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Communication the key to being good leader, says Arviat mayor

Joe Savikataaq Jr. says keeping people informed and handling their requests are key elements in running efficient hamlet council
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Arviat Mayor Joe Savikataaq Jr. places a high importance on proper communication to run an effective hamlet council. Photo courtesy Joe Savikataaq Jr.

Meeting the challenges of being mayor in a Kivalliq community is often as hard, or smooth, as a person chooses to make it for themselves, said the mayor of Arviat.

Joe Savikataaq Jr. has been mayor of Arviat for the past five years.

Savikataaq said something is hard only if you want to make it hard.

He said when it comes to being mayor and handling any pressure, decisions, difficulties or obstacles, everyone has their own level of tolerance.

What is stressful to one person may not be stressful to another,” said Savikataaq. “The hamlet of Arviat is very unique. I believe it's the only one in the territory where council is the committee of the whole and everyone is part of everything.

So there's no health committee or finance committee, for example. Everyone is committee of the whole. This approach works way better in my opinion. It's a lot more efficient.

If you have a committee, the committee meets and they make recommendations to council. Council then goes with, or against, that recommendation.

But, the same people who are on council are on these committees, so they're, basically, making recommendations to themselves, so, by having a committee of the whole, you eliminate that process and deal with it right away as a whole.”

Savikataaq said the approach is working well in Arviat and that's how they'll continue to operate.

He said the bottom line is that you go and do what the people want. That's why people are elected into these positions, to do the wish of the people who they represent.

Getting feedback from, and communicating effectively with, the public is very important in this position, and that's the way it's been with me from day one right up to speaking with you today.

The best ways of getting input from community members are in-person, often via the hamlet's Facebook page, or via a call-in radio show.

In my opinion, every community is different, but here in Arviat, the call-in show is better than having a town hall meeting. People can still participate from home and have their say on the topics being discussed.

For any request that comes our way, we assist them as best we can and direct them to the right place to go for answers. We look into every matter that's being requested. Communication is a key element into everything we do.”



About the Author: Darrell Greer, Local Journalism Initiative

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