My 30-60-90 Day Plan

Please note that the next budgetary process will be underway. This is a comprehensive process. I have had the opportunity to be at many of the meetings of the executive committee sub meetings who review the proposals for a couple of years. I feel that as a candidate for this position, I am not walking in cold, I have a working knowledge.

First 30 days-Listen-Learn-and Understand

My first priority will be to understand exactly where Strafford County stands today.

I will meet with department leadership and employees, review current budgets, contracts, financial reports, capital needs and ongoing projects and listen to the communities the county serves.

As a candidate, I feel I have a really good knowledge base of these items as I attend the weekly county commissioner meetings and executive meetings. I feel I will be able to contribute from day 1 because of this.

I want more detailed agendas, minutes and monthly departmental reports. My foundation is transparency and accountability. Public involvement and understanding is a top priority so that the residents of Strafford County know what services are being funding and provided.

  • What to do we own?

  • What do we owe?

  • What do we spend?

  • What do we receive?

  • What are our most immediate needs?

  • What are the current goals and objectives?

Day 31-60. Assess, Prioritize and Plan

Using what I have learned during the first 30 days, I will begin identifying priorities and separating immediate needs from longer terms goals.

That means looking closely at:

  • County Services and staffing needs

  • Riverside Rest Home

  • Hyder House Building

  • Public Safety, corrections and dispatch

  • County Buildings, property and equipment

  • The Warming Shelter

  • Capital Projects and future costs

  • Available grants including those we have applied for and other funding sources

  • Opportunities to improve efficiency and communication

  • The goal is simply not to identify problems. It is to begin developing practical solutions, priorities and measurable goals.

61-90 Day Goals

By this point, the listening and assessment should begin turning into a longer term plan.

I will work with fellow commissioners, the county delegation, department leadership, municipalities and the public to begin developing practical roadmaps for the county.

That work should include:

  • Priorities for the next 24m months.

  • A five year outlook for services and capital needs (critical as we have an aging population)

  • A ten year view of major challenges and opportunities

  • A strong Capital Improvements Program and that is working living document, not sitting on a shelf

  • A clear goals, timelines

  • Regular financial and departmental reporting to measure -weekly, biweekly or monthly

  • A way to measure progress and report it publicly.

  • The purpose is not to create “busy” work, it is to really comprehend where our county is and if we are on track or issues that really need to be addressed.

Beyond the 90 Days

Ninety days will not solve the challenges facing Strafford County. It should, however establish a clear understanding of where we are, what needs attention and where we want to go.

I want county government to plan beyond the next meeting and the next budget.

That means listening, setting those priorities, understanding the financial county position as well as ALL muncipal financial positions, the consequences of decisions and regulating measuring whether we are accomplishing what we said we would accomplish.

Listen-Learn-Access-Prioritize-P)lan-Measure-Report

The first 90 days are the beginning-not the finish line. The first 90 days encompasses the next budgetary cycle.