Patch Candidate Profile: David Weisbrod For Greenwich Board Of Estimate And Taxation

GREENWICH, CT — Election Day on Nov. 4 is fast approaching, and there are a number of key races on the ballot.

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

Candidate's Name:
David Weisbrod

What office are you seeking?
BET

What town do you live in?
Greenwich

Campaign Website
https://greenwichdemocrats.org

Party Affiliation:
Democratic

Occupation:
Former Vice Chairman of J.P. Morgan. I served at J.P. Morgan for 40 years

Family:
I am married with three children (all of whom attended Greenwich public schools). We now have three grandchildren two of whom are currently enrolled in Greenwich public schools.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?
None

Previous public office, appointive or elective:
I served as Chair of the Greenwich Planning and Zoning Board of Appeals and have been elected to serve four terms on the BET

Why are you seeking this office?
I have spent years volunteering for Greenwich. I have very pertinent experience given my years in the finance industry. Simply stated, public service is an important part of who I am and for me the opportunity to serve this extraordinary community is compelling.

The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is ____, and this is what I intend to do about it:
…..keeping taxes low and predictable while supporting the wonderful services that our Town demands. I intend to address necessary capital decisions before crises emerge and to work with BET colleagues to design a capital plan to phase essential projects in an orderly and predictable way.

What are the major differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?
There has been far too much strife and brinksmanship on the BET. Too often important decisions have been delayed and/or rammed through using the tie breaking vote of the majority. This does not foster productive debate and constructive collaboration.

What other issues do you intend to address during your campaign?
Decisions need to be fact-based. Multiyear capital planning should be adopted to optimally finance essential capital projects. Tested technology should be deployed to reduce the cost of managing the Town. It’s all about listening to the voices of our community to restore responsible bipartisan collaboration.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?
I would offer two examples: the work I did to retain the Town’s air rights at Greenwich Plaza has been financially beneficial to the Town. Also my advocating of a plan to examine the Town’s multi year capital plan hopefully will be a blueprint for implementing a more sound approach to capital planning and financing.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?
Be a better listener.

Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself and your positions?
I am a pragmatic, non ideological problem solver. My goal is to deploy the skills and practices I learned during a long career in banking to serve this great community that has nurtured our family for the past forty years.