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By John Rasimas
After 37 years working for the Connecticut State Auditors, including serving as Deputy State Auditor and heading an agency of approximately 110 accountants and auditors, I have developed a deep appreciation for the importance of financial accountability in government.
I retired in 2022, but my interest in governmental finance and taxation has continued. Over the years, I wrote freelance articles for The Hartford Courant on these subjects. I also served as an adjunct professor at Central Connecticut State University for 20 years and currently teach in UConn’s Master’s in Accounting program.
This professional background has shaped how I evaluate financial leadership and the responsibilities of Connecticut’s Comptroller.
The Comptroller’s office plays a prominent role in state financial reporting, accounting, and oversight. Connecticut taxpayers deserve accurate information about the state’s financial position, its obligations, and the decisions that affect public resources.
Financial accountability is not simply about whether the numbers balance. It is about understanding what those numbers mean and what they could mean for taxpayers in the years ahead.
That is why I have taken an interest in Jen Tooker’s background and her campaign for State Comptroller.
Experience Beyond Politics
Jen Tooker brings experience from both the private sector and local government.
Before entering elected office, she spent more than two decades in the international reinsurance industry, including leadership positions with Gen Re. Reinsurance involves assessing risk, financial exposure, and the potential consequences of events that may not occur for years.
That experience is relevant when discussing government finances.
In my years as a state auditor, I learned that financial oversight requires looking beyond immediate results. It requires examining assumptions, understanding liabilities, and asking whether decisions made today create additional burdens tomorrow.
Risk management is particularly important in an environment where governments must balance current services with long-term commitments.
Tooker’s experience in reinsurance provides a background for understanding these issues. Her professional career included work in the United States and European markets, giving her exposure to complex financial and business operations.
But private-sector experience is only one part of the picture.
Lessons From Westport
Tooker also brings experience in municipal government.
She served on Westport’s Board of Education, Conservation Commission, and Board of Finance before becoming Second Selectwoman and later First Selectwoman. The Town of Westport identifies her previous professional role as a retired executive with Gen Re.
Her local government experience is important because municipal officials deal directly with the financial consequences of public policy.
Budgets, employee benefits, capital projects, infrastructure, and long-term obligations all affect taxpayers. Decisions made at the municipal level can provide practical lessons about the challenges facing state government.
One issue that deserves attention is retiree medical benefits, commonly referred to as Other Post-Employment Benefits, or OPEB.
These obligations require careful financial planning because they extend beyond a single budget year. Tooker has discussed her administration’s work addressing Westport’s retiree medical benefit obligations and the importance of proper funding and oversight.
Those issues deserve serious examination. A responsible financial discussion should consider not only current expenditures, but also future commitments and the assumptions used to support them.
This is an area where my auditing background informs how I view financial leadership.
The Comptroller’s Responsibilities
The Comptroller is not responsible for making every spending decision in Connecticut. Those decisions involve the governor, legislature, and other state agencies.
However, accurate reporting and financial transparency are essential to informed decision-making.
The public needs to understand the state’s financial position, including its long-term liabilities and the potential consequences of current policies.
In May 2026, Tooker wrote that the Comptroller’s responsibility should include identifying financial risks early, reporting the numbers honestly, and explaining what decisions could mean five, 10, or 20 years into the future.
That approach reflects a principle I consider important: financial reporting should help taxpayers and policymakers understand the complete picture, not simply the most convenient part of it.
Connecticut faces ongoing questions about spending, revenue, debt, employee benefits, and the sustainability of public commitments.
These are complicated issues. They deserve more than political slogans or isolated figures. They require clear reporting, sound analysis, and a willingness to examine the assumptions behind financial decisions.
The Comptroller’s office has a responsibility to contribute to that understanding.
Looking Beyond the Numbers
My experience has taught me that financial accountability depends on both technical knowledge and professional integrity.
An auditor must be willing to ask difficult questions. Financial reporting must be accurate. Public officials must be able to explain their decisions, and taxpayers must have access to information that allows them to understand how their money is being managed.
These principles should apply regardless of political party.
The Comptroller’s office serves the public, and its financial reporting should be approached with independence, transparency, and attention to the facts.
Jen Tooker’s background in business and municipal government provides a basis for examining how she approaches these responsibilities. Her experience in reinsurance, her service in Westport, and her stated emphasis on long-term financial risks are relevant to the discussion about Connecticut’s financial future.
Ultimately, the office requires someone who understands the importance of accurate reporting and responsible financial oversight.
Connecticut taxpayers deserve to know where their money is going, what obligations the state has undertaken, and what financial risks may lie ahead.
That requires asking questions, examining the numbers, and communicating the answers clearly.
Financial accountability begins with a willingness to look at the facts.
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