They ARE paying attention

But a point I want to make in this short comment as well, is that social media activity can (and does) actually modify active political decisions.

On several occasions in the last couple of years, Council members and staff have referred to FaceBook discussions during Council Meetings. They have also used screenshots of comments in legal actions.

So make no mistake, Social Media posts do make a difference. Many of you have heard me say that Mayor Smith asked me to head up his Social Media strategy back in 2013. I refused his offer, which cemented his distain for us personally. In fact, that was probably the last time he walked into our store.

Despite how Mayor Brian Smith constantly refers to Social Media posts, he doesn’t have the desire to maintain a public profile. Some would say, that is just prudent because it would take all day for him to deal with the comments. Although that may be partially true, the comments could be mostly positive if he actually responded to his constituents.

Instead, in the spirit of secrecy, he hasn’t even modified his Facebook Profile settings and still describes himself as “former Mayor”. Perhaps he is foreshadowing and just saving a step in 2026?

Regardless… KNOW, that Mayor Smith and all senior staff as well as Council members ARE reading your comments daily. One way to guage this is to watch the comments that get shared after certain posts. The standard “support team” of the same old same old, jump in and attack.

Lately, those organized antagonists are meeting with more and more spontaneous resistance to their attacks. KEEP THAT UP! It can and will limit the control the current leaders think they have of Social Media.

One of the saddest things I hear all of the time is, “I can’t post because it will cost me business”. How sad is that, when business people (who KNOW what it takes for a community to succeed) are silenced by fear.