September 8, 2026

Sound Financial Management

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 look at Sound Financial Management. 

To promote new financial management techniques to reduce chronic excessive annual tax levy increases.  To manage the Town finances remain mindful of these three principles.  

•    Living Within Your Means.  Strive to consistently spend less than you bring in.   Prevent repetitive annual trips to the taxpayer to ask for more.  Establish spending targets reflecting affordability and not just desirability.

•    Active Budgeting & Cash Flow Tracking.  Know exactly where your money is coming from and where it goes. Know and predict this in advance so you can live within your means.

•    Constantly remember you are being trusted with other people’s money.  

Action items are

Promote Accountability:  Improve council expenditure reviews by requiring comparisons of actual spending with budget targets and explaining deviations.

Promote Multiple Year Financial Planning Horizons: Require cash flow outlooks for multiple year time horizons.

Improve Budget Development: Continuity reviews taking us from current year actuals/forecast to the new year budget explaining deviations and justifying changes.    

Mid-year financial performance update including a forecast on year-end finish.  This will allow both a check on how the town is performing and become the foundation for next year’s budget.

Post implementation reviews on a project basis to highlight learnings and process improvements.  

Strive to bring tax levies in line with inflation and call out spending that exceeds this goal.

We need a stronger financial voice to advise the Mayor.  Mayor and Council directly control 40% of your property tax bill.   Our Mayor will soon also represent another 51% being your Niagara Region tax bill.    Thus 91% of your tax dollar representation will reside with the Mayor and directly or indirectly with our council and town administration. 

Sound Financial Management Link