This statement was provided by Village of Pelham Mayor Chance Mullen, who is running unopposed. The Pelham Examiner publishes candidate statements in the form received as a service to the community.
Dear neighbors,
I’m excited to be running for re-election on November 7th to continue the progress we’ve made for our community.
I moved to Pelham in 2012 with my wife, Francile, and our son, Finnegan, who is now a freshman at Pelham Memorial High School. We love it. In my 11 years as a Pelhamite, I’ve met so many amazing people, primarily through work I’ve had the opportunity to do with our various local organizations, including the Cub Scouts, Rec Soccer, Little League Baseball, The Picture House, and Pelham Civics. I served for one term as Trustee before running for Mayor in 2019, and I’m deeply grateful for the opportunity you’ve given me to serve as Mayor for such a wonderful community. I’m excited about the progress we’ve made during my first two terms. Here are some of my proudest achievements:
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Negotiated a $77M development deal to construct a consolidated municipal center for fire, police, and village administration, public parking, and new housing and commercial space in the downtown, saving taxpayers $17.4M in renovation costs needed for our aging facilities.
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Steered the creation of the Village’s Police Reform and Reinvention Plan to ensure accountability and transparency, overhaul misconduct reporting protocols, implement body-worn cameras, and attract diverse talent.
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Launched the Village of Pelham Council on the Arts to activate public spaces, promote economic and cultural vibrancy in the downtown core, and elevate historically marginalized voices.
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Spearheaded historic investments in clean water infrastructure, including re-lining 10% of the Village’s 80-year-old sewer system to prevent groundwater contamination and protect homeowners from sewage backups.
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Launched a Village-wide flood mitigation project to clean our entire stormwater drainage system and develop recommendations to prevent flooding in our most vulnerable neighborhoods.
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Overhauled garbage collection by launching an in-house sanitation service that saves us money, protects us from the risks inherent in private carting, and has reduced our greenhouse gas emissions by 11%.
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Implemented the Financial Transparency Center, an online tool allowing residents to view line-item details of Village budgets and track progress throughout the year.
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Replenished the Village’s depleted reserves to 16% of our operating budget in just two years (and credited by S&P Global and PKF O’Connor Davies for securing Village’s AA+ credit rating).
I’m proud to have earned the endorsement of the New York League of Conservation Voters, the “only statewide environmental organization in New York that fights for clean water, clean air, renewable energy and open space through political action.” They’ve cited the many steps we’ve taken to create a “greener Pelham,” including our Bronze certification as a Climate Smart Community, the launch of our in-house sanitation department, and the work we’ve done to reduce the Village government’s greenhouse gas emissions (on track for a 35% reduction by the end of next year). I encourage you to learn more about their priorities at www.nylcv.org, and I’m grateful for their support.
I’m also proud to be on the ballot this November 7th with fellow Village Democrats Deputy Mayor Mike Carpenter, Trustee Don Otondi, and candidate for Trustee Theresa Mohan. Even though we’re uncontested, we believe that local government should be accessible, accountable, and a reflection of the community’s will. That’s why you may have recently seen me knocking on doors around Pelham – my favorite part of this job. I will continue to do so for the next few weeks, and I hope we get the opportunity to chat. And please don’t ever hesitate to reach out to me at [email protected].
When I first ran for local office, I did so with a commitment to move Pelham forward. I believe Pelham’s success in the 21st century will be determined by our collective ability to tackle issues that have gone unaddressed for far too long, and I look forward to continuing that important work. Thank you for placing your trust in me.
Best,
Chance