Kevin Starke Running For Fairfield Board Of Finance

FAIRFIELD, CT — It's election season in Fairfield, and Patch is here to help you get to know the candidates running for local office in 2021 before voters head to the polls Nov. 2.

Questionnaire responses appear as submitted by candidates.

Democrat Kevin Starke, 53, is running for Board of Finance in Fairfield.

Occupation: Financial Analyst

Family:
Marie Ann Pajaro
Jeremiah Starke, age 25, currently in flight school
Elijah Starke, age 12, student at the Unquowa School

Experience: None

Family in government: No

The single biggest issue in town is ______, and I plan to do this about it:

The single most pressing issue facing our town is the funding of education, which accounts for about two-thirds of the town's annual budget. If we want to go from good to great, and we need to have a serious dialogue about our priorities in terms of investment in our students.

Critical differences between me and my opponents:

I am a career finance professional, investing in stocks, bonds and alternative investments, having worked on Wall Street for the last 25 years. I help to manage a $2.7 billion portfolio that includes state and teacher pension investments. I am accustomed to a very high degree of fiduciary duty and regulatory oversight. My opponent is a local businessman who has no similar experience. While he can claim credit as an entrepreneur, and I too have helped create multiple startup companies. I also run a very small home business that employs a disabled person to help him pay his rent.

Accomplishments:

I have served on the board of directors of a New York Stock Exchange-listed company and as well as on the board of the Stamford Chartered Financial Analyst Society. I created a portfolio at my current fund that returned approximately 20% annually from 2017 to first-half 2021.

Other issues:

I am very concerned about flooding issues around town and especially along the Rooster River in my home community of Stratfield Village. I hope to push the First Selectwoman to improve internal financial controls to prevent against further instances of waste and corruption.

What else would you like voters to know about you?

I am a moderate Democrat who believes that social programs must be balanced with fiscal responsibility. I hope to serve as the Board of Finance's "explainer in chief" after elected and so that the people of Fairfield can keep a better tab on how their $330 million budget is being spent. I will also continue to serve the community as a Boy Scout leader and religious educator.