-: Because you're the person that people come to
when they have a problem,
it provides you the opportunity
to address those problems more directly.
And sometimes, instantly,
and it's great to solve somebody's problem
right then and there.
But sometimes, it requires a more thought-out
and considered approach when that problem's not simple,
because, in government, you're dealing with problems
that sometimes are between neighbors
or sometimes are between someone and a state agency,
or anything like that.
So it requires, sometimes, a bit of finesse
to call some certain individuals
and work out the problem.
So it's been good to address those problems directly
because, although I am involved in
long-term planning and strategic partnerships
and this sort of thing,
as a village council member, that was primarily your job.
You're involved in these partnerships,
and you're involved in considering legislation,
and if I pass this legislation today,
what happens in 10 years?
And I quite enjoyed that too,
but it's, I think, more directly rewarding
to be involved in the instant, sort of,
"Okay, you have a problem.
"Let's see if we can do something about it and we could,
"or we couldn't but here's what we could do."
So that's, I think, been really rewarding.
The biggest challenge, which isn't always present
but I think always is possible,
is that all of the work you get done
requires you to have
these personal relationships and working together,
and I've been a part of some groups of people
that that was harder than other groups of people.
I think everyone's local government,
if you follow your local government at all,
every 20 years of thereabout, you get a group of people,
and you're like, "Wow, what's happening there?"
And sometimes and they get stuff done,
and they don't work together and sometimes they do.
So I think that's what you always have to be aware of,
is that everyone's getting along
because of your goodwill with each other.