Westport Candidate Profile: Sheri Gordon For Board Of Finance

WESTPORT, CT — Election day in Westport is drawing closer, and there are five candidates running for the Board of Finance, Democrats Nancie Dupier and Sheri Gordon, and Republicans James A. Foster, Michael Guadarrama and Jay DesMarteau (voters will choose four).

To help residents make an informed decision on Nov. 5, Westport Patch asked candidates this and other positions to answer questions about their campaigns and the issues in town.

Gordon, 48, is an incumbent on the board, having held the post since 2015. She is an attorney, who was admitted to the Bar in 1996, and was a member of the Zoning Board of Appeals from 2008 to 2013.

She is married to Paul, and they have three children Tess, Max and Chloe. Her campaign website is https://www.facebook.com/DupierGordonforWestportBoF/, and the email is elect@dupiergordon4bof.com.

The single most pressing issue facing Westport is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

The most pressing issue facing our town in 2019 is how to better maintain all of our buildings in light of the problems we faced at CMS this past year. I believe we need to take a comprehensive approach to maintaining all of our buildings and proactively doing more to ensure that all of our facilities are safe and secure and assets we can be proud to call Westport facilities.

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

I have 4 years of bringing fiscally responsible leadership to the Westport Board of Finance. I have helped to keep taxes flat for 4 years while making significant investments in our town assets.

The GOP candidates are both new to public boards.

List other issues that define your campaign platform:

Under Democratic leadership of the BOF, we have funded our schools to the highest per pupil level in our DRG, we have made great strides toward funding our pensions and OPEB liability and have reigned in future costs by renegotiating our agreements with 95 percent of the town of Westport workforce. We intend to keep working to make Westport government more productive and efficient so that we can continue to deliver the highest level of services to all our taxpayers, from students to seniors.

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

My work as an attorney has prepared me to think critically and to ask probing questions that can lead to positive change.

The best advice ever shared with me was ...

Never be afraid to ask the tough questions; that is the only way to learn.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I am a financially responsible leader who will always seek to do what is best for all Westport taxpayers. I am proud of the results we have delivered for Westport for the last 4 years on the BOF under Democratic leadership and I hope to continue to deliver results for all of Westport.