Deborah Brehony Press Release

Brehony, 50, has filed the requisite paperwork with the County and completed the collection of Signatures of Petitioners necessary to secure a spot on the spring ballot.

A Vienna neighborhood resident since 1979, she and her husband JP, of Commonwealth Housing Corporation and JP Brehony Homes built their own home on Park Street, SE in 2003. Brehony has been active in Vienna Presbyterian Church for 25+ years, and has worked with the local Chamber of Commerce since 1981. In 2005, she was appointed to serve on the Vienna Architectural Review Board, and received a Certificate of Distinguished Service from the Town of Vienna in 2006. She and her husband were named the 'Custom Builder of the Year' by the Custom Builders Council in 2005, and the pair has also been nominated for a Community Service Award within the Town of Vienna . Deborah Brehony has served for three years on the Advisory Board of the Vienna Arts Society, and is a recent member of both the Vienna Host Lions Club and the local American Legion Auxiliary.

While there are other incumbents on the Council that have long resumes of political service, Brehony claims to have a long and distinguished resume of community service. "I am energetic, enthusiastic and intelligent, and I believe that innovation is more important than experience". Brehony is a strong proponent and advocate for the Tysons Tunnel, and works closely with Tysonstunnel.org in their efforts to put the Metro underground. "I believe that the Tunnel is the only sane and sensible option, and so long as that option has breath to breathe, I will fight to keep it alive". Brehony also plans to fight to better in-town/cross-town local traffic tie-ups for town residents, saying that Vienna has focused on pushing the commuter traffic along Maple Avenue to the detriment of its own citizens. She believes strongly that videotaping and televising of all public meetings guarantees both accuracy and access. Brehony is a proponent of the revitalization and revival of the Church Street and Maple Avenue commercial areas, and has come out strongly in favor of limited mixed-use development for those corridors. "Much as I love Vienna and our 'small-town feel', we do not have the luxury of remaining forever the same. We are sandwiched between the gorillas of Tysons, Metro West and Merrifield, and we must protect ourselves and act proactively to those pressures. If we do not plan where we are going, we well may not like where we end up".

Brehony says she is also polling citizens about the possibility of introducing term limits to the Town Council. "While it is not desirable to have a high rate of change-over in governmental positions, neither is it wise to have 'dynasties', where any one person serves for a decade or more at a time. It seems reasonable to me that we might consider a three or four term limit, which is six to eight years of community service, followed by a term off with the possibility of re-election after that time. You know, it's oftentimes the same old issues, but it helps to have a fresh perspective".

The incumbent members of the Vienna Town Council that are up for re-election are: Maud Robinson, George Lovelace and Dan Dellinger, who was appointed in October following the retirement of Syd Veringer. Of those three, Maud Robinson has announced her intention to run for re-election as of this date.

The election will be held on Tuesday, May 1, 2007, at the Vienna Community Center.