The Electorate, and the public at-large, is who all public officials and public employees serve, and they are the starting point for all decision-making. The Township of Abington Board of Commissioners and all Township employees are guided by the principle of public service.

In 2018, driven by the goal of delivering cost effective services and doing so in a fiscally responsible manner, while recognizing the need to prioritize spending, management embarked on goal and priority setting across all functions and in Board policymaking. In 2019, it was clear that key functions required reducing cost through attrition and seeking efficiencies in operations. The Administration, more specifically, the Office of the Township Manager, continues to lead in evolving forward, continues to evaluate people and programs, and strives to achieve fiscal predictability. In these uncertain times, predictability and reliability are critical to sound decision-making. We will continuously evaluate all positions and educate, train and support personal growth of employees as a keystone to build future organizational strength.

The Board of Commissioners, through their priorities established in FY 2019, FY 2020, FY 2021 and the strategic planning process embarked upon in 2022, provide the necessary opportunity for the community and management to focus on a bright future. The integration of the strategic planning process will be evident in this year's budget, as the goals and/or objectives of each department and division tie back to the Focus Areas and their Guiding Principles.

The Strategic Planning Consultant Request for Qualifications (RFQ) was posted to the Township website on March 2, 2022. The Board of Commissioners accepted Raftelis's proposal dated March 18, 2022 at their June 9, 2022 Board of Commissioners Meeting. As outlined in their March 18, 2022 proposal, Raftelis approach to strategic planning is comprehensive and includes data analysis, working sessions, public meetings, and the development of a strategic plan and implementation templates for each identified goal area. In 2023 and beyond, the Strategic Plan will serve as the basis for all decision-making and capital planning efforts. The Strategic Plan will be refined annually to account for progress in each identified focus area and to remain relevant and consistent with the vision of the Board of Commissioners and the community as a whole.

Raftelis Strategic Planning Proposal dated March 18, 2022

Documents

Past Meetings

• July 13, 2023 Board of Commissioners
• June 13, 2023 Strategic Plan Committee
• April 13, 2023 Board of Commissioners Working Session
• March 2, 2023 Public Input Session 2
• March 1, 2023 Public Input Session 1
• November 22, 2022 Strategic Plan Committee
• July 20, 2022 Strategic Plan Committee
• June 9, 2022 Board of Commissioners

A strategic plan is a document that identifies the strategies, goals and objectives for prioritizing the Township’s services, programs, maintenance and capital needs. This is but one element, because it can offer much more. The Township’s new strategic plan recognizes the value of our employee’s time and how it has to be managed and focused to shape our community’s future. All too often in developing their financial plans and budgets, municipal governments do not recognize their most important asset; employees and their time. This new plan continues to focus the time of our employees to manage the future horizon and be proactive about pursuing opportunities to continue to improve Abington Township.

The Abington Township Strategic Plan was developed in a collaborative process with input from citizens, the Board of Commissioners and the Township’s Leadership staff. The strategic plan will be fully integrated into the Township’s budget, Board of Commissioners’ agenda process and departmental work plans. This integration will ensure that the plan is executable, updated annually and remains relevant to the Township’s changing needs.

Table of Contents

Budget Message