As a 30-year resident of Stamford, the wife of a Stamford firefighter, and someone with deep family roots in this community, I have a strong personal and emotional investment in the city's future. I volunteered for this role because I genuinely care about Stamford's well-being. Based on my 25 years of experience at GE Capital as a Technical Accountant and Technical Controller, I bring a deep understanding of finance and accounting, regulatory compliance, and strategic planning - skills that are directly relatable to the Board of Finance. Before my role at GE Capital, I was an auditor for KPMG in Stamford. I pride myself as a collaborative leader who works cross-functionally with legal, tax and audit teams - an experience that translates well to working with city departments and stakeholders. My commitment is to ensure that every decision made serves the prosperity of Stamford and its residents.

Long-term fiscal challenges of Stamford comprise of managing the rising costs of education and infrastructure - while trying to maintain a sustainable tax burden of our residents and preparing for Stamford's future. To address this, it must be a multi-pronged approach including engagement of the community in budget prioritization and improving operational efficiencies in our government system.

This rebuild is a major undertaking for the City. The total cost of the school plan is approximately supported by half State funding and half City funding. Therefore, I recommend a hybrid financial strategy approach for the City - combining long-term municipal bonds and building a steady cash reserve. By implementing a pure pay-as-you-go model may require tax increases, could delay the project or possibly divert funds from other priorities since the model supports only using current revenues rather than debt. By relying solely on debt (e.g.: bonds) this would increase our long-term interest costs. The Fund 57 is another component, as a dedicated reserve for the City - and leveraging some of these funds could help reduce the amount needed to borrow. We should work to incorporate a hybrid model that would bring a balance, stability and flexibility for Stamford.