Fairfield Candidate Profile: Brian Farnen For RTM

FAIRFIELD, CT — The 2019 municipal election is heating up in Fairfield and there are plenty of races with candidates eager to serve in elected office, so Fairfield Patch asked them to answer questions about their campaigns.

Brian Farnen is running for Representative Town Meeting District 9 as a Republican. He has served three terms on the RTM and works as general counsel and chief legal officer for Connecticut Green Bank.

Candidate responses appear as they were received and have not been edited by Patch staff.

The single most pressing issue facing our town/district is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

Taxes and Spending - The Town of Fairfield, similar to the state, needs to rein in spending. We all need to spend within our means. Property tax increases that exceed the rate of inflation hurt working families, those living on a fixed income, the underlying value of our homes and slows down economic growth. I have tirelessly worked to rein in spending while protecting education spending whenever possible to promote excellence in our public schools.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I have a solid track record in leadership curbing town spending while protecting education funding. I was awarded Best In-House Counsel in the State of Connecticut by the Connecticut Law Tribune last year and am also a nationally recognized leader in the clean energy space and have spoken across the country and internationally on a bipartisan approach that utilizes private markets to combat climate change and build a new clean energy economy.

I will use these unique skill sets to make Fairfield a more professionally run town, grow a healthy local economy while continuing to support our great public schools.

List other issues that define your campaign platform:

Protecting our beaches and coastline by finding better solutions that are unique to the beach area and Southport, like speeding and parking issues in a residential setting.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

I have a solid track record of reigning in spending while in leadership to lower the tax burden on working families and those on a fixed income. Putting professional accolades aside, my best accomplishment as a three term RTM representative is working across the aisles in a bipartisan manner. Politics at a national level is sadly dysfunctional and being able to work with Democrats and Republicans alike in the best interest of the Town is my proudest accomplishment.

The best advice ever shared with me was ...

I come from a hardworking blue collar family from the Naugatuck Valley. My mother and father have instilled in me to work hard, to not forget where I came from and to not take yourself too seriously.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I am running as a volunteer RTM member to give back to my local community, protect my neighborhood and protect the public schools that my two children attend.