Mayor Ed Brown - The First 100 Days

Click here for the full report: Mayor's 100 Day Report Final.pdf 

Networking for Upper Darby Township

Formulation of a Transition Team

To begin my journey as Mayor of Upper Darby Township, I established a Transition Team of respected and engaged residents and community leaders from all sectors to focus on and assist me in developing goals to support my vision for Upper Darby Township, the 6^th largest municipality in the Commonwealth and the epicenter for many economic drivers for Delaware County.

In comprising the Transition Team, I established the following methodology:

• The Transition Team consisted of community stakeholders representing a multitude of perspectives, cultures, nationalities, and business sectors;
• The 36 members of the transition team were assigned to Focus Groups representing the 8 different strategic areas and; each transition team member served on 2 Focus Groups;  
• Members of the Upper Darby Youth Advisory Council were recruited and agreed to serve on each team; and they were allowed to select their focus areas on which they wanted to serve;
• The Focus groups met 2-3 times to discuss the focus area and formulate a summary narrative with suggestions, information, and recommendations for Township Administration to consider;
• Each Focus group was assigned an Administrative Liaison who was available to answer questions and/or engage in the dialogue as needed. For example, the Acting Director of Finance and Comptroller was the administrative liaison for the Fiscal Management Focus Group; and
• Each group will provide a comprehensive summary narrative that the Administration will utilize as key input in supporting the vision I have championed.

 8 strategic goals for the mayor’s vision for Upper darby township

1. Fiscal Management: Cost-effective and ethically responsible use of all capital and human resources needed to operate the government, with a focus on long-term sustainability.
2. Ethics, Accountability & Transparency: Operating the government with high ethical standards, a commitment to accountability, and transparency to Upper Darby Township residents.
3. Quality of Life: An integrated approach to decision making—particularly, fiscal decision making—in order address the gamut of quality-of-life improvements for residents to positively impact how they live, work, and play in Upper Darby Township.
4. Diversity & Inclusion: Ensuring that the Upper Darby Township workforce—including its leadership—is representative of the demographics of the community it serves to take advantage of the various cultural perspectives of the community for more effective service delivery.
5. Senior & Veteran Services: Effectively leveraging Upper Darby Township’s limited resources with those of County, Commonwealth, and Federal agencies to provide enhanced support to Upper Darby Township seniors and veterans.
6. Youth & Young Adult Activities and Services: Providing both new and enhanced existing facilities and programs for youth and young adults as a means of improving quality of life opportunities and reducing risk among disadvantaged and underserved youth and young adult population in Upper Darby Township.
7. Public Safety: Commitment to a comprehensive approach that acknowledges that local public safety is multi-faceted and encompasses more than crime prevention and law enforcement; rather, it also involves emergency response, public health, safety education, and infrastructure.
8. Education: Strengthening the Township’s partnership with the Upper Darby School District so that we are both more initiative-taking and collaborative in our business dealings and more strategically aligned in serving the children of Upper Darby Township.

 Upper Darby Township Administration

Establishing New Leadership

In February 2024, I welcomed the new Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), Crandall O. Jones, and charged him with reviewing, streamlining, and fine-tuning the organizational structure of Upper Darby Township’s Administration. Mr. Jones, a Credentialed City Manager (via the International City County Management Association—ICMA) has already begun the process of strategic realignment to improve our operational effectiveness, including:

1. Restructuring the Office of the CAO, eliminating the Deputy CAO positions and creating a Special Projects Assistant to the CAO to provide project management, research, and analytical support to the CAO;
2. Realignment of Human Resources Department to meet contemporary HR standards, including:
   1. Moved the Insurance Administrator from Finance
   2. Created an HR Assistant from the discontinued Assistant to the Deputy CAO and added HR Recruitment responsibilities;
   3. Right-sized the HR Department by realigning two additional HR-focused positions that were in another department to where they belonged.
3. Initiated leadership assessments In order to optimize organizational effectiveness and match employee skillsets to where they are most beneficial to both the employee and the organization. Initial actions include:
   1. Initiated a comprehensive, third-party assessment of the Licenses and Inspections Department to assess current operating structure and operating procedures to identify gaps and identify opportunities for operational improvement;
   2. Realignment of Planning and Zoning from the Licenses and Inspections Department to the Department of Community and Economic Development;
   3. Elimination of a Deputy Administrative Services Director and creation of a Community and Economic Development Program Manager to enhance the Township’s federal Housing and Urban Development (HUD) service delivery;
   4. Appointment of an Information Technology Manager that reports to the Administrative Services Director and will work with the CAO and Administrative Services Director to modernize the Township’s IT infrastructure;
4. Initiated a process to develop comprehensive performance evaluation process for every position in the Township;
5. Initiated a project to establish updated job descriptions for every position in the Township;
6. Initiated recruitment for the Director of Finance, Special Projects Assistant to the CAO, and Communications Officer;
7. Evaluating current Acting positions for further disposition within the next 3 months;
8. Initiated an online training platform and library to more cost-effectively and efficiently address professional and compliance training for all Township employees;
9. Moved the Right-to-Know process back to the CAO’s office and modernized the Right-to-Know process to improve compliance with RTK requirements and coordinate and streamline departmental responses to RTK requests;
10. Modernized the agenda management process for enhanced coordination with the Clerk to Council’s office and for improved item submittal from departments.

Responsible and Transparent, Fiscal Stewardship

As Mayor, I remain committed to taking the necessary steps to get Upper Darby Township on sound financial footing to have stability and viability for the future.  My team and I are taking a deep dive into all facets of the finances and operations of the Township to put Upper Darby on a permanent path toward sustainability.  As I look to prepare my first budget to present to the Council, I will maintain the tenets I established for fiscal management:

• To foster the development of  safe, decent, and affordable housing;  

• To establish safe and attractive neighborhoods;

• To augment the resources available for individuals, families and community growth; and

• To stimulate economic growth by collaborating and investing in the business sector.

In alignment with those principles, we have initiated the search for a Chief Financial Officer to take the helm of the Finance Department.

Commitment of the Health and Safety of the Community

The first job of a Mayor is to ensure the health and safety of the community.  A benchmark of a community  is that its residents and businesses have a sense of security where they live, work, and play.  In my first days as Mayor, I laid the foundation of that pillar in discussions  with Upper Darby Police Superintendent Bernhardt and District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer. My commitment to public safety will be effected based on my Strategic Goal #7 identified above—a comprehensive approach that addresses the multiple aspects of community safety.

The result over the first 100 days has seen, among other things:

• A myriad of Police-based community affairs engagements with youth, businesses, the faith-based community, and the community at large, so that Upper Darby Police are recognized a ‘ the community’ police’;

• Enhancement of Upper Darby Township’s Criminal Enhancement Unit, which is aimed to revolutionize our approach to law enforcement;

• Introduction of a cutting-edge drone program in the Police Department to better serve the community and ensure public safety; and

• Strengthening our partnerships with key agencies, including:

  1. The Delaware County District Attorney’s Office;

  2. The Federal Bureau of Investigation;

  3. The Secret Service;

  4. The Philadelphia Police Department; and

  5. The SEPTA Police Department

Local Strategic Partnerships and Initiatives

Over the course of my first 100 days, there were a number of local partnerships and initiatives that I have been driven to establish in order to build a collaborative approach to addressing regional concerns that are best addressed by a building an open and collaborative relation between the Upper Darby Township Council, the local ministerium and a cohort of local mayors and township/borough leaders, myself, and the professional Administration team.   To that end I have initiated the following:

• Established Friday Chats which serve as official Mayor’s Office hours for discussions with Council to stay attuned with the Mayor and vice-versa.
• Established an Interfaith Advisory Board consisting of Upper Darby religious leaders.
• Established the Mayor’s Roundtable consisting of area Mayors, borough, and township leaders.
• Met with Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker to discuss mutual areas of concern and ideas for collaboration to resolve issues around health and public safety and transit, mass event collaboration and transit issues at the 69^th Street Station;
• Met with Leslie Richards, General Manager of SEPTA, to discuss the master plan for the 69th Street Transit Center and how to enhance safety, security, and comfort for all users and the surrounding area.
• Reviewed the status of Upper Darby Township Boards & Commissions, opened communications for solicitation of eligible individuals who wish to serve, and made recommendations for appointments to fill vacancies.
• Based on community complaints and a trend of robberies, assaults, and illegal sales to minors concentrated in this retail category, Administration collaborated with Council to propose an amendment to Ordinance 3106, “Smoke Shops,” that will provide for better clarity in definitions and more effective enforcement.
• Administration has worked to enforce code issues at 150 S 6th Street (the former Sears garage), which has resulted in the property owner deciding to demolish the long-vacant garage by late spring.
• Attended multiple community events and Council-hosted town hall meetings.

Intergovernmental Partnerships and Collaboration

Key to my responsibilities as Mayor of Upper Darby Township is that of leading collaboration with both stakeholders in the community, as well as intergovernmental partners at the local, county, state, and federal levels. My first one hundred days has included a plethora of engagements with government and agency officials at all levels, local community leaders, civic groups, labor leaders, faith-based leaders, boards and commissions appointees, and others to both hear their perspectives and share my vision and goals for Upper Darby Township. During my first one hundred days, I have had the blessing to represent the desires, hopes, funding/technical assistance/collaboration requests, and aspirations of our Township to the broadest possible spectrum of officials, including:

• President Joe Biden;

• US Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon;

• State Senator Tim Kearney;

• State Representative Gina Curry;

• State Representative Heather Boyd;

• PA House Appropriations Chair Jordan A. Harris;

• County Commission Chair Dr. Monica Taylor;

• Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker;

• Upper Darby School District Superintendent Dr. Dan McGarry;

• Upper Darby School District President Donald Fields; and Vice-President Debra Williams; and

• SEPTA General Manager Leslie Richards.

I will continue to lead these discussion and collaboration going forward with a strong Administration team to support my efforts, as we work together to improve the lives of all our residents as we continue to work toward long-term sustainability for Upper Darby Township, The World in One Place!

All the best,

Ed Brown, MBA, MS

Mayor