Stamford Candidate Profile: David Kooris For Board Of Finance

STAMFORD, CT — Election day in Stamford is getting closer and there are plenty of candidates running for various positions in town. To help residents make an informed decision on Nov. 5, Stamford Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as the big day draws near.

Incumbent Democratic candidate David Kooris, 39, is running for a seat on Stamford's Board of Finance. Other candidates for the position include Geoff Alswanger (D), Mary Lou Rinaldi (D), Andrew Krill (R), Chris Woodside (R) and Fritz Blau (R).

A city resident, Kooris was elected to the Board of Finance in 2015. He previously represented Stamford's 6th District on the Board of Representatives, where he also co-chaired the Land Use Committee and was a member of the fiscal, transportation and steering committees.

Over the years, he has worked in city and regional planning, as well as economical development, spending seven years working in the civic sector, four years in local government and four years in state government.

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

Stamford is over-reliant on variable revenue sources resultant from development such as building permit fees and the transfer tax; Stamford is also facing unpredictable expenses such as that playing out right now with mold in our schools. Developing the fiscal capacity to weather this variability is paramount to achieving the stability necessary to make Stamford a great place to live and own a business.

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

I don't bring ideology to my elected position but rather hear the facts, gather evidence and advice, and seek counsel from constituents and trusted advisers to reach the right conclusion for each issue. My academic and civic sector experience provide me with the theory and best practices on municipal governance and long range planning while my professional roles in city and state government position me to know how theory works in the real world.

My experience on the Board these past four years will enable me to continue working hard for ALL residents and businesses of this city from day one.

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

I've worked in the private, civic, and public sectors and have been on both the executive branch and legislative branch of local government so I understand how all the participants think and how to best balance everyone's interests to deliver the highest quality of services for the lowest cost to our residents and businesses.

That said, having been on the Board of Finance for these last four years, I also understand our limitations; I won't waste my energy fighting battles outside of our purview but rather focus diligently on wielding those powers that the charter affords us to the greatest possible impact for the future of our city.

The best advice ever shared with me was...

Potholes don't come in red and blue; in local government you have to work with everyone to get the necessary things done to run the city and meet the needs of ALL constituents.