On the walls of Oak Harbor Mayor Ronnie Wright's office are colorful paintings by local artists Tiffany Scribner, Leslie Stoner and Sandy Byres. Above the shelves are model ships, disco balls, books on fine art from around the world, flowers, plants, a plastic stegosaurus, and a picture of Ronald Reagan with the quote, “There's no limit to the amount of good you can do if you don't care who gets the credit.” ”
Wright bought the decor himself, getting rid of the dark colors and bulky furniture that had been there before. The idea is to create a worldly, cultured environment, based on his travels in the military, while promoting local artists and businesses. He said it reflects his vision for the city, taking Oak Harbor in a lighter, more positive direction.
Next week, the mayor will reach his 100th day in office. To date, his time has been filled with meetings with city, county and Navy departments and attending local events and state and national conferences.
He said the mayor's position is meant to be part-time, but that's not really the case. It's not even 9-5, it's all the time. As the owner of Pacific Grace Tax & Accounting in the heart of tax season, he had to devise a strategy to avoid working until 4 a.m. When he has moments when he's not working, he spends time with his family, two French bulldogs, and two Chihuahuas.
He said the most notable change since Wright took over as mayor has been the cultural shift in the workplace.
“I interact with our employees (so that) they have a very positive and rewarding work environment that they come to every day,” he said. “This has been one of my biggest heroes or mission in my role as mayor.”
Wright made a point of meeting each department and learning the names of the employees. He wants to be seen as a co-worker and not just a figurehead.
He added that this is not a superficial change, but rather a procedural change. They have new systems in place to track capital projects and link them to council objectives. As a leadership team, they review the matrices weekly.
“I think people feel like we hear them, we listen,” he said. “If there are concerns or input they want to get, I don't know how much of that has happened in the past. It's just a different style of leadership, more collaborative and inclusive, and that's what I'm after.”
The results of this will not be superficial either. Opening lines of communication with county officials and state legislators is the best way to get the most out of Oak Harbor's economy, he said.
Wright learns something every time he visits a new department.
“I'm not an engineer. I'm not a public works person. I'm not our planning department,” he said. “What they do, that stuff is way above me. “I rely on their experience.”
The Mayor puts his energy into removing obstacles to their projects and making them work within a schedule that achieves the best results. This task is not much different from owning an accounting firm or managing at the IRS.
He said that what is different is politics. Working in government differs from running a business in terms of interpersonal dynamics.
“Sometimes you have to be the bigger person and take the high road, even when it's hard to do so,” he said.
Overall, he said, it's been exceptionally positive, and he's proud of the leadership changes he's made since taking office, both in style and personnel. Wright terminated the fire chief and city manager and filled them in temporary positions. Within a month, he said, he plans to bring interim city manager Sabrina Combs to the council to make a permanent change.
“I'm very proud of her,” he said. “I have complete confidence in her abilities and who she is. Our leadership team loves the way she communicates with them and how she works with them. I am excited to see the board confirm her to this position permanently.”
Last month, the mayor, along with other city employees, traveled to Washington, D.C., to attend the National League of Cities conference and meet with legislators, Pentagon officials and members of the Army Corps of Engineers.
Wright said the greatest takeaway from the trip was identifying funding opportunities. Lawmakers are very receptive to Oak Harbor's goals.
Topics discussed included the need to dredge the marina, a marina feasibility study, a new entertainment center, arts center, and wastewater treatment plant. The goal is to get the wastewater treatment plant up and running this year, he said, because that will lower utility rates for all Oak Harbor residents.
He said the biggest misconception of city government is what employees can do and how quickly they can do it. There are much more barriers than in other sectors.
“I want to buy a computer for my accounting firm,” he said. “I go online, find what I want and buy it. I want to do the same thing (for the city of Oak Harbor). There's a whole different process you have to go through. You have to go out and bid. You have to make sure we don't have a contract with someone that requires us to use a specific vendor.” .
Wright's favorite part of the job is meeting people in the community and representing them as mayor, which is more rewarding than accounting, he said.
Now, 100 days later, Wright is working toward his municipal leadership degree and looks forward to continuing to meet Oak Harbor residents and hear their concerns.
“There is still a lot to learn,” he said. “I'm not so naive.”
Oak Harbor Mayor Ronnie Wright will soon reach his 100th day in office. (Photo by Louisa Lowe)
