Victor Finamore

Victor Finamore

Education

Bachelor's

Westfield Senior High School

Personal

Profession

Project manager

Victor Finamore was a candidate for an at-large seat on the Brick Township Public Schools school board in New Jersey. Finamore was defeated in the at-large general election on November 8, 2016.

Finamore was defeated in a prior campaign for an at-large seat on the Brick Township school board in the general election held on November 3, 2015.

Biography

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Finamore graduated from Westfield Senior High School in 1983. He later attended Union County College from 1984 to 1986 and earned a pharmaceutical tech certification from Upsala College in 1988. Finamore has worked as a lab technician, financial account manager and benefit administrator. He has worked as a project manager for the State of New Jersey since 2013.

Elections

2016

See also: Brick Township Public Schools elections (2016)

Two of the seven seats on the Brick Township Public Schools school board were up for at-large general election on November 8, 2016. No incumbents ran for re-election in the race. Newcomers Melita Gagliardi and Daisy Haffner defeated John O'Rourke, Madeline Colagiovanni-Iannarone, Walter Campbell, and Victor Finamore for the open seats.

Results

Brick Township Public Schools, At-Large General Election, 3-year terms, 2016
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Daisy Haffner	27.79%	12,345
Melita Gagliardi	24.29%	10,794
Madeline Colagiovanni-Iannarone	15.39%	6,836
Walter Campbell	13.72%	6,097
John O'Rourke	12.50%	5,552
Victor Finamore	6.00%	2,665
Write-in votes	0.32%	141
Total Votes		44,430
Source: Ocean County, New Jersey, "2016 General Election," accessed November 30, 2016

Funding

Finamore reported $2,125.00 in contributions and $1,617.38 in expenditures to the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission, which left his campaign with $507.62 on hand in the election.

2015

See also: Brick Township Public Schools elections (2015)

Opposition

The Brick Township Board of Education consists of seven nonpartisan members who are elected at large to three-year terms. Four seats on the Brick Township Public Schools advisory board were up for general election on November 3, 2015. The at-large seats of incumbents Michael Conti, Frank Pannucci Jr. and Susan Suter were on the ballot for three-year terms. A fourth one-year term was on the ballot due to a resignation on the board.

Newcomers Victoria Pakala, Stephanie Wohlrab and John Lamela won election to three-year terms, while George White defeated former board member John Talty for a one-year term.

None of the three incumbents filed to run for re-election, though Talty, the member who resigned from the board in April 2015, ran for his former seat. He left the board to recover from heart surgery and he faced challenger White in his bid to return. The race for the three three-year term seats attracted a total of 10 candidates: Walter Campbell, Madeline Colagiovanni-Iannarone, Leonard Figula, Victor Finamore, David Fischer, Lamela, Pakala, Lawrence Reid, Lois Turner and Wohlrab. Campbell, Reid, Turner and Talty were running as part of a slate called Progress Not Politics.

Results

Brick Township Board of Education, At-large (3-year term), General Election, 2015
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Victoria Pakala	16.6%	4,006
Stephanie Wohlrab	15.9%	3,831
John Lamela	14.5%	3,491
Lois Turner	10.1%	2,427
Madeline Colagiovanni-Iannarone	9.7%	2,338
Walter Campbell	9.1%	2,194
Lawrence Reid	7.3%	1,771
David Fischer	6.6%	1,591
Leonard Figula	5.8%	1,388
Victor Finamore	4.1%	993
Write-in votes	0.33%	79
Total Votes		24,109
Source: Ocean County, "2015 General Election November 3, 2015, Official Results," accessed November 20, 2015

Funding

Finamore reported $1,625.00 in contributions and $580.00 in expenditures to the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission, which left his campaign with $1,045.00 as of November 5, 2016.

Endorsements

Finamore did not receive any official endorsements in this election.

Campaign themes

2016

Candidate statement

Finamore submitted the following statement:

“	I've been a single homeowner and a taxpayer since 2002. During this time, I have become more and more concerned with the state of affairs of our schools; the sad condition of our facilities, the constant board member conflicts. As I shared last year, the lack of transparency as well as the current rating of our students in various State polls. There can be a formula used to bring it all together. I want to raise our standards, not our taxes. Our community is suffering from all of this and I know I can make a difference. Unfortunately, many on the Board currently forgot that; this is about the children and the parents of our community and not about their personal gains. It's time that the public elect people who wish to serve, to better our community, not continue the set path of which it's upon. As we look back over the last several years, it is obvious that most, if not all, of the over twenty million dollars spent on capital projects in the Brick School District were necessary to repair issues that had fallen into disrepair because of years of neglect. As a Board Member if elected, it will always be my responsibility to ensure that ample energy and dollars are devoted to maintaining our facilities so that more money is not wasted just trying to keep up. Proper long-range planning and budgeting is essential to meet this end. We have finally spent dollars repairing much-needed heating and air conditioning systems, replacing doors and windows, improving our technology and communications systems; that was well over due. While security concerns will always be our top priority, I believe it is time to consider allotting space within our existing infrastructure to accommodate a 21st century education. Teaching techniques that will inspire critical thinking, collaboration and problem-solving will require flexible classrooms that allow for multi-purpose common areas and specialty labs. Clearly, it is our belief that our children have not always been afforded the opportunity to succeed that they and their parents (and ALL taxpayers) pay for and receive. On the other hand, our school budget screams that we spend some $150 million dollars in Brick. The problem has always been where those dollars are spent. We need a budgeting plan that balances the needs of all. There are inefficiencies and waste in our budget that need to be rectified to allow our students a better opportunity for success. We need to improve graduation rates, performance and college and career-readiness* (according to the state’s School Performance Report in 2015*). As a Brick Board Member if elected; it will be my responsibility to give our children every opportunity to become a responsible, educated young adult. Preparing our students for a 21st century world and job market is job number one. Surely, we should be able to accomplish that with a $150 million budget. Governor Christies Farness Formula I have attended several Fair Funding events throughout NJ; from Wall to Wayne. Spoken with people who have attended these events. I have listened to their concerns, opinions before the forum. Then afterwards, how their opinions and views changed after listening and understand more about the program. In addition, I’ve spoken with hundreds of Brick residents where there is overwhelming support. Bricktown could save an average $594 a year under the Fairness Formula. Combined with the Buy in Brick program and property tax rebate. possible savings of $1,000.00 a year. Brick would receive an additional $2,554 per student. Governor Christie’s, Fairness Formula; would help fix this problem, treat every child equally, and provide property tax relief to homeowners across the State. Many public officials firmly believe that pouring additional money into low income school districts will improve education. Improving education is far more complex than money, what kind of family support system is in place for these children? Every educator knows it takes a combination of teachers, coaches and family members to provide an environment for a child to have a chance to succeed. The Brick school district is starving for additional funding to maintain our antiquated schools and to provide our children with a state-of-the-art education. Asking the majority of citizens to pay additional taxes when they are living from paycheck to paycheck is reckless. Closing thoughts I have worked on previous Budgets from previous careers and projects over the past 30 years. In January 2016, the Board of Education first orders of business was to use a controversial loophole to raise Brick taxes by 5.9%. However, many upset taxpayers they had to “settle” on a 3.5% increase. Whereas the previous boards, have earmarked millions of dollars to capital improvements without raising taxes. With a significant background in finance, I know how to navigate around the line items in the budget that cannot be changed because of collective bargaining and focus on prioritizing what is important such as facilities, updating curriculum, technology, maintenance and grounds, etc. I possess the skills necessary to strike the right balance of improving our children’s education and at the same time working within the framework of the current $150 million budget. Our taxpayers cannot afford any more tax increases. Prioritize projects as "needs” rather than "wants." With plans through collaboration and budget appropriately in a way, that doesn't have a disparate impact on the very households we are serving Our current disarray of the Board, is a perfect example of the wrong doings go back many years that could have been avoidable with a little common sense by all parties.	”
—Victor Finamore (2016)

2015

Finamore answered the following questions from Brick Shorebeat about issues in the district:

“	Do you currently receive any public salary compensation? If so, from what public agency? Federal Funded Project – Hurricane Sandy Relief. Have you ever previously held an elected office in Brick or elsewhere? I have never held any other office. As it presently stands, the administration of the Brick school district remains in flux. What should the academic priorities of our administrators be over the next three years? The Board Of Education has a President and it’s current Superintendent; who the elected Board members, as a collaborative work together in regards to resolutions. As elected, it would be best to understand what structure is currently pending in order to make adjustments and suggestions as needed. No one ever walks in and make changes over night; it’s a process that has to be both learned and analyzed; as well discuses in the proper forum for resolution. Although Transparency among all departments including the Township Departments, is an objective that I plan on seeking in many areas. Negotiate fair contracts saving dollars for the community while providing the highest quality education for our children. Open and honest. No back room dealing – Transparency. Keeping politics and favoritism out. Fair play for all – Transparency. Will listen to, address and evaluate public concerns when making decisions as part of a collaborative. Will work to provide a quality education for all children at all levels. Looking out for whats best for the children and their parents first. The bottom line, I’m not going to tell you what you think you want to hear – I’m going to tell it like it is and work for the working class that makes up the majority population, families struggling here in Brick [ Homeowners, Renters, Seniors with a fixed income,- because the School budget effects everyone – it’s the public’s’ money. ] not the pension riders and those who would prefer to over spend the budget making decisions about your Taxes. At its core, a public school district will always be judged based on the achievement of its students. Though Brick’s performance has improved in some areas in recent years based on state data, that same data has repeatedly shown that the Brick district lags in the category of college and career readiness. In a competitive state like New Jersey, what specific initiatives should be put into place to ensure that Brick students will be able to compete in both college and the marketplace with their peers who reside in the state’s highest-performing districts? State data: The State’s new School Performance Report, which replaces the long-used School Report Cards as part of national common core standards, places extra emphasis on student achievement in college and beyond secondary school. Earlier this year, there was already put in reforms and programs in place to improve student achievement to have been implemented. These reports that are out, are implemented to inform teachers and staff on how to help improve the schools. Anytime a new program is introduced, it will take time to develop and process in order to become a success – without expectations of overnight. I believe that the current administration have been working on improvements that has a positive impact upon the students. College and the marketplace: The previous report shows that the township’s two high schools met all of their targets in academic achievement, but lagged in the category of college and career readiness. Great, – it’s a start; what more can you ask of your children and our teachers. They are making sides and progress with time. There was a budget passed for seven new advanced placement classes in each high school, plus a fourth year math class. The high schools will also offer SAT preparation classes according to that proposal [ although the PARCC is another conversation in it’s self ]. We also have to keep in mind that there are three types of learning skills, auditory input is most valuable; others rely upon a visual style. Still others learn through kinesthetic means, or a combination of the three. Every person has one primary learning mode. Once you identify that mode [ parents and teachers], can learn to maximize it and enhance your child’s education and direction. Students that have learning disabilities have one commonality, a processing deficit that interferes with their learning. Nevertheless, it is important to remember that every individual learns differently and thus has a unique learning style. Hence, the sooner it’s recognized in a child’s performance; the sooner the teachers and parents can get him or her on tract to advance their learning skills. It is important that our college prep students become better prepared regarding critical thinking by having four-year math and science requirements in high school. From there, we can understand areas and review the analysis, move forward and continue to work on the next layer of improvements as needed. students preparing for jobs and careers, employability and earnings will be increasingly tied to [ what is known as ] STEM knowledge; familiarity with common applications such as Microsoft Office, as well as Web literacy skills, to succeed in the current workforce. Following effectively communicate with others outside of the ”texting world” – to have strong writing skills for clear,strong customer service skills with concise and appropriate communication. Other areas include appearance, body language, self discipline and self-confidence are part of the influence of early development on children’s readiness to learn and chances of success later in life. Life Skills are essentials in the workplace along with the ability to keep personal matters in order. Students need to be able to manage their lives and function as responsible members of society. Especially in managing finances is a must. many students may be missing out on basic consumer mathematics skills, such as balancing a checkbook, filling out a tax return, budgeting, etc. However, there is another facet to the equation, graduating High School is only the beginning and it’s readiness for continuing education for 4- 6 years of continuing education. In general colleges and Universities. with an average in State / County college avg. $35k a year. tuition or private Colleges – Universities avg. $60K a year tuition [ pending any grants or scholarships available]. Planning for the next level of education starts at birth, not eight months before graduation day. Although for some parents – College and Universities for their children may become difficult number to achieve these days. There are alternative routes with great opportunities for the graduating Senior with hands on skills, such as: Vocational schools, Five Military programs, Reserves, – NJ National Guard and Coast Guard to start with. Teaching and guiding children with a plan, direction and opportunity at an early age; helps prevents possible unforeseen difficulties later in life…… Most Board of Education meetings are extremely lightly attended. On some occasions, concern has been expressed that not enough parents are engaged in the academic aspects of the school experience. What specific ways can the district better engage parents and members of the community with the aim of bringing them into discussions on academic achievement? It never was a secret, people are just tired and fed up of the non sense [ as advised by the public ] – that their concerns were never property addressed. When I’ve asked the public about attending ? – many of their responses was – that the meetings take too long or there’s too much fighting or disagreements between the members why would a parent want to attend a 3- 4hour meeting after an 8 – 10 hour day from work? – after attending several meeting over the past few years,, you can’t disagree.. At times, there is a communication disconnect somewhere that needs improvement and yet, there are those times that great things do get accomplished from the Board. We are going through a transition of generations of a diversity of people; Homeowners, Seniors and recent influx of Transient Tenants moving in- with many more to come. My first initiative after elected – besides learning the process- would be to have an public out reach; voice your opinion and concerns, would love to hear your thoughts. from there; I can both respond and collect the data needed to assist by helping the Board members into a new direction knowing more about what the public wants.? I want to start with several facets to emphasize and utilize around the town; that’s already in existing programs. utilizing current programs such as BMAC, Parks and Recreation as part of transparency programs with the Township – it’s Council, Community Programs and Mayor to make it interactive for everyone. I would like to see more career events that children and their families can attend to meet and greet professionals, outside schools, colleges to local business owners – perhaps special guest speakers. Looking further in to sports and recreation, Arts and Sciences as well areas of developmental skill that can be utilized in various ways including scholarship programs – by getting parents involved with common interest to share with others. We have to go back to the Performance Report reviews and look further into the areas that may need improvements. These ideas won’t work on it’s own, without the support of others and will not happen overnight. it’s a working plan that takes time to plan and organize with others in an agreement to become an effective plan. In recent years, some long-sought facilities improvements have been completed in various school buildings. With the condition and age of the district’s facilities continuing to be a chief concern among Brick residents, which improvements and/or upgrades would you prioritize, and which funding mechanism would you favor to finance those projects? Without reviewing the details of past 5 years of contracts, budgets, it wouldn’t be fair to calculate spending or funding. Although after meeting with 100’s of people from the public, they often ask the same question. if almost 10 years ago, they were advised that it was “cost effective to build a New School” than to refurbish the old one – why did we spend so much money on an old building? The best answer to that question is – why not ask of those who have been on the board prior or current? They chose not to rebuild; instead were the ones in agreements to contract and bid out for the repairs of existing school that were outdated? With open contracts and uncounted for petty cash, it makes you wonder why follow the next question – “How much have actually spent on the school just in repairs.?” I want to know what was spent and why; prior – in order to understand – why – do we keep spending funds that’s costing the Tax Payor ? Going forward, I would inquirer about alternate route to see if any options are available including: utility grants, Education grants and School redevelopment grants available? There is funding out there, it’s researching it and seeing if the School system would qualify for any of the programs – that would save the tax payor money and help keep a $147M budget balanced while getting work done and items needed for the students.	”
—Victor Finamore (2015),

Candidate statement

Finamore submitted the following statement of his political philosophy to Ballotpedia:

“	People, a person has a choice. He or She can sit,watch or complain - I choose to make a difference and be apart of that change making a difference in the lives of others. I believe in transparency and strong negotiation of understanding between the departments, the Township and the Tax payer - the people and their children. Although, this process will not be easy to the current regime. Although,there has been enough difficulties within those at be, causing it's own set backs. People want change, I hope in the trust of the public that I will be able to bring forth a part of that change. I want to see better opportunity for children to develop and to succeed. As a child who develops and grows and become much more than he or she is capable of ? - a proud parent gets a feeling that is forever changed with enjoyment and achievement. I hope to see that upon those faces in the years to come. Brick needs a change and balance; there is much difficulties on the streets of Brick causing harm to the young children of today. As a collaborative with the Township, The School System and programs - I believe that we can make that change. As a tax payor, we've seen enough of our funding lost with skyrocketing tax increases that continue . We see constantly lives challenged every year within the transportation department - potential jobs lost - lives upset not knowing what tomorrow will bring.? With the same fall back excuse; It was agreement by the previous administration [ previous - elected BOE members who voted on it ]- it was part of the contract? However - when corruption get called out - the lights go dark and the streets become silent - enough!	”
—Victor Finamore, (2015),

Recent news

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms 'Victor Finamore' 'Brick Township Public Schools'. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

Victor Finamore - Google News

See also

• Brick Township Public Schools, New Jersey
• Brick Township Public Schools elections (2015)
• Incumbency no guarantee of success in Nov. 3 school board elections (November 6, 2015)
• What happened in Nov.'s top board elections? (November 4, 2015)
• Brick Township Public Schools elections (2016)

External links

Suggest a link

• Brick Township Public Schools
• LinkedIn profile