Election 2023: Republican Tom Rafferty For Hatboro Council

Candidates running in the Nov. 7 general election are providing background about themselves and their positions on the issues to voters in these profiles, which will run in Patch individually for each candidate.

HATBORO, PA —Tom Rafferty is running as a Republican for a seat on the Hatboro Borough Council in the Nov. 7 general election.

Rafferty and Republican challengers Justin Platt and Gary Blickley are challenging Democratic Councilwomen Nicole McMenamin, Nicole Shay, and Nicole Sutton Reichner for three seats.

Biographical Information

Name: Tom Rafferty

Age: 53

Town of residence: Hatboro

Position sought: Hatboro Borough Council

Are you an incumbent? No

What Towns Does Your Position Cover? Hatboro

Party affiliation: Republican

Family: Two children, ages 16 and 14, plus my long-time girlfriend

Education: B.A. Geography, Virginia Tech 1993

Occupation: Emergency Manager/GIS Specialist

1. What are the top issues currently facing your position and how do you plan to address them?

Responsible Planning and Zoning. Hatboro currently lacks a comprehensive set of ordinances that govern the aesthetic components of remodeled buildings and new construction. Without
these ordinances, the borough lacks the power to maintain its desired historic charm and architectural appearance. By enacting these new ordinances, Hatboro will have the legal grounds on which it will protect its small-town charm and improve the appearance of our downtown corridor.

Increased traffic and lack of adequate parking for current and future citizens is a high-priority safety concern. Without adequate parking to support high-density residential developments, overflow parking from these developments will move into the existing neighborhoods.

For the safety of our citizens, we will review the current ordinances for new construction and ensure the maximum amount of parking recommended by the most recent parking guidelines is created, with few parking reductions being granted.

2. Identify specific goals or ideas you have to enhance life in your position:

Transparency in government is critical for the people of a democracy to see that their elected and non-elected officials are representing their constituents well.To increase transparency we will:

• Improve communication with citizens by making all borough announcements on the borough website, through borough email, social media, and in print for those residents who do not use electronic communication.
• Improve the user-friendliness of the borough website so information can be more easily accessed.
• Post our budget on the borough website, as is common practice for most surrounding municipalities.
• Livestream or voice record every public meeting and post recordings on the borough website for ready access.

3. What in your experience or background prepares you for election to office?

Leadership experience. I have worked for 23 years in emergency management, responding to and recovering from the largest disasters in the region. I’ve worked with political leaders on both
sides of the aisle in a high-stress, time-sensitive environment to make decisions to get their towns back on track. I am a past president of Horsham Rotary, held several leadership roles with
Moose Lodge 1101, and past president of MAC URISA, the largest GIS educational non-profit in the region. I will bring the same energy and passion I have leading those organizations to Borough
Council representing the borough's citizens.