It’s All About the People

Marlys Palmer, Cambridge, BCLP 2000
City Mayor

Listening to Many Voices
Imagine a hastily called community meeting. An agitated group of people listen to the mayor’s decision to fire the city manager. When a man in the audience stands to voice his concern about the way the matter is being handled, the mayor says it is a council matter and they are not interested in what others have to say.

Such an incident would be unlikely under the watch of Marlys Palmer, BCLP alum and current mayor of Cambridge. She is passionate about the voice of the people in the governance of community life.

“I suppose I was the least likely person to be mayor, but I was always interested in the community and its business. When I decided to run the first time for a council seat my emphasis was on being able to be a voice for the people. From my observations and my work on the planning commission, I thought that the people were getting lost. There were too few opportunities to talk directly to the council. People needed a voice.”

Marlys’ first campaign for council failed. She ran again in 1997, this time for the mayor’s seat and won, becoming the first woman mayor in the city’s 114-year history. But that’s not why Marlys felt so strongly about winning. It was the opportunity to enable citizens to be heard in a way that gave them a sense of ownership in how Cambridge worked for the good of its members. She demonstrates that commitment in how she conducts city business. “Each person is important!” she says time and again in working with staff to foster that same spirit in interactions with residents. As a result, people are starting to come to council meetings to see what is happening and because they know that what they have to say will be respectfully received.

Resolving Controversy & Conflict
A wise community leader, Marlys knows that controversy and conflict are part of life. For every issue in which a group gains something, there is usually a good chance that another group will feel a loss. “Anyone with a complaint or grievance needs to feel free to come forward. Those of us elected to serve need to hear what’s going on and share in finding a resolution.” At the time Marlys was running for mayor, Cambridge was going through a lot of conflict. The community was carrying more debt than it should have been, and decisions were being made about tax increases without any voter input. “I knocked on every door in town — twice. It was the best way I thought to establish relationships and to provide a vision that emphasized governance over government.”

Marlys not only brought to her leadership a deep commitment to involving people in the processes of governing but also years of business skills and volunteer experience that have served her well. She and her husband Red have run an appliance/television sales and repair store in Cambridge for 36 years. In addition, Marlys served on the Isanti County and Cambridge Planning Commissions. That level of involvement offers insight into the broad scope of needs, resources, priorities, and challenges that shape what is possible. As she moved into her mayoral role, Marlys felt well informed about the assets and liabilities of the community. She also appreciated that, in Cambridge, the mayor is part of the council. “I knew that I couldn’t do this work by myself. I needed to develop and sustain effective relationships with my colleagues so that together we could recognize what we can and cannot do.” Early on, Marlys set about working to change the culture among staff and council members so that the voice of citizens was never viewed as an annoyance but as a welcome part of public service.

Dealing with Growing Pains
In terms of her greatest achievement thus far, Marlys cites the change that has occurred since she began her work as mayor. Nine years ago, Cambridge was in debt, with one of the highest tax rates in Minnesota, which was causing voter furor. Through extensive collaboration involving the council, the business community, and other service organizations, the city began to experience a new growth spurt. When Marlys was sworn in for her first term, population stood at 4500. Today it is 7200; that has positively impacted the tax base. Growth, however, is also a significant challenge. As the community expands in size, there is a need to re-vision the community’s future. There are more neighbors, more children in school, more people retiring to the city, an expanded medical facility, a robust community college — all important elements but all posing issues of increased need in every area of healthy community life.

This “happy problem” of growth and prosperity can pose challenges to “the way things once were” in a small community like Cambridge. One of the most effective ways to manage that resistance to change resides in Marlys’ first principle of leadership: listen to the voice of the people. She applies that principle in everything she does and is attentive to ways of getting people to be part of the same team. This applies to youngsters as much as it does to the adult population. She attends as many youth events as she can, using every chance to encourage them to be “part of the process.” Recently, Marlys was successful in seeing that youth were included on a Minnesota Highway Department committee known as “Toward Zero Deaths” (TZD). Snce they were a target audience, the students’ contributions brought insight to the committee that otherwise may have been missed and contributed meaningfully to the success of the safety campaign.

Leadership is about getting things done. From a BCLP perspective, the action is focused on building and sustaining healthy community. To that end, Marlys has had her first principle validated. “The voice of the people” cultivates collaboration around ideas, projects, and dreams that hold promise for the whole community. Her commitment to hearing people is in fact a skillful action strategy. For as she observes from her position as a businesswoman, a community volunteer, and now an elected official, “What the people create, the people will support.”