Russ Porter Running For Ridgefield Ridgefield Board Of Finance

RIDGEFIELD, CT — The state Municipal Election is Tuesday, Nov. 2.

Patch contacted candidates to answer questions about their campaigns.

Republican Russ Porter, 50, is running for Ridgefield Board of Finance in Ridgefield.

Occupation: Cfo, Institute Of Management Accountants

Family:My wife is Kristen Porter, and we have two sons, Ian and Tim, who graduated from Ridgefield High school and are now at college.

Experience: Board of Education, Pawling, and NY (elected)

Family in government: My brother works as a civilian for the Federal Government in Maryland, and my niece is involved in politics in New Jersey, but those probably aren't relevant for this local race.

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

We must strike the right balance between investments in the town and controlling tax increases on our homeowners and businesses. Leveraging my experience in strategic planning and I want to ensure we have long-range financial plans to inform current year spending and investments

Critical differences between me and my opponents:

Each of us brings different skills and perspectives to the table. My experience in financial management from a CFO and controller's perspective is distinctive, and I can apply that to how the Board makes decisions, and working to ensure the town operates as efficiently as possible while encouraging growth and prosperity.

Accomplishments:

I've been involved in financial management for over 28 years, first at IBM, and now as the CFO of the Institute of Management Accountants. I currently have a Board of Directors with whom I work, and have sat on Boards before, so I understand the role from both perspectives. While town government is managed a bit differently than companies, the essential elements of integrity, accuracy, and and oversight are common.

Other issues:

#1 - Communication - we need a more well informed community, and I'll host regular updates about all town events.
#2 - Transparency, both with the town administrators and the town residents
#3 - Preparing for the future - Overseeing the town's current financial position while planning for post-pandemic changes
#4 - Investments - Directing our capital spending to projects with the greatest impact, and and maximizing the value from the town's existing assets.

What else would you like voters to know about you?

I came to Ridgefield in 2013, and have been active in the community, including Scouting BSA (which I served for 14 years in different communities), the local running community, and Saint Elizabeth Seton Church. Each of those organizations is about building character, which combined with my experience in financial planning and management for organizations, and will serve me well as I work to serve the community.