Contested School Board Election in F.C. Tuesday, But No Contest for City Council

By Nicholas F. Benton

Tuesday in the City of Falls Church, six candidates will be on the ballot for four slots on the School Board, but the City Council election will be uncontested, with four candidates seeking four open seats. This marks the first time since 1986 that the biennial City Council election has been uncontested.

Shoe-ins to be elected to the Council Tuesday are incumbent David Snyder, seeking a fourth term, and newcomers Daniel Sze, Hal Lippman and Dan Maller. Only Lippman has held public office in Falls Church before, serving on the School Board from 1994 to 1998.

The six School Board candidates are incumbent and current board chair Kathy Chandler, and newcomers Rosaura Aguerrebere, Jane Johansen, Susan Kearney, Victoria Kwasiborski and Ron Peppe. It is the first contested School Board election since Falls Church went to an elected, rather than appointed, School Board in 1994.

The Falls Church League of Women Voters has provided an election profile of all the candidates that is published elsewhere in this edition of the News-Press. Also, as a public service, the News-Press has welcomed statements from all the Council and School Board candidates that are also elsewhere in this edition, as are paid advertisements representing all the candidates.

All the Council candidates and all but Johansen and Kwasiborski among the school board candidates were vetted through the recruitment and nomination process of the Citizens for a Better City (CBC), which held a convention in February to nominate its slate.

At that time, Johansen sought but failed to win CBC backing, but according to an ad by her in this edition, she has the backing of current and former school board members including Kieran Sharpe, Jerry Barrett, Jay Grusin and Ruth Brock.

Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday. The winners will assume their offices for four-year terms on July 1. With incumbents Mayor Dan Gardner and Vice Mayor Marty Meserve leaving the City Council at that time, the election by the seven Council members, including the four new ones, of a new mayor and vice mayor will be one of its first official actions after swearing in ceremonies, and odds makers have their money on Council member Robin Gardner to be elected mayor at that time.