My First 100 Days

A Practical Plan for Responsible, Responsive Leadership

Leadership begins with listening, but it must lead to action and results.

If elected Mayor, my first 100 days will focus on understanding the Municipality from the inside, establishing productive relationships with Council and staff, reviewing our financial and operational position, strengthening communication with residents, and setting measurable priorities for the work ahead.

I will respect the distinction between political leadership and municipal administration. The role of Mayor and Council is to provide leadership, establish policy and priorities, oversee public resources, and remain accountable to residents. Municipal administration and day-to-day operations are the responsibility of the Chief Administrative Officer and municipal staff.

My first 100 days will not be about making promises that a Mayor cannot deliver alone. They will be about learning quickly, asking the right questions, building working relationships, strengthening accountability, and preparing Council to make informed decisions.

Days 1-30

Listen. Learn. Understand.

Municipal leadership

I will meet individually with members of Council to establish respectful and productive working relationships from the beginning.

I will meet with the Chief Administrative Officer, senior leadership and municipal department heads to understand current operations, major projects, staffing and service pressures, contractual commitments, emerging risks and opportunities.

Financial Readiness

I will undertake a detailed orientation to the Municipality’s financial position, including the operating and capital budgets, reserves, debt and long-term obligations, major capital projects, asset-management requirements and significant financial pressures.

Rather than promising an arbitrary audit before seeing the financial information, I will work with Council and professional staff to determine where deeper financial or operational review is warranted.

Strategic Plan Review

I will review progress under Port Hope’s 2025-2028 Strategic Plan and ask four straightforward questions: What has been accomplished? What remains outstanding? What is working? What requires attention from the new Council?

I will not discard good work simply because it began under another Council.

Mayor in the Community

I will continue meeting residents where they are, not only at Town Hall. Mayor in the Community visits will take me into neighbourhoods, rural Port Hope, local businesses, community organizations and community events so that accessibility continues after election day.

Days 31-60

Review. Prioritize. Strengthen Accountability.

Financial and Operational Review

Working with Council and municipal leadership, I will support a structured review of:

spending priorities and significant financial commitments;
service delivery and opportunities for greater efficiency;
organizational capacity and staffing pressures;
major capital and infrastructure commitments;
municipal grants and accountability for public funding;
opportunities for provincial, federal and other funding; and
duplication or processes that unnecessarily cost residents time or money.

The objective will not be indiscriminate cutting. It will be value: protecting important services while making sure taxpayers can see a clear public purpose for municipal spending.

Resident Service and Respect Charter

I will bring forward the development of a Resident Service and Respect Charter establishing clear expectations around professionalism, responsiveness, respectful communication and access to municipal information. Residents should know what they can reasonably expect when they contact their Municipality.

Review municipal accessibility, inclusion and public engagement practices to identify barriers to participation in municipal services and decision making.

Community Advisory Council

I will begin establishing a Mayor’s Community Advisory Council representing a broad cross-section of Port Hope, including residents, youth, seniors, businesses, agriculture, accessibility perspectives, arts and culture, health and community services, environmental interests and diverse communities.

It would be advisory, not another level of government, and would provide another structured way for community perspectives to reach the Mayor.

Days 61-100

Act. Measure. Report.

By this point, listening must begin producing measurable outcomes. Working collaboratively with Council, I will identify a manageable set of priorities for the first year and establish:

What are we trying to accomplish?
Who is responsible?
What is the timeline?
How will progress be measured?
When will residents hear from us again?

Public 12-month Roadmap

I will support publication of a clear public roadmap identifying Council’s principal priorities for the following twelve months, with measurable objectives and regular progress reporting. This should complement, not replace, the Municipality’s existing 2025-2028 Strategic Plan.

First 100 Days Report

At the end of my first 100 days, I will report publicly on:

What I said I would do.
What has been completed.
What has begun.
What I learned.
What requires more work.
What residents should expect next.

Accountability means being prepared to report on results, including when something has not gone according to plan.

Building Relationships Beyond Port Hope

Throughout the first 100 days, I will strengthen Port Hope’s relationships with Northumberland County, neighbouring municipalities, Indigenous partners, community organizations, businesses, and provincial and federal representatives.

The Mayor must be able to advocate beyond the Council Chamber for infrastructure funding, economic opportunities, housing partnerships, healthcare needs and other priorities that Port Hope cannot address alone.

My Commitment

My first 100 days will establish the standard I intend to carry throughout the term.

Listen before deciding.
Understand before changing.
Ask difficult questions.
Respect professional expertise.
Protect the public dollar.
Explain decisions openly.
Measure progress.
Report back.

I will not promise that every problem can be solved in 100 days.

I will promise that by Day 100, residents should be able to see what their Mayor and Council are working toward, why it matters, how progress will be measured, and how they can continue to be heard.

That is what responsible and responsive government should look like.

Angela Grogan

Mayoral Candidate, Municipality of Port Hope

Your Voice. I’m Listening.