By Chris Lewis|August 5, 2021
With one hectic term under her belt, Mount Pearl councillor Isabelle Fry is hoping to see herself seated in the City’s council chambers once again this fall.
Fry said it was an easy decision to run for council the first time four years ago, fuelled by one thing: a hope of helping the people of her city.
That proved to be enough for voters, who provided her with her first four years of political experience. Since then, Fry said, she has learned more about municipal government than she could have ever hoped and is eager to put that knowledge to use with a second term.
She described her first term on council as a big learning curve, with something new added to her plate regularly.
“I thought I did, but I truly had no idea what (being a councillor) would be like. It’s a lot of work, but it is so incredibly rewarding, more so than I ever imagined,” Fry said. “That’s the biggest reason why I want to run again, because you really are in a position to help people and make a difference. You get to meet so many amazing people and do so many amazing things. For me, it’s been a gift.”
Fry laughed as she recalled the first time she met with the rest of council. They were each asked to compile a list of things they hoped to accomplish. When it was tallied,
they found their list had accumulated to a cost of $375-million.
The City’s annual budget is about $50-million.
That was a big eye opener, said Fry, and she realized the importance of prioritizing projects and ideas, and just how much planning has to go into things.
“It’s easy to sit back and say, ‘We need this, and that, and that, and that,’ but then to try and come up with the means for it? Suddenly you’re asking what things you’re willing to give up for that other thing. You have to mix and match, be creative, learn to lobby government … It’s an incredible process, but one that takes a lot of attention.”
As chairperson of the finance committee, Fry brought down the City’s budget this year. She is happy that council was able to lower taxes.
“In a year when people needed it the most, our council agreed that people come first,” she said. “People struggled a lot this year, people were laid off, and if there was ever a time to give back to the people, this was it. That, to me, is what municipal government is all about: taking care of the people.”
Fry said she is excited about the recently announced community centre: something the City badly needs, she added, especially for groups such as the Association for the Arts and the Mount Pearl Independent Seniors group.
“We’re so fortunate to have groups like this here in our City,” said Fry. “This community centre is, to me, the essence of what our community spirit invokes. It makes me very excited. Yes, at the end of the day you need to have things like sustainable infrastructure, and water and sewer services, and those are things that need to be invested in. But those are things that you can’t always see. People take them for granted. But equally as important is our people, and that’s what got me into municipal government in the first place: being able to make a difference for the people. I love it.”
