Quiet ceremony marks a seismic shift on town finance board
The gavel changed hands yesterday in a way we’ve seen only twice in a century. Now, Democrats hold the chairmanship and the tie-breaking vote on the town finance board, the Board of Estimate and Taxation (BET). Back in November, voters roundly rejected partisanship and a lack of long-term financial planning, choosing BET Democrats to take the helm.
At the Wednesday morning swearing-in, Democrat David Weisbrod was unanimously chosen by the bipartisan 12-member board to serve as their new chair. The board is in expert hands with Weisbrod, who is starting his fifth term and brings four decades of experience at JP Morgan, having served as the Vice Chairman for Risk Management. He will be joined in leadership by Democrats Matt DesChamps as Vice Chair, Doug Fenton as Clerk and Laura Erickson as Chair of the Budget Committee.
The voters’ mandate: focus on capital planning
Weisbrod sees the sweeping election results as a clarion call for change. BET Democrats have long warned that the town’s financial planning process is broken. Last year, our legislative body, the Representative Town Meeting (RTM), rebuked Republican leadership for a lack of long-term capital planning. A 2023 League of Women Voters report had revealed a staggering $1.6 billion backlog of needed town projects. Yet, the Republican-controlled BET has quietly erased major projects from the town’s plan over the years, without explanation or justification.
As his inaugural act, Weisbrod convened a long-dormant group with a wonky name, the Debt and Fund Balance Policy Committee. The group has already mapped out a data-driven approach to create a capital plan, endeavoring to balance needs while keeping taxes low. The committee, helmed by Democrat Elliot Alchek, and including Stephen Selbst, met yesterday for the very first time since 2020—marking a fundamental change—a new BET that prioritizes planning. “We must keep an eye on the longer-term future,” notes Weisbrod, adding that includes “plans to address infrastructure, technology and sustainability, focusing as always on assuring that taxes are affordable and predictable.”
A new era of bipartisanship and listening
In his remarks, Weisbrod vowed to turn the page on years of partisanship that have stymied the finance board. As chair, he now holds the ability to break ties when the board is deadlocked, but he hopes to rarely, if ever, deploy that power. His predecessor, Harry Fisher, used the tie-breaking vote a stunning 25 times last year to push through last-minute budget cuts that reflected ideology rather than community priorities. In contrast, Weisbrod views his new leadership role as a path to foster collegiality, productive discussion, bipartisan consensus, and ultimately results for residents.
Retiring veteran member Leslie Moriarty voiced confidence that “the new BET will be more responsive and transparent.” Over the past four years, BET Republicans had developed a reputation for operating in secrecy and ignoring input from experts and residents, the last-minute slashing of the school budget in April 2025 being a prime example. Looking forward, Weisbrod and his Democratic colleagues commit to Greenwich residents across the political spectrum, “We will improve transparency, create more opportunities for public input, and ensure that community priorities are heard.”
Yesterday’s inauguration doesn’t just mark a voter-driven change in leadership—it’s a hopeful transformation to responsible, forward-thinking, and collaborative governance at the town’s consequential finance board.
Grateful for dedicated public servants
As we look forward, we pause to honor extraordinary volunteers ending their tenures on the Board of Estimate and Taxation (BET).
Leslie Moriarty has devoted more than two decades to town government, having served a remarkable ten years on the BET, eight years on the Board of Education (BOE), including as BOE chair, and two years on the Representative Town Meeting (RTM). As the BET Minority Caucus Leader and a member of the Budget Committee, she was the steadfast voice for sound financial management and transparent process. “Leslie’s leadership on the BET set a standard that will be challenging to match,” notes newly-appointed BET Chair David Weisbrod. “Her mastery of the policies, financial details, town departments, and schools is universally recognized. We will miss Leslie, but know she will continue to find ways to serve our community.”
We recognize Scott Kalb for his expert stewardship of our town’s finances. He served one term on the BET, drawing on his decades of international finance and investment management experience. Scott previously served two terms on the RTM, on the First Selectman’s Waste Management Committee and made news in 2021 by co-founding and chairing Bright Feeds, the first sustainable management waste company in our state that converts food waste into animal feed. As BET Chair Weisbrod submits, “We celebrate Scott’s efforts and are overjoyed with his return to the RTM, where we know he will continue to serve the community with glory.”
What we’re reading
On January 7, Greenwich witnessed a peaceful transfer of power on the Board of Estimate and Taxation, creating a stark contrast to the events of January 6, 2021. We will not forget that horrific attack on the U.S. Capitol by a pro-Trump mob five years ago. And we won’t let others rewrite that part of our country’s dangerous, shameful history.
A recent piece by the New York Times editorial board reminds us, in stark detail, “As dark as this story has become, it is not over. Its next chapters will depend on what Americans do now, especially those who share some of Mr. Trump’s policy preferences but remain loyal to American democracy…Americans must summon the collective will to bring this era to an end and make certain that the violence, lawlessness and injustice of Jan. 6 do not endure.”
Especially in the wake of Trump’s January 3 military attack on Venezuela, without Congressional approval or consultation, we all need to pay attention and speak up.
Action Calendar
January 8. Caucus.
Join fellow Democrats in your district tonight for our biennial election of Democratic Town Committee members. Any registered Democrat is eligible to self-nominate and/or vote. This is what Democracy looks like! More details posted here. 7:30 p.m.
January 21. Meet.
Come to our monthly DTC meeting, open to all Democrats in town. In the Cone Room at Greenwich Town Hall, 101 Field Point Road, 2nd floor, 7:30 p.m.
January 27. Engage.
Proposed town and school budget presentations from the First Selectman and Board of Education. 6:00 p.m. in the Town Hall Meeting Room (101 Field Point Road) and streamed on Greenwich Community TV (YouTube and cable). Have your say on what’s important to you during the Public Hearing which starts at 7:00 p.m.
| Volume 4, Number 28 • January 8, 2026 |
| Paid for by the Greenwich Democratic Town Committee. |
| Greenwich Democratic Town Committee P.O. Box 126 Greenwich, CT 06836 |