Patch Candidate Profile: For Andrew Okrongly For Ridgefield Board of Finance

RIDGEFIELD, 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 their towns.

Candidate's Name: Andrew Okrongly

What office are you seeking? Board of Finance

What town do you live in? Ridgefield

Campaign Website

Party Affiliation: Democrat

Occupation: Investment management industry, 15 years.

Family: Yes, I am married and have three children, ages 5, 2, and 10 months old. My wife, Mariah, and I both grew up in Ridgefield and moved back to town in 2019.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government? My wife Mariah is the Vice Chair of the Planning and Zoning Commission.

Previous public office, appointive or elective: I have been a member of the Board of Finance since 2021. Additionally, I serve on the town’s Pension Commission, where I help oversee the retirement assets of our police officers, firefighters, school employees, and other municipal workers. I was also appointed to the temporary Senior Tax Credit Committee earlier this year, and I previously served on the Ridgefield Arts Council from 2020-2022.

Why are you seeking this office? A strong commitment to the future of our town. Ridgefield is a wonderful place to raise a family, and I want to do my part to ensure our town is in a stronger position by the time my children graduate from Ridgefield High School. Over the past four years, I have been proud to serve on the Board of Finance, where I have focused on sound financial stewardship and responsible long-term planning. I want to continue that work, ensuring the Board remains highly effective and guided by the town’s best interests, without letting politics or rhetoric distract from that mission.

The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is ____, and this is what I intend to do about it: The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is the large number of capital projects Ridgefield may take on in the coming years, most notably the new Public Safety Building. Since joining the Board four years ago, I’ve focused on making sure these decisions are guided by careful long-term planning. The budgeting and capital planning framework I helped develop gives us a clear picture of how projects will affect town finances and taxes, so we can make smart, well-informed choices that balance investment in Ridgefield’s future with keeping costs manageable for families.

What are the major differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post? Ridgefield is fortunate to have passionate residents from both political parties who are eager to serve their community in this role. I will leave it to the voters to weigh my background and qualifications against those of my competitors. What I offer is a steady, data-driven approach: four years on the BOF, transparent communication with residents, and disciplined long-range planning to keep taxes predictable and services strong.

What other issues do you intend to address during your campaign? Another critical issue facing the Board is ensuring we continue to support our excellent school system while balancing the needs of the many other key services residents rely on. This requires listening carefully to the perspectives of different groups across our community and weighing those priorities in a fair and thoughtful way. My goal is to make sure our budgets reflect the values of the entire community.

An important tool in managing this balancing act is the Senior Tax Credit program. The dollar amount of the tax credit has not been adjusted since 2008, even as inflation eroded its value over time. As a member of the Senior Tax Credit Committee, I helped develop recommendations to expand this important program over the coming years.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job? During my first term on the Board of Finance, we delivered four budgets that passed overwhelmingly at referendum, a clear sign of community confidence. We achieved this by keeping costs under control, with mill rates changing at a pace well below the prevailing rate of inflation, while still maintaining and in some cases expanding the services that make Ridgefield an exceptional place to live.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you? I’ve been fortunate to learn from many incredible role models throughout my life. Early on, my parents, Ridgefield Public School teachers, and sports coaches instilled in me the importance of working hard, staying humble, and treating others with respect. Recently, the words of wisdom I return to most often are around being fully present and appreciating each day. A line from John Lennon has always stayed with me: “Life is what happens while you’re busy making other plans.”

Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself and your positions? Having grown up in Ridgefield, I understand the town from the viewpoint of both longtime residents and today’s younger families that may be newer to town. That connection across generations gives me a unique understanding of the different priorities our residents have, and it helps me balance those needs fairly when making decisions for the whole community.