Patch Candidate Profile: Bill Gerber, First Selectman

FAIRFIELD, CT — Election Day is approaching fast, and a number of key positions in Fairfield will be on the ballot, including Board of Selectman, Board of Education, Board of Finance, RTM and others.

To help readers make an informed decision on Nov. 7, Fairfield Patch has reached out to local candidates to share their views on various topics of importance in town.

Patch will post these candidate profiles over the next few weeks, so check back often to see the latest.

Name

Bill Gerber

How old will you be as of Election Day?

59

Does your campaign have a website? If so, include the URL here.

https://www.gerbervitaleforfairfield.com

What city or town do you live in?

Fairfield, CT

What office are you seeking?

First Selectman

Please give us your party affiliation.

Democrat

Education.

I hold an MBA in Finance and an MS in Accounting, both from New York University Stern School of Business; a Master’s of Public Health from George Washington University; and a BA in East Asian Studies, Wesleyan University (Middletown, CT)

What is your occupation?

I am a retired C-level financial services professional with 30 years in financial management experience at companies including Barclays, Arthur Andersen, KPMG, and Citigroup. I earned the CPA certification.

Do you have a family? If so, please tell us about them.

My wife Jessica and I have lived in Fairfield for 27 years. We have two children, John and Gillian, who attended Fairfield Public Schools and graduated from University of Pennsylvania and The Ohio State University, respectively.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

Jessica, my wife, is currently in her 12th (and final) year on Fairfield's Board of Education, 11 of those serving as Secretary.

Have you ever held a public office, whether appointive or elective?

I am in my 10th year serving on Fairfield's Representative Town Meeting.

Now we'd like to ask a few questions about your reasons for running and your general views on politics and government. First, why are you seeking this office?

I am driven by a sense of obligation to do whatever I can to help make Fairfield the best possible town it can be. It was for love of Fairfield and belief in our public schools that motivated my wife, Jessica, to run for the Board of Education, where she has served for 12 years. I am currently in my 10th year serving constituents and providing analysis on our legislative body, the RTM.

Governance, planning, and vision for Fairfield has continued to fall far short of expectations. My running mate, Christine Vitale, and I, believe we can establish and adhere to best practices. We will build a professional administration that focuses on maintaining/improving the quality of life for our residents; fostering growth for new and existing businesses; and preparing for the many complex challenges and opportunities we face. We will reduce political rhetoric, which is absolutely necessary for real collaboration. We will strengthen regular communications from the town to keep Fairfielders informed about important issues, facts, and events without a partisan slant.

Please complete this statement: The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is \_\_\_, and this is what I intend to do about it.

Unprofessional and disorganized leadership. The ongoing lack of professional leadership has perpetuated a cycle of missteps and crises, both large and small, that impact every resident and business. Poor planning and budgeting have led to over-taxation with more than $30 million in unplanned budget surpluses. Misplaced priorities and poor controls have led to millions of dollars for unnecessary legal fees; redecorations of Town Hall; expired contract fees; non-conforming/unapproved purchases; last minute, substandard construction choices; ballooning project insurance costs; and more.

Despite campaign promises and ongoing rhetoric, our top level of administration lacks the knowledge and experience needed for implementing rigorous analysis; planning effectively; and delivering strong oversight. These core strengths are essential for a town in transition like Fairfield. Strong financial and managerial skills can positively impact many aspects of our lives, from affordability to quality of life, to street safety. Without confidence that tax dollars and resources will be used wisely and efficiently, it will be difficult to gain the public support for essential infrastructure projects. I intend to utilize my many years of management and finance experience to train, collaborate, and reallocate resources to achieve the foundation we need.

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

My work experience, education, temperament, and collaboration skills.

If you are challenging an incumbent, in what way has the current officeholder failed the community?

As a candidate, my opponent made multiple promises to always follow the law (including the Town Charter); to track every dollar spent; to depoliticize commission appointments; to supervise all departments closely; to clean up Town Hall; and to work collaboratively with all Fairfielders regardless of party affiliation. As an officeholder, she did not keep these promises. The law, including the Charter, are routinely ignored; contracts and expenditures are not appropriately reviewed; commissions are more politicized than ever; and opposing viewpoints are treated with disdain.

What other issues do you intend to address during your campaign?

Better budgeting to avoid situations like the $30+ million overtaxing (i.e. unbudgeted surplus) that has arisen over the last three years of the current administration;

Reorganization of the town’s approach to street safety for walkers, bikers and drivers to be proactive and take much of the burden of traffic safety advocacy off of residents’ shoulders;

Reorganization of the town’s approach to development, by taking a role in steering the “where” and “how” of development;

Reject the current practice of planning to solve one issue without considering accompanying issues, for example: a recent zoning plan to increase density in an area without an accompanying plan to address traffic and pedestrian safety.

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

As a Chief Financial Officer, I have overseen the development of large, multinational finance teams necessary for the creation of a multi-billion-dollar global insurance business. In business development, I was relied upon to bring together large teams from very different backgrounds and cultures to accomplish acquisitions, reorganizations and plans for the future.

As an accountant and consultant, I worked with some very well-run companies and some extremely dysfunctional ones (“turnaround situations”). I have always maintained my integrity and been able to lead (or follow the lead, as the case may be) while maintaining the respect of my colleagues, through both volatile and smooth economic environments.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

Always consider the points of view of others, but never compromise your integrity.

Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

My wife, Jessica, and I settled here in Fairfield 27 years ago. We stayed here to raise our family despite obstacles including long commutes and an overseas job posting. After the love and support we received from this community throughout our son Teddy’s illness and afterwards, we can’t imagine living anywhere else.

I decided to run for our legislative body, the RTM, when I watched two RTM members make light of very high levels of PCBs found in our children’s elementary school (OHS). I thought that their views were out of touch and not representative of the majority of people in my district.

I was initially very supportive of the current officeholder. I even crossed party lines to be the deciding vote to pass her first major initiative. However, I cannot stand by and watch while the disconnect between campaign promises (and town-sponsored spin) and reality continues to grow.