Tête-à-têtes with your local elected officials
By William Crooks
Local Journalism Initiative
Editor’s note: The following is the first in a series of one-on-one conversations with some of the Townships’ elected officials. The series’ aim is to give the reader a more personal view on their lives, struggles, achievements, and takes on today’s pressing issues.
Balancing business ownership and mayoral duties, Mayor Jody Stone of Stanstead juggles a packed schedule to shine a light on his town, striving to manage and transform local challenges into opportunities for growth.
Despite the pressures of public office, Stone maintains a positive outlook, navigating the complexities of local governance with a focus on revitalizing Stanstead’s downtown core and enhancing community amenities, all while advocating for civility in public discourse.
Stone spoke with The Record over the phone April 18.
Stone said the toughest part of his job as mayor is trying to find the time to do everything. He owns a business with his wife, which gives him the flexibility to do everything he needs to, but it’s not always easy. Someone with a normal nine-to-five job would find it nearly impossible, he said. “The salary a mayor makes is not a full-time position,” Stone insisted.
Flexibility is required because meetings can be any time during the day, for which you must be available. Often citizens need to meet with him during the day. Cellphones, emails, and texting allows him to juggle all his obligations. He regularly works nights and weekends.
Stone said he personally puts in 30-40 hours every week just in his role as a public official. He is also the president of the Régie Incendie de Memphrémagog Est and sits on quite a few MRC committees. “I’m really involved because I want to… shed a light on Stanstead as much as I can,” he explained. That was his objective when he got elected.
What takes up most of his time is preparing for and sitting on meetings. There is a lot to read. But other local elected officials’ meetings are more “interesting,” he said. “I’m very lucky,” he said, “all of our meetings go very well.” He does not have to deal with a lot of the issues his colleagues in other parts have to deal with.
