September 5, 2026
Good Governance
Svob Goals : There are three broad areas where Pelham’s governance needs to improve.
These are:
• Good Governance
• Financial Management
• Communication, Transparency and Trust
In each of these areas I describe what it looks like when you are doing it well – a vision of where you want to be. These are further expanded into elements or a check list and then into my action plan to make progress in that goal. I will elaborate on each of the three goal areas in separate posts.
Let's start with Good Governance.
Good Governance is the responsible, transparent, and accountable management of resources and public affairs. It establishes a framework where decisions are made fairly, corruption is not tolerated, and the needs of society are met efficiently and sustainably.
Here are 8 elements of Good Governance: Participation, Transparency, Responsiveness, Consensus-Oriented, Effectiveness and Efficiency, Accountability, Equity and Inclusion, Rule of Law.
The following are three areas which I believe to be priorities. For each one I have actions that I will champion at council.
Participation: Establishing a quarterly "Town Hall" series. Tom will be holding one-hour face-to-face meetings for Pelham residents to discuss issues, share updates, and answer your questions directly.
Efficiency & Accountability: Bring sound fiscal management to Council. Tom will challenge escalating spending and advocate for transparent financial reviews to stabilize tax levies and protect our common resources.
Inclusion & Outreach: Ensuring no resident is marginalized. Tom will improve advance notice of policy changes and actively seek community feedback to build a true consensus on Pelham’s shared future.
