Good evening, Fairfax -
What an amazing fall weekend so far! So many great conversations at FHS Family Day, Rock the Block, early voting, and on doorsteps throughout the City. Turnout at City Hall has been amazing - if you haven't made it out yet, tomorrow (Sunday) is the second-to-last weekend early voting day, with polls open from noon to 5 PM.
Weekday early voting will continue at City Hall Monday - Saturday (Halloween!) of the coming week from 8:30 AM - 5 PM. Saturday will be the last weekend voting opportunity.
Not a lot of events to report on this week as we head into Election Day, so I'll use the e-mail space to answer some FAQs from the last few weeks:
Q: Why are you running for mayor and "skipping" City Council?
A: I care far more about how decisions are being made than I do about having my specific voice/opinion represented via a vote. I view the mayoral position as being a steward of the City's vision, and I look forward to working closely with the City Manager to ensure that the elected government operates transparently and effectively.
Q: How will you operate differently than past/current City leadership?
A: I plan to establish high expectations for preparedness on the dais, to include citing all data sources and adhering to reasonable timelines for requests for information. Serving in an elected role in the City is an enormous responsibility but still - by Charter! - a part-time one, so I want to make sure that Council meetings are executed efficiently. It's also important to me that all work session and public hearing topics are scheduled and announced as far in advance as possible to ensure residents have visibility into all of their opportunities to learn about and provide comment on decisions that are teed up for votes or other Council action. Lastly, I want to ensure that we are affording our Boards and Commissions meaningful thought leadership opportunities in terms of their respective missions and contributions toward City decision-making.
If you haven't voted yet, I look forward to seeing you at the polls soon. Stay tuned for an email this week with specific Election Day details!