Bob Lavelle
Board of Finance
I grew up in The Bronx and lived in the boroughs of NYC for most of my adult life, working primarily for 3 large corporations (AT&T, Chase Bank, Macy’s) in IT project, program and relationship management. I spent my first 8 working years in accounting-related positions, initially overseas for a large mutual fund company.
I moved to Ridgefield in 2007. My wife, Linda, has lived here 50 years! I enjoy reading, writing, staying in shape and following stock market gyrations. I have also tutored and mentored minority, fatherless young men for 20 years, in Manhattan and in Danbury. My goal is to be a positive, caring male role model and to help these young men avoid the usual teenage pitfalls and to graduate from high school.
What office are you running for?
What are the main issues facing the Board of Finance?
Board of Finance
Monitoring and adjusting for constant change. A few years ago, outmigration from CT and lower property values were concerning. But the move of people out of NYC and into the suburbs over the last year or so has now raised Ridgefield property values. Will this positive change continue? What has the impact been on school population and projections?
The push for zoning changes and more affordable housing
Planning for and funding the police and fire department moves to better facilities
Maintaining our rainy day fund and our ratings to keep interest on debt low
How to intelligently expand our commercial tax base to shift some of the tax burden off homeowners
Why are you the right candidate for BOF this year?
I worked for many years managing large, complex, multi-location IT projects. My prior accounting knowledge and experience gave me an advantage over other tech guys when it came time to expand my responsibilities. I have a direct, amicable, analytical style and prefer to address issues early in the cycle. I went back to school at WCSU Ancell School of Business during my retirement and earned a degree in financial accounting, graduating in 2016 summa cum laude.
I served on the Board of Assessment Appeals for seven years. I enjoy financial analysis and negotiating and see myself as a neutral analyst; I don’t respond to calls of ‘we have to cut’, but I don’t hold any sacred cows either. I understand that the BOF operates in concert with many other moving parts within the town and our school system and that decisions are reached after much analysis and discussion. I believe I would be a good addition to BOF.