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[Reiina]

Just a note on the issue about the water supply, I didn't see anything about regulations of the price of water during the 25 years contract the enterprise would manage the facilities(maybe missed it). But if that's not regulated you can expect water prices to skyrocket during those 25 years...

[Montague]

I'm really not even sure what a mayor does. I thought they were always just figureheads or administrative positions that just oversee the city councils. Maybe they are something more important in Canada?

I think a dog wearing a kerchief could probably be the mayor of my town for all I know and if not, I think such a candidate could oust the incumbent whoever that might be. Not sure why a 17 year old human couldn't do the job.

As for privatized water... in this case it sounds like the new project will just supplement the municipal water supply. Generally, privatized utilities offer better service and lower prices then municipal providers, unless the former is run by idiots or the latter is subsidized. The municipality can always simply mandate how the private utility company will function anyways, if the private company and the municipality can't agree, the municipality can simply kick the private company out and contract some other company to run the water works. Thats basically the mechanism of how all the EMT workers got laid off in my county, anyhow.

[Reiina]

I'm really not even sure what a mayor does. I thought they were always just figureheads or administrative positions that just oversee the city councils. Maybe they are something more important in Canada?

I think a dog wearing a kerchief could probably be the mayor of my town for all I know and if not, I think such a candidate could oust the incumbent whoever that might be. Not sure why a 17 year old human couldn't do the job.

As for privatized water... in this case it sounds like the new project will just supplement the municipal water supply. Generally, privatized utilities offer better service and lower prices then municipal providers, unless the former is run by idiots or the latter is subsidized. The municipality can always simply mandate how the private utility company will function anyways, if the private company and the municipality can't agree, the municipality can simply kick the private company out and contract some other company to run the water works. Thats basically the mechanism of how all the EMT workers got laid off in my county, anyhow.

From what I've read they have to let the private company run the water facilities for 25 years in exchange for funds to build it. I doubt they could break out of that easily(or at least without some heavy monetary compensations). No doubt the private company will increase the price of water to get back on their investment the soonest possible. On the other hand, if it's publicly built they will probably be an increase in taxes to built it.
But from experiences in my country, private companies water cost more in the end(especially if the city doesn't regulate its price in any way).

[Detonate]

I remember hearing about some town in Indiana or some place, like five years ago, where a teenager won a write-in vote for mayor or city council or something.  The Daily Show interviewed him.  I think the town refused to certify his victory or something, I dunno, the whole thing just disappeared so it couldn't have turned out too badly whatever the case.

I do know that in Iowa a 17-year old was elected mayor of a small town, and he served two terms.

[mainiac]

I'm really not even sure what a mayor does. I thought they were always just figureheads or administrative positions that just oversee the city councils. Maybe they are something more important in Canada?

Every town has it's own charter but the mayor of a given town usually has powers over appointments to various positions and various executive powers over the town and/or county government.  In smaller towns they might have very far reaching budgetary powers, especially on non tax matters and even in large cities mayors will usually have some ability to control the budget priorities.  If I recall correctly, they have some wiggle room on zoning issues.  Mayoral prerogative on hiring and firing can be a huge issue.  Just look at the school reforms in DC under the past two mayors and the pivotal role that the mayors office played because they could chose who headed the department. 

But mostly it comes down to a bunch of choices about direction that the mayor makes as the executive.  You might as well ask what powers does the president of the US have?  Well a lot of random ones and they aren't really enumerated.

So yeah, mayors are pretty important.  Your mayor probably has more control over the direction of your town then your Senators or your Representative.

[darkflagrance]

I'm really not even sure what a mayor does. I thought they were always just figureheads or administrative positions that just oversee the city councils. Maybe they are something more important in Canada?

I think a dog wearing a kerchief could probably be the mayor of my town for all I know and if not, I think such a candidate could oust the incumbent whoever that might be. Not sure why a 17 year old human couldn't do the job.

Well about that dog being mayor thing...

http://www.rabbithashusa.com/notions.php

It's not like our human politicians are going much good anyways...>_>

[Protactinium]

If I remember correctly, some major ancient Greek city-states (like Athens) used allotment to choose its politicians. Allotment, also called sortition, is when you basically choose who leads you by picking straws or winning a lottery. The reasoning that the Greeks had for it were based on several factors, like less susceptibility to corruption, but one of the major excuses of it was simply:

Running a city is not hard.

Enacting policies is not hard. You sign papers. The leader makes their decisions based on feedback from everyone else, not themselves. You use the majority opinions and/or the expert recommendations. No policy-maker is to ever make their decision based on their internal gut feelings and the overwhelming majority of them don't have a polymath background that authorizes their own knowledge.

The mayor of a city is not making their own judgements on the conditions of the roads. His or her Department of Transportation will hire experts to inspect the roads, and people with degrees in Urban Planning or whatnot will make recommendations on what the mayor finally decides to do about the city's major roads.

I bring this up as a perspective to consider, I'm not telling you the Greeks were right and allotment is better for democracy than election. But, I'm saying it's a logical argument with historical backing to have a 17-year-old as a town's mayor, because most of the major decisions that the mayor makes is still based off of external opinions.

[Virex]

The question I already asked in a roundabout way, is how well can someone without political experience distinguish between great ideas and great eloquence? Because the political arena is full of people who live to get their ideas implemented and each and every tries to convince you their idea is best. As a politician and especially as a major, you have to sift the pearls from the bullshit...