100-Day Action Plan: Running Mendham Right

By Neil Henry - Candidate for Mendham Borough Mayor
Bud Murphy - Candidate for Mendham Borough Council
Mike Zedalis - Candidate for Mendham Borough Council

From day one, our team committed to being transparent about our priorities, honest about the challenges facing Mendham, and specific about how we plan to address them. While others in this race have yet to present a clear platform, we believe residents deserve more than just photo-ops. They deserve a plan.

Our 100-Day Plan outlines the immediate steps we will take to restore steady, professional governance to Mendham Borough. It focuses on the issues that will define our future: affordable housing, fiscal sustainability, operational efficiency, transparent leadership, and protecting the historic character that makes Mendham special.

Days 1–30: Immediate Assessment & Stabilization (January)

Critical Priorities

• Affordable Housing:

  • Hold immediate briefings with Borough Attorney, Planner, and Land Use Board on current HEFSP status, active litigation (including MAPC lawsuit), and 124-unit obligation.

  • Begin direct outreach to developers and neighboring towns (Chester, Harding) for best practices.

• Fiscal Review:

  • Conduct full review of 2026 budget close-out, current surplus position (~$2.29M remaining), and multi-year projections.

  • Identify immediate opportunities to slow surplus burn rate.

• Leadership & Communication:

  • Schedule first Council work session on transparency.

  • Launch “Mendham Update” newsletter and improve Borough website for budget/affordable housing information.

• Operational Kickoff:

  • Direct department heads to prepare zero-based budget justifications for upcoming budget cycle.

Days 31–60: Strategy Development & Early Wins (February–March)

High-Impact Actions

• Affordable Housing:

  • Establish proactive dialogue with developers on pending projects.

  • Launch land acquisition and open space preservation strategy using grants and Trust Fund resources.

  • Prioritize Borough-controlled sites for senior/disabled housing and evaluate reclassification of existing multi-family units.

• Fiscal Responsibility:

  • Begin zero-based budgeting process for all departments.

  • Launch aggressive grant pursuit initiative.

  • Develop realistic 3–5 year financial forecast showing tax levy impacts.

• Operational Efficiencies:

  • Initiate shared services discussions with Mendham Township, Chester Borough, and Harding Township.

  • Begin planning for Borough website updates and resident portal.

• Historic Preservation:

  • Reaffirm commitment to protecting the Historic District and Main Street Corridor in all planning decisions.

Days 61–100: Implementation & Public Accountability (March–April)

Execution & Transparency

• Release first Quarterly Efficiency & Transparency Report to residents.

• Present draft Affordable Housing Strategic Action Plan to Council.

• Roll out initial technology improvements and shared services agreements where possible.

• Hold first community forum on budget priorities and affordable housing approach.

• Begin formal review of police contract negotiations (expiring Dec 2026) with emphasis on long-term fiscal sustainability.

Ongoing Foundations

• Internal leadership meetings focused on the seven pillars from our position papers.

• Monthly public updates on progress against the 100-day plan.

Our Guiding Principle  

We will move from a reactive to a proactive posture by controlling costs, communicating honestly, managing affordable housing strategically, and preserving what makes Mendham special.

This 100-Day Plan sets the foundation for long-term fiscal health and responsible governance. We look forward to delivering results for every Mendham resident.