With Falls Church City Attorney Roy Thorpe leaving after 12 years of service, the Falls Church City Council voted to retain Assistant Fairfax County Attorney John Everett Foster to fill the slot as of June 2.

Foster is a graduate of the University of Virginia and the U.Va. School of Law, graduating in 1992. He has held his post with Fairfax County since 1999 after a seven-year stint with the firm of Buonassissi, Henning, Campbell and Moffet.

Meanwhile, Thorpe, who announced his intention to retire last summer, has chosen to fill out his contract through June 2 utilizing accumulated vacation time as he transitions to country living near Culpepper.

So, Falls Church City Manager Wyatt Shields announced the City has retained the temporary legal services of P. David Tarter, a specialist in real estate development and land use with the firm of Lawson, Tarter and Charvet. He is also currently the vice chair of the Falls Church Economic Development Authority.