Stamford Election 2021 Profile: Amiel Goldberg For Board Of Reps.

STAMFORD, CT — Election Day on Nov. 2 is fast approaching, and there are a number of key races on the ballot in Stamford.

Patch reached out to candidates for local office to get more information on their campaigns and the issues that are facing the city.

Democrat Amiel Goldberg, 57, is running for Board of Representatives District 13 in Stamford.

Occupation: Bank Executive, Bny Mellon, New York, NY

Family: Spouse: Kirsten Hohmann, M.D., an internist at Stamford Health Medical Group New Canaan Office.

Daughter: Emma Goldberg, 18, a freshman at Tulane University, a graduate of AITE 2021

Daughter: Zoe Goldberg, 16, junior at AITE

Experience: Alternate and Stamford Democratic Cit Committee

Family in government: No.

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

I’ve collaborated with my running mate, Eric Morson, on these answers. We are in complete alignment on our views of the challenges and opportunities facing Stamford.

Today, the single most pressing challenge facing Stamford is our school infrastructure. As you are aware, we have a profound mold and maintenance problem in our schools. Our students and staff deserve a safe, healthy, and technologically modern environment in which to thrive. Without a substantial investment in the plant and equipment, we can’t provide that environment. We need to be more thoughtful about the location and operation of our schools to ensure we minimize our carbon footprint and maximize our child impact.

The Board of Representatives is one of three partners in this process, along with The Board of Education and the Board of Finance. I will work with our partner boards and the Mayor’s administration to develop realistic plans that are operationally achievable and cost-effective.

We are going to need patience as we address this challenge. It has been a long time coming and will no doubt require a long time to resolve. I hope you will join me as we debate and develop the plan to move forward.

Critical differences between me and my opponents:

Comparing Eric and me to our opponent is relatively straightforward: 1) we have long professional careers in the finance industry; 2) we are both parents with children in the Stamford School System; and 3) we are homeowners in Stamford. These three factors combine to impart a range and depth of life experiences that inform and shape our decision-making in a way that our opponent has not yet experienced.

My background as a financial executive in large financial services companies (former Chief Risk Officer, ex-Investment Banker, and current bank treasury executive) provide me with the knowledge and understanding of budgeting, planning, and financial analysis of large-scale projects that will be critical to solving Stamford’s challenges in planning and financing the remediation of the school infrastructure problems. Eric is a Financial Advisor and Tax Advisor with expertise on how the large-scale changes we will make at the institutional level will impact our constituents on a personal level.

Eric and I are more representative of the typical district 13 resident. From a personal perspective, Eric and I are homeowners, have full-time working spouses, and are the parents of children that are presently in Stamford schools or have graduated from them and are now in college. We understand the demands and challenges of co-parenting while both spouses are working. We have juggled work and home life to be involved in the community. We have felt the pinch of increasing property taxes on family budgets. Our opponent does not have these life experiences, and and that is a critical difference.

Accomplishments:

I spent four years as a consultant to large, sophisticated firms. Most of the time, our clients needed a trusted advisor to sort out the core problem and lay out a plan to address the issue. Every three or four months, I would end one project and start a new one. In a very short period, I had to build a new team, identify the core problem, and deliver a plausible solution. Over those four years, I went from being very clumsy at doing that to quite proficient. I see being a member of the Board of Representatives as reliant on the same core set of skills I developed as a consultant: build a team of people to give you good advice, ask good questions, listen deeply to the answers, figure out the core problem, and find a reasonable solution or be honest about the roadblocks. Using these skills is how I plan to handle this position and be a good representative for district 13.

Other issues:

My top priority is always constituent service. Our district has a large land area with a lower population density; therefore, my priorities are appropriate development and zoning, roads maintenance and safety, emergency services access, and communication and coordination with the Board of Finance and Education to ensure our issues are acted upon.

District 13 has some of the largest single-family home tax bills in the city. When we are told that a property tax hike will only impact the average homeowner by some modest amount per year, we know it is many times more for district 13. You must have a LOUD voice, ensuring that every dollar is wisely, and prudently spent. I feel the pinch of those tax increases too.

What else would you like voters to know about you?

I am a lifelong Democrat. Although the party has changed a lot during my lifetime, I have been more consistent. I am still cautious about financial matters, inclusive regarding social issues, and believe that we can accomplish more together than apart. Growing up as a Jew in the South gave me insights into how it feels not to belong; I know that is not the same as being excluded.

My natural inclination is to find compromise and consensus but not at the cost of being foolish. I do not suffer fools well; better to admit it here than have you find out elsewhere. My educational background is quantitative, but living is a very qualitative experience, and I attempt to be cognizant of that in my decision-making. I will make some mistakes because I am human, but I will admit my mistakes and learn from them. I ask you to support me if you think a thoughtful person who wants to be helpful to his neighbors is the kind of person you want to represent you.

I appreciate your consideration and ask for your vote on November 2.