Brogan: The Road to City Hall?

On the acknowledgment page of my 2011 book, “Was That a Name I Dropped?” I pay tribute to my favorite city – Concord.

“The people of the City of Concord deserve a great deal of thanks. It was the greatest place to grow-up. Walking through the city is a journey filled with endless delight, not only because of the memories it recalls, but because there is always a sense of welcoming to all of us who return and an ability to forgive us for being less than perfect.”

During the past weeks while I have been hitting the campaign trail in my quest to become Mayor of Concord, I have spoken with hundreds of individuals. They have responded with good wishes coupled with comments about what they think isn’t working as well as it should in our community.

The biggest single complaint is a feeling that our elected officials don’t really hear us when we voice opinions that might be at odds with their own. This frustration often manifests itself with voter apathy, keeping the numbers who turn out for municipal elections very low.

“It doesn’t matter what we say, they’re like a Stepford Council who does as they’re told with few exceptions,” was the exasperated remark of one longtime downtown merchant.

In fairness, a portion of this notion is due to a disconnect between some officials who don’t always lend the time or have the patience to listen to what voters are feeling and then helping them to understand the process or why certain decisions might ultimately be in everyone’s best interest. There is, however, some justification in what Concord residents are feeling. I know that with one exception, no other city elected official has bothered to wish me luck or applaud my willingness to step up and try to bring about discussion and perhaps some change. Those to whom I’ve spoken have asked that of me and I’ve had to honestly answer that the silence has been deadening.

If I were a City Councilor and someone in my Ward were running for the Mayor, while I might not support or endorse them and might not want their sign on my front lawn, I would thank them for standing up and showing a desire to seek office. If we are ever to interest those living locally to run for School Board or Council positions, it is vital that we recognize those who are willing to take on the responsibility, regardless of whether their views are our own.

I have particularly enjoyed the honest and often heartfelt conversations I’ve had with voters. Because of my book, most people are aware of the ups and downs of my life. I didn’t gloss over anything in the tome, no matter how unpleasant or unflattering to me it might be. Judging from the thousands of letters and e-mails I received, that was the appropriate tact to follow. Clearly others benefitted from the sometimes grueling lessons I had to learn on this journey through life.

There isn’t a person who hasn’t faced challenges or difficult times. Despair can impact anyone for any number of reasons – loss of spouse, loved ones, jobs, home, a serious illness or addiction. No one is spared trauma. It’s ultimately how we handle it and what we learn from those times that helps to define us and enable us to move forward. It can also inspire us to offer our skills and services to deserving non-profits or other volunteer opportunities. Those is Concord are historic in their giving on behalf of others.

Stepping up to run for office would entail being as honest in person as I’d been on the written page. To make sure that nobody viewed my run as a ploy to generate additional sales for my book, I had it taken out of print. Running for office should not be about lining your pocket. That’s a distraction and there is no room for any such distractions.

If elected, my first priority would be to work – seven days a week if necessary – with other elected officials to find ways to repair the disconnect that seems to exist between the city and those who are elected. There must be transparency and complete trust if any agenda is to prove successful. True, you cannot please everyone but there needs to be trust.

In addition, priorities must include getting our taxes under control whether by actively recruiting new businesses that will become destination stop. We must continue dealing with a public health crisis which is heroin and the homeless issue and find lasting solutions. Some of this will necessitate a serious look at the mental health issues that impact on some of these problems. As the capitol city, we should be leading and showing others the way to solutions. A permanent homeless shelter may be needed but ONLY if it is not placed on the back of taxpayers – not one penny.

I must be available two or three days each week with regular office hours to listen to what the people of Concord have to say. In our form of government, the Mayor doesn’t have a magic wand to fix everything. However, listening to the heartbeat of this community will provide insight moving forward and allow people the chance to have their say. I don’t care if I’m used as a piñata because they need to vent. Perhaps I can direct them to services that will help or assure them their words are not falling on deaf ears. A community like Concord is comprised of more than 40,000 voices. They all deserve to have their say.

I want to encourage those who have never considered speaking out to give it a try. So many distinct and unique minorities encompass our city. Few if any are a part of the decision making. That needs to change.

One man told me he considered running for office on the Heights two years ago but was discouraged from doing so.

“They’ll chew you up and spit you out!” was one response he received.

We must preserve what is left of our amazingly rich history. Growing up in Concord, I could regularly see our historic Concord Coaches. They were displayed at the railroad station, at the Highway Hotel, in the rotunda of the Historic Society and at Concord Group Insurance among other places. We reveled at what Concord represented. We need to find a benefactor to help create a museum that will showcase our diverse and for some unknown past. We need to embrace what we were not shun it or hide from it. Millions regularly travel this country to see historic points of interest.

I am not a politician nor do I choose to be. What I am is a believer that “nothing is impossible” if you work for it. I am proof of that.

Some 30 years ago, I was sitting out on West Parrish Road in a car with a hose attached to the exhaust wanting only to end the seemingly dark and bottomless pit that was engulfing me. Three decades later, I have complete peace of mind, have accomplished more than I’d ever have imagined despite setbacks and disappointments. My book is optioned for a possible film and I have a contract for two more books. However, I feel that at this stage in my life, I want to give back to “my city” some of what it’s given me. If I can help longtime residents regain that inner spark and love for Concord or help newcomers to understand why I love this place, then I’ve accomplished something.

I was recently talking with my friend Doris Day and told her, jokingly, that I was considering appropriating her them song “Que Sera Sera” (Whatever Will Be, Will Be) as my election song. I’m not a ruthless politician who will say or do anything to get elected. I’m me – replete with past mistakes, a few quirks and some genuinely fine qualities. If I lose the election for being too honest, it’s a personal victory for me.