What Leadership Looks Like, Even When It’s Hard

In Pelham, we’re not afraid of hard work. We show up, we do our jobs, and we try to do right by our neighbors. That’s how I was raised, and it’s how I’ve tried to lead since being appointed to the city council.

But leadership isn’t always easy, especially when doing the right thing might mean standing alone.

There have been times during my service where I’ve had to speak up, even when it would’ve been easier to keep my head down. There have been votes where I stood on principle, knowing not everyone would agree. And there have been moments where I’ve had to say, “This isn’t how we treat people in Pelham,” even when it felt like no one else would.

To me, leadership means showing up with honesty, being transparent with people, and having the courage to make the hard calls. It means asking the questions that need to be asked.

And part of that is making sure folks have the full picture, not just a piece of it.

The truth is, Pelham is more transparent now than it’s ever been. Our staff does a great job keeping residents informed through the website, Pelham 311, email newsletters, social media, the quarterly magazine, live streamed council meetings, and published agendas and minutes. We have an active capital projects dashboard online that is updated biweekly. All of our budget books and audits are online. Other cities are now trying to model what we do in Pelham. We’ve come a long way.

Are there things we can do better? Probably. And I’m committed to continuing that progress by supporting professional development for all of our employees (and we have the best, let me tell you). But we also need to be honest about what’s already being done. Council meetings are streamed live and left online for 60 days, even after the official minutes are posted. That goes above and beyond what the law requires, and it shows how seriously we take public access and communication.

As for work sessions: that decision not to stream them was made by the full council before I ever stepped into this role. It wasn’t secretive. It was discussed in the open. The reality is, the workroom in City Hall isn’t set up for streaming, and the City has prioritized getting information out where it matters most: on the record, where votes are taken.

To me, that’s what real transparency looks like: giving people the facts.

Over the last year, I’ve been proud to support the people and projects that move Pelham forward. We’ve made smart investments in our employees and pushed key infrastructure projects ahead. Just two weeks ago, the City Manager presented us with a balanced budget to consider for next year. It’s aligned with the priorities citizens communicated to us in the most recent citizen survey. The staff got this budget together earlier than ever before, and I thank them for it. They work hard and should be commended for what they do. But, what I’m most proud of is the way I’ve served…with consistency, with integrity, and with a deep respect for the people I represent.

Pelham deserves leadership that doesn’t back down when things get tough.

We deserve a council that stays focused on progress, not politics.

And we deserve leaders who aren’t out for credit or attention…but just want to do the right thing.

That’s what I’ll keep showing up to do.

— Michael Harris