Candidates Archives | Return to Home Page
December 14, 2009
What Say You, Vienna? Comments (5)
Will Falls Church voters move to a fall election?
Questions about timing, newfound budget woes have been raised
By Fredrick Kunkle
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, December 14, 2009
The Falls Church City Council on Monday will take up the issue of whether to hold municipal elections in November rather than May, a change embraced by a growing number of Virginia municipalities that has ignited sharp debate in the tiny Northern Virginia city.
The council gave preliminary approval to the measure Nov. 23 by a 4 to 3 vote. To change the 2010 election scheduled for May to November, the council would have to adopt the measure by majority vote at the Monday session to meet a deadline imposed by law. The council is also considering a proposal to further study the measure and schedule a referendum.
The proposal to hold autumn elections has sparked a controversy in the city of 11,000 people. Backers say the change would save money and boost voter participation. Opponents say moving the election date could shield the city's political leadership from voters' wrath as officials struggle with a nasty hole in the budget.
City Attorney John Foster estimated that the switch could save $18,000 every two years. Backers also say past election data offer proof that more people go to the polls during state and national elections.
But opponents fear that voters who cast ballots in national or state elections in November will be less familiar with close-to-home matters that could affect them. They also worry that fall elections will inevitably take on a partisan cast.
Sam Mabry, a former council member and vice mayor, said he thinks the interest in moving the elections to November coincides with the recent discovery of an unexpected $4 million gap in the city budget, which could force tax increases and service cuts.
In a Nov. 16 memo, the city's chief financial officer identified an estimated $7.7 million shortfall in the coming fiscal year on revenue of $59.4 million. The city's charter calls for the budget to be settled near the time some council members stand for election.
Mayor Robin S. Gardner rejected criticism that the proposal to change the voting date was motivated by a desire to put some distance between the budget deliberations and elections.
"I find it troubling that some people believe our citizens aren't going to remember how people handled the budget situation six months later," Gardner said.
Gardner said she thinks November elections would attract more voters and expand the base of people involved in city governance. Gardner, a Democrat, also disputed the idea that the November election cycle would heighten partisan emotions. She said opinions on matters of local government, such as zoning and taxes, are seldom shaped by party politics. "I've voted for Republicans in local elections," she said.
But council member Nader Baroukh likened the proposal to a power grab.
"It just doesn't smell good. There's a taint about it that doesn't sit well with me," Baroukh said. "This is something so fundamental for how we vote and when we vote, that this is not something that should be decided by council. It should be decided by referendum."
Mary Jo Fields, research director for the Virginia Municipal League, said that 15 of Virginia's 39 cities and 19 of its 180 towns hold their local elections in November. Several municipalities, including Alexandria, are in the process of changing.
By Fredrick Kunkle
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, December 14, 2009
The Falls Church City Council on Monday will take up the issue of whether to hold municipal elections in November rather than May, a change embraced by a growing number of Virginia municipalities that has ignited sharp debate in the tiny Northern Virginia city.
The council gave preliminary approval to the measure Nov. 23 by a 4 to 3 vote. To change the 2010 election scheduled for May to November, the council would have to adopt the measure by majority vote at the Monday session to meet a deadline imposed by law. The council is also considering a proposal to further study the measure and schedule a referendum.
The proposal to hold autumn elections has sparked a controversy in the city of 11,000 people. Backers say the change would save money and boost voter participation. Opponents say moving the election date could shield the city's political leadership from voters' wrath as officials struggle with a nasty hole in the budget.
City Attorney John Foster estimated that the switch could save $18,000 every two years. Backers also say past election data offer proof that more people go to the polls during state and national elections.
But opponents fear that voters who cast ballots in national or state elections in November will be less familiar with close-to-home matters that could affect them. They also worry that fall elections will inevitably take on a partisan cast.
Sam Mabry, a former council member and vice mayor, said he thinks the interest in moving the elections to November coincides with the recent discovery of an unexpected $4 million gap in the city budget, which could force tax increases and service cuts.
In a Nov. 16 memo, the city's chief financial officer identified an estimated $7.7 million shortfall in the coming fiscal year on revenue of $59.4 million. The city's charter calls for the budget to be settled near the time some council members stand for election.
Mayor Robin S. Gardner rejected criticism that the proposal to change the voting date was motivated by a desire to put some distance between the budget deliberations and elections.
"I find it troubling that some people believe our citizens aren't going to remember how people handled the budget situation six months later," Gardner said.
Gardner said she thinks November elections would attract more voters and expand the base of people involved in city governance. Gardner, a Democrat, also disputed the idea that the November election cycle would heighten partisan emotions. She said opinions on matters of local government, such as zoning and taxes, are seldom shaped by party politics. "I've voted for Republicans in local elections," she said.
But council member Nader Baroukh likened the proposal to a power grab.
"It just doesn't smell good. There's a taint about it that doesn't sit well with me," Baroukh said. "This is something so fundamental for how we vote and when we vote, that this is not something that should be decided by council. It should be decided by referendum."
Mary Jo Fields, research director for the Virginia Municipal League, said that 15 of Virginia's 39 cities and 19 of its 180 towns hold their local elections in November. Several municipalities, including Alexandria, are in the process of changing.
February 12, 2009
Herndon Says Kick the Bums Out! Comments (4)
From today's Washington Post:
Herndon Group Takes On Council
Alliance Criticizes Handling of IssuesBy Amy Gardner
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, February 12, 2009; VA01A group of Herndon residents who have been critical of the Town Council's positions on a variety of issues, including immigration and economic development, has formed an alliance aimed at electing new leaders in 2010.
The Alliance for Herndon's Future has been organizing for about six months but officially kicked off this month. Its goal is to provide an alternative political voice in the town of 23,000 residents, west of Reston along the Dulles Toll Road.
"We don't feel like the makeup of our current council is really representative of the overall community, and we've been dissatisfied with the direction we're going," said ex-mayor Michael L. O'Reilly, who was defeated by Stephen J. DeBenedittis, the current mayor, in 2006. "The group got together because of that."
In particular, alliance members said, DeBenedittis and several of his colleagues on the Town Council have pursued policies regarding immigrants and day laborers that have reflected poorly on the town.
Herndon burst into the national debate on illegal immigration in 2005, when the Town Council voted to establish a job center for laborers seeking a day's work. The goal, council members said at the time, was to keep the workers off the streets. But a national outcry over the center followed, because many of the laborers were in the country illegally.
O'Reilly and several council members who supported the center were ousted in the subsequent election. The new council closed the center and stepped up police activity and zoning enforcement to restrict loitering and crowded living arrangements, which many residents view as among the negative effects of illegal immigration.
"There are plenty of folks who would say that the town's reputation suffered as a result of these folks' efforts to bring the day-labor center to Herndon in the first place," DeBenedittis said, adding that the alliance is not new but represents the people who pushed the day-labor center into existence.
DeBenedittis said that he welcomes the group's participation in the political process, noting that he won majority votes in 2006 and 2008. Alliance members said one of their goals is to improve voter turnout, which has hovered at about one-quarter of registered voters in recent town elections.
O'Reilly said he has no plans to seek election.
Alliance leaders said immigration is not their only issue. They said they are also dissatisfied with the council's slow efforts to plan for Metrorail along the Dulles Toll Road. The Herndon-Monroe station is expected to open in 2015, but planning to change the type of development that is allowed nearby has not begun.
"It's now pretty clear that Metro is going to be built down the toll road," said Rich Stacy, the alliance's president. "We are concerned because we have not seen the Town Council take any proactive approach to dealing with development in the area nearby."
DeBenedittis said that starting the planning process is a top priority for the council but that he is focused first on planning the redevelopment of Herndon's downtown. He also said he doesn't think Metrorail planning is a genuine concern of the new alliance.
"They're a one-issue group," he said.
January 29, 2009
Maud Steps Down. Comments (7)
Veteran Vienna Council Member Robinson Opts for Retirement
by BRIAN TROMPETER, Staff Writer
Except for a brief period in 2000, a Robinson has held a Vienna Town Council seat for the past 47 years.
That tradition will end this year when Town Council member Maud Robinson steps down on June 30. Robinson, who has served on the council since 2000, announced Jan. 26 that she would not seek another two-year term.
“I just decided it would be pleasant to have a little more leisure time,” she said. “One does not have to be in elected office to accomplish constructive thing for one’s community.”
Robinson said she was proud of having influenced the town’s aesthetics on the Vienna Architectural Review Board, helping create the creation of a special commercial zone on Church Street and securing the placement of no-through-trucks signs in neighborhoods.
Robinson was appointed to the council to fill the unexpired term of M. Jane Seeman, who had been elected mayor following the death of Robinson’s husband, longtime Mayor Charles Robinson. A 58-year Vienna resident, Maud Robinson was re-elected in 2001 and served four more two-year terms.
Robinson’s views during council meetings have leaned toward fiscal conservatism and historic preservation.
She has clashed frequently with some residents in northwest Vienna, who oppose development and renovation restrictions imposed by the Windover Heights Historic District. This fight has been the subject of a years-long lawsuit that likely will have a judge’s ruling shortly, town officials said.
Robinson called her Town Council tenure “the most rewarding experience of my life, apart from marrying my husband.” She plans to remain active in town organizations but will “respect the boundaries” when it comes to interacting with the Town Council, she said.
Robinson, 86, was born in Stamford, Conn., earned a bachelor’s degree from Smith College and attended law school at the University of Virginia for two years.
She also performed intelligence and communications work with the U.S. Navy WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service) during World War II.
Robinson served on the Vienna Architectural Review Board, the Town/Business Liaison Committee and the Church Street Vision Committee. She is on the board of Historic Vienna Inc. and belongs to the Vienna Rotary Club and Ayr Hill Garden Club.
Seeman said Robinson’s long institutional memory has informed many Town Council decisions.
“She has a clear-eyed view of things,” Seeman said. “She didn’t let anything cloud her judgment. Whether we agree with her or not, she never has problems making her views known. When it’s over, we put it all behind us. She always puts the town’s interest first.”
Seeman said she and Robinson vehemently disagree on some issues, but do not let policy disputes affect their friendship.
“We sometimes yell at each other on the phone,” Seeman said. “When it’s over, we’ll ask, ‘Do you want to go to dinner?’”
Three Town Council seats will be up for grabs in the May 5 election. The seats of George Lovelace and Dan Dellinger also will be on the ballot; neither has voiced his intentions to run or not yet.
Vienna Volunteer Fire Department president Howard Springsteen confirmed this week he will file to run.
A logistics manager with the Fairfax County Department of Vehicle Services, Springsteen has lived in Vienna for 12 years and served on Vienna Transportation Safety Commission. This would be his first run for elected office.
“I think it’s important that people who are interested step forward and serve the town,” he said.
October 28, 2008
Vienna Should Take a Cue from Fairfax County. Comments (4)
When a Vienna election season has competition, the incumbents (Maud, Jane, Laurie, George & gang) send the rumor mill into overdrive. It is not a proper Vienna election if a challenger does not have his or her reputation and good character properly sullied.
Election Office Sets Up 'Myth-Busters' Web Page
SunGazette.net; Monday, October 27, 2008
The Fairfax County government’s election official has set up a “Rumor Busters” Web page to address some of the misinformation that has been spreading about the 2008 general election.
The site can be found at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/news/election2008.htm.
Among the rumors that have been circulating, and the election office’s response:
* “A rumor has been circulating that Fairfax County has been tossing military ballots.” This rumor is false, election officials say.
* “A rumor has been circulating about Virginia’s absentee voting process. Claims have been made that all absentee voters will not be allowed to cast absentee ballots in local or state elections and will only be able to vote in the presidential race.” This rumor is false, election officials say.
* “A rumor has been circulating about Virginia’s absentee ballots not being counted if one candidate is winning the election by a large margin.” This rumor is false, election officials say.
* “Rumors have been circulating that individuals can register and vote in two different localities, essentially voting twice.” This rumor is false, election officials say.
* “A rumor has been circulating about voting equipment in Virginia giving voters an option to vote a straight-party ticket.” This rumor is false.
September 25, 2008
Spring Elections in Vienna. Comments (5)
Since someone asked, elections are in May 2009. HistoricVienna.com would love to vote for someone other than an incumbent. We are actually rather perplexed here at the HV headquarters - Obama signs are ALL over town. Citizens seem to want and embrace change on the national level but here in Vienna, they are committed to putting the same tired and worn out politicians into office EVERY SINGLE YEAR.
Do not sit back and wait. Be the person who runs for office. Stick your neck out. Change will be better. DEMAND SOMETHING ELSE. DEMAND SOMETHING BETTER.
Who won last year?
Vienna Town Council Results
Edythe Frankel Kelleher * 666 35%
Laurie Genevro Cole * 636 33%
Michael J. Polychrones * 607 32%
Key: * Incumbent
Precincts: 100%
July 14, 2008
Running for Mayor Comments (15)
From a HV reader:
When people run for public office, they should realize that all of their communication with their potential constituents is really like a job interview. The voters do the “hiring,” based on how much they like the candidate’s policies, his leadership skills, his interpersonal skills, and--fairly, or unfairly--how much they like him or her as a person. When holding a public office, one becomes the representative for not only the people who agree with the office holder, but all the residents of the jurisdiction. The bloggers on this website are among the constituents of the mayor of Vienna, and as such, should be treated with respect by a prospective mayoral candidate. Yet, Mr. Rossi has insulted us, baited us, refused to deal with us on our terms, rather insisting that we meet him on his terms. Will a citizen vote for someone who tells her sarcastically, that she doesn’t know the meaning of a word and to look it up in a dictionary? Will a citizen vote for someone who says, “trust me, I know what’s best for you”? Will a voter just accept that a mayor always has the best answer while refusing to listen to others or consider that others might have better answers? Will a citizen vote for someone who says his constituents aren’t worthy of good grammar? Would anyone get the job if they use poor grammar and insult the interviewee?
July 05, 2008
Cool. It is About Time Someone is Challenging the Mayor. Comments (7)
HistoricVienna.com just received this ...
Ladies and Gentlemen,As a resident of Vienna Va for 48 years. Thats right my entire life. I went through the ranks of Vienna schools, VYI Football, basketball, baseball, soccer. I was President of the Vienna Jaycees, Director in the Chamber of Commerce, Director of the Halloween parade...etc etc. I love Vienna more then I love most things in life. My hometown. The town I tear up about when I drive through the streets and remember. However in the past 5 years I have grown quite displeased with so many things in the town. I read about Mayor Jane Seeman and can tell you all, it's all true. She out of touch and I speak on direct issues I bought to Ms. Seeman myself. My issues were ignored and now she doesn't even want to talk to me anymore. I have sat in on many of the town council meetings, traffic control meetings and carefully listened to the residents and the complaints they had on their streets issues. I wrote down everything they said and periodically go to the streets that have a traffic problem and absolutely nothing has been done. If you want the Fairfax County residents to continue to cut through our neighborhoods, then I suggest you vote for Mayor Jane Seeman
However, I ask you all to be patient. I am announcing that I will challenge her for the position of Mayor in 2010. I have a traffic control plan that as Mayor I will order in to affect immediately. The quality of our lives have declined due to the same old policies here in the Town of Vienna. Also, the 23K spent on the Laser show in my opinion was a flop. Money not wisely spent. At the opening of the ceremony, Ms. Seeman even announced that this was a beginning of a long tradition in the Town, meaning be prepared for an expensive laser show that equates to nearly $ 20.00 per second.
Please comment to me directly at rossihere2@hotmail.com
I will need all your help and I will always put common sense first and will always put the hearts of all the good folks like you first as well..
Sincerely
Charles A Rossi
121 Locust St SW
Vienna Virginia 22180
703 498 6882
