'Smart Growth' Forces Retain Seats on F.C. City Council with Electoral Sweep

Three Falls Church City Council candidates running on a platform of "staying the course" of the Council's current support for "smart growth" mixed-use development in the City's downtown corridors won election here Tuesday.

Robin Gardner and Lindy Hockenberry were re-elected to second terms and David Chavern won in his first attempt. The three teamed up after all received the endorsement of the City's major civil organization, the Citizens for a Better City.

They defeated independents Lou Mauro, Greg Brown and Joseph Bodmer, all who were critical of the core thrust of the current Council's "smart growth" initiatives.

For Brown, it was his third defeat in a run for the Council in the last eight years. Mauro and Bodmer were running for the first time, although Mauro spearheaded a referendum drive aimed at thwarting the current Council's policy thrust in the fall of 2002 that also failed.

"This is a great outcome for the City," Mayor Dan Gardner told the News-Press at a CBC victory party at the Washington House Tuesday night after the votes were in. "It confirms our vision of smart growth moving and moving forward. I am proud of our citizens for their choices."

With 2,156 of the City's 7,193 voters going to the polls Tuesday, the 30% turnout was the lowest for a City election in over a decade. Gardner was the top vote-getter with 1,257, followed by Hockenberry with 1,169 and Chavern with 1,143.

Trailing Chavern by 127 votes was Mauro with 1,016. Brown amassed 810 votes and Bodmer 746. For Brown, it was the lowest total of his three tries for the Council. He had 1,189 votes in 1996 and 1,000 in 2002.

Three candidates running unopposed for the Falls Church School Board were all present with the winning Council candidates at the CBC victory party. Craig Cheney, incumbent Kieran Sharpe and Joan Wodiska all thanked their supporters at the event.

In addition to Mayor Gardner, among those celebrating at the CBC party were State Del. Jim Scott, F.C. Vice Mayor Marty Meserve, Council member Ron Parson, Commissioner of the Revenue Tom Clinton, former mayors Carol DeLong and Brian O'Connor, former City Manager David Lasso and former City Councilman Ed Strait.

The turnout varied from 36.4% in the City's Ward Five (American Legion Post 130) to 23% in Ward Two (Oakwood Apartments). Gardner's highest vote was 289 in Ward Four (Community Center), which also produced the highest turnout for Chavern (259). Hockenberry's highest turnout was 284 in Ward I (Thomas Jefferson School).

The winners swept in Wards One, Two and Four, while Mauro was second in Ward Five and tied Chavern for third in Ward Three.

Mauro fell short despite getting the endorsement of City Councilman David Snyder, who was the top individual vote-getter in 2002. In addition to the CBC, the three winning candidates were endorsed by the News-Press in its editorial last week.

Gardner and Hockenberry led the first sweep by CBC candidates since 1994 when they won in 2000, and thus have now spearheaded the only two sweeps in the five elections of the last decade.

The City Council will retain its current 5-2 balance, with five members elected with the backing of the CBC and two independents. Many recent votes on "smart growth" issues before the Council have been split along that 5-2 divide.

In 2006, four seats on the Council will be up for election, including the mayor's, vice mayor's, Snyder's and Sam Mabry's.

Ron Parson, a CBC-backed Council member who did not seek re-election this spring, said he will leave office still concerned that the pending City Center development of downtown Falls Church includes a public square that will serve to identify the City as a "great place."

Hockenberry told the News-Press after the victory, "We worked hard to will continue to build the City. The City is as financially strong as it has been in year and the future is exciting."