With the deadline for filing just over two weeks away, first-term Falls Church City Council Ross Litkenhous announced today that he won’t seek a second term. He made the following statement in a text message to the News-Press and a small group of others:

“I won’t be running this year. I’ve been fortunate to have accomplished with my fellow council members everything I set out to do when I ran the first time. Building a new high school, negotiating a great deal on the West Falls Church site, lowering the tax rate.     

“This has been the most purposeful job I’ve ever held and I’m lucky to have had the opportunity to accomplish so much in four years. More importantly though, I recently launched a new company and I simply can’t build that company, keep a family and serve on Council, and do all of them well in the near term. I will never commit to doing anything unless I have the time and ability to do it well and do it right. It’s just not in my DNA.     

“I’m not leaving public service however. I plan on applying for Economic Development Authority or Planning Commission after my term is up, and then evaluating another run in two years. Finally, I am also considering running for something at the state level in the next few years and beginning that next chapter of my political career.”