QUESTION: Ne have an extraordinarily controversial item coming up in a few months on our council agenda. It has to do with an affordable housing development. The developer has worked well with our staff and has addressed most of the city's concerns. The community, however, is very much opposed to the development. The city attorney says that the council has limited options in terms of being able to turn the project down. In fact, approving the project will help us meet our affordable housing requirements and, I truly believe, be good for the community. What should we do if our sense of the "right" decision is at odds with constituents' sense of the "right" decision? ANSWER: This is always an interesting and difficult dilemma, no matter what the context. It also raises fundamental questions about what kind of elected official - and leader - you want to be. Saying "no" to constituents is very difficult, even when you disagree with them. Can you say "no" and politically live to tell the tale?
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