On Friday, The Little City’s Vice Mayor, Letty Hardi, announced that the two-term Councilmember would be seeking a third term in a blog post on her website.

Hardi said the decision was difficult because, even though she is only in her second term, she feels strongly that a steady stream of fresh voices are critical to ensuring representation for everyone. “Now that all of my kids are closer to high school than preschool… I am no longer the new voice.” she said, continuing to say that “gave me a lot of pause, especially because I strongly believe in making room for others.”

Hardi’s post identifying her changing perspective, as children age into adolescence and parents endter their golden years , as her motivation to ultimately run again — putting her ever-expanding personal library of experiences and motivations into public service for, she hopes, another four years. While describing the changes in her family, she noted that her youngest is old enough to ride a bike to school now, but that the lack of bike lanes has her concerned for his safety; she shared worries that about the viability of downsizing for her aging parents, or whether her oldest — who will be closing in on 20 years old at the end of the prospective third term — will be unable to find affordable housing close to home.

“How will we use our immense privilege and resources as a community to match our progressive values?” Letty asked as her post reached its end. She closer her announcement by stating that “the path ahead and our community’s priorities are clear,” continuing that this ultimately boils down to preserving small-town charm, advancing sustainability and inclusivity — in pursuit of “a high quality of life now and for future generations.”

The election for City Council, along with every single Virginia Senate and House seat and Commonwealths’ Attorneys, is November 7, 2023.