-elected last October for her fourth consecutive term as mayor of the 9,000-strong community.
Mood also has experience with the Nova Scotia Federation of Municipalities (NSFM), with which she served as president in 2019. To nobody’s surprise, all these roles keep her more than a little busy.
Despite her current duties, she returned to the NSFM presidency after being chosen by her colleagues at November’s fall conference. Mood’s reason for returning to her role at NSFM speaks to her passion for local government and her willingness to roll up her sleeves and get the job done.
“I just absolutely love municipal government. My experience lends itself to being able to help on the presidential front, and it’s always important when I’m a leadership expert as well,” Mood said. “When we talk about leadership, it’s not about being the leader, it’s about making sure you have a leader to take your place when you’re done. So, the mentorship and things like that. To be in that position and to be able to mentor and reach out to folks, it is just important and there are a lot of issues that have to be taken care of.”
Presidential Responsibilities
Mood said she sees the role as NSFM president as one with many responsibilities.
First and foremost is to be the face of the organization so that people know who to come to, who is representing their needs and their wishes. It is also her role to work with whatever government is in power in Nova Scotia. Fortunately, on that front, Mood said NSFM has “a great working relationship” with the province and so she is excited for the conversations that will surely take place.
After all, as president, it is her job to listen to the needs of all local governments in Nova Scotia, take them to the province, and work collaboratively to find solutions.
“If our needs aren’t met, then the needs of the people aren’t met,” Mood said. “It’s really as simple as that. And as difficult as that. Everybody wants their piece of the pie. But yes, it’s important that we work on all the things.”
Differences Communities, Same Challenges
NSFM represents municipalities of all sizes. From communities of less than 500 people to cities such as Halifax with nearly 500,000 people, Mood must work with local officials to find solutions to an escalating number of problems.
And while the scale of the issues may differ, Mood said she is a big believer in the adage that a rising tide lifts all boats. As such, she focuses on the needs of every community.
Yes, the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) “gets an awful lot of attention” as the largest municipality in the province. If the goal is to draw people to the province, then they want to make sure Halifax serves as a shining example and is standing in the best light possible. But even so, she is nonetheless focused on the needs of her rural colleagues as well because the challenges are no less important.
“We don’t have apple orchards in the middle of towns and cities, but they do in the rurals. They have farming, they have our food, they have all those pieces that help us live the life that we live,” Mood said. “We have perhaps more services depending on where you are. So, I think we are all different, but I approach the work the same because we all have needs and it’s all relative.”
Anger in Politics Today
As a woman sitting as the mayor of Yarmouth, and the president of NSFM, Mood is fully aware of the challenges facing her colleagues today. As a political veteran, she emphasizes that involving more women in all levels of government is key to community success. So much so, that if a woman was to approach her for advice on whether to run for council, she would tell them to do so.
Mood acknowledges proudly that she’s never been afraid to tell people what’s on her mind. She isn’t going to tell someone something just to appease them. Sometimes people hide the truth because it’s easier to just walk away.
Well, Mood has had to on at least two separate occasions leave her home under police protection simply because of decisions at the council table. But even so, she doesn’t regret at all her decision to serve.
“I would tell anyone this, it’s never personal. I have said a thousand times, you cannot attack people the way that we get attacked as elected officials, especially women, if your life is okay,” Mood said. “So, I will work 10 times harder to figure out what your issue is and find a way to help you manage that issue. That’s what I will do. I’ll work 10 times harder because life for that person must be tough if that’s what you’re doing.”
Dealing with the Pressure
All that said, Mood acknowledges being an elected official today brings with it a great deal of stress. But that’s why it is even more important to have the right tools for coping with all that stress.
For example, Mood said she doesn’t mind grocery shopping because she loves talking to people, even if picking up milk takes over an hour. Whether people are upset with council or with her personally, it doesn’t matter. People need to have the conversation and she’s open to doing just that. But at the same time, she understands how important it can be to gain some perspective and take a break from everything.
Mood said her favourite way to deal with stress is to take the family dog for a walk, put her headphones on, and listen to some music. In her case, and as a guitar player herself, 1970s folk music is her favourite.
“I just go for a long walk, maybe on the tracks, not in a place that has traffic, but a place that has nature, the beach, things like that,” Mood said. “I’m also an avid reader, so I do a lot of reading. Sometimes I have to put away the biography on folks and pick up something that will help me escape. But yeah, that’s what I do. Love to cook as well. I’m Lebanese and I love to dig my hands in the kitchen and spend time with my grandchildren. And life is good.”
Community Above All
Despite the stresses and the challenges, Mood remains committed to the local government space. And the reason for that commitment is simple, it’s the people.
Mood said nobody can do the work of local government without understanding people and what they need versus what they believe they need.
As a parent with three children (as anyone that has children can relate to), she can recall them saying they want candy for breakfast. As a parent, it is your job to say no, you’re going to have something healthy. In some respects, Mood said, it works the same way for elected officials.
“We want you to have what will give you a better quality of life as opposed to what you think you need,” Mood said. “That’s what keeps me going, just the ability to help other people, whether or not they recognize that that’s what I’m doing. Those are the pieces that just make me smile and keep me going every single day. When your quality of life is better, so is mine.” MW
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Sean Meyer is digital content editor for Municipal World.
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