Erin Flynn

Erin Flynn Will Prioritize the Delivery of Basic City Services, Respond To Community Concerns, And Implement Policies That Enjoy Strong Community Support That Move Us Forward Together

Dear City of Falls Church Voters,

It would be a privilege to represent City residents as a member of the City Council, and I look forward to serving the community if elected.

For those who do not yet know me, I’m an FCCPS parent (we have a first-grader) and my husband grew up here, so I have roots in the community. Professionally, I am a civil rights attorney and supervisor at the Department of Justice, where I’ve worked for 13 years.

I am not a political person by nature. Instead, what I offer as a candidate is independent and practical judgment, experience working on complex issues that implicate varied interests, an ability to work with others even where our policy positions differ, and a dedication to governance that is consensus-driven and seeks a fair result for the community as a whole.

My platform focuses on the reliable delivery of City services, excellent schools, the responsible use of City tax dollars, effective oversight of City departments, enhanced pedestrian and cyclist safety, extension of affordable housing protections, appropriately scaled development, and preservation of the tree canopy and green space. Overall, I will promote the “small town” feel and community events that make Falls Church unique inside the Beltway.

I feel strongly that the agenda of the City Council and the work of the City government should prioritize the needs of the community as identified and expressed by the community. I’ve spoken with hundreds of City residents since launching my campaign, and volunteers have canvassed neighborhoods to hear the views of hundreds more. Falls Church residents are well-informed, and their input should be welcomed, no matter the stage of a plan or project. I will insist that the City engage residents and local businesses early when major policy decisions are being considered, and ensure that community concerns and priorities are reflected in Council’s discussions.

Residents recognize that the City is growing and changing; some fully embrace that growth, others not so much, and still others are unsure of what to think. Yet, the vast majority seek assurances that the City can manage this growth. I am committed to strong, effective oversight. City departments — such as Public Works and Public Safety — must be fully staffed to meet basic needs. Traffic issues that threaten the safety of our residents, especially children, must be immediately addressed. Long deferred paving, sidewalk, crosswalk, and signal improvements must be made.

Council also must ensure that vacant storefronts are filled, that projects underway stay on track and deliver promised revenues, and that we champion our local businesses, history, and culture. Important infrastructure improvements are happening, but we still need to tackle development-related issues like our limited sewer shed capacity. It is critical we develop strategies to preserve affordable business spaces and dedicated affordable dwelling units. All the while, we should adhere to strong fiscal policies, address affordability and tax-related concerns, and ensure we are moving forward together.

I believe consensus-based decisions on major issues are possible, and I’m committed to robust civil discourse. Please visit my website — FlynnforFallsChurch.com — to see how I’ve weighed in on important issues and to learn more about my candidacy. My public comments show I carefully study the facts and seek to balance legitimate interests.

I care about people and policy and will exercise my best judgment consistent with our shared values and commitment to one another. I’d be honored to have your vote.

Sincerely,

Erin Flynn

Letty Hardi

I’m honored to have served Falls Church for eight years, and am running for re-election because I’m committed to a more vibrant, inclusive, and sustainable city — and serving in a way that keeps the community engaged! We must continue tackling housing affordability, accessibility, and climate change. Our responsibility to the future is clear: preserving the best of our small town charm while pursuing a high quality of life for all.

Real Results: Since my election in 2016, I’ve proudly advanced infrastructure investments including a new high school, library, city hall, multiple parks and sidewalks, traffic calming, public parking, bikeshare and racks, bus shelters, affordable housing, public art, seasonal holiday lighting, and a more vibrant, walkable city powered by smart development, new businesses, and financial stewardship. These generational investments were also fiscally responsible: growing the tax base, lowering the tax rate 12.5 cents, and maintaining our triple A bond rating.
I’m the only incumbent running, with eight years of experience delivering results through partnerships with the School Board, boards and commissions, staff, businesses, and civic groups. I’ve built important relationships with regional, state, and federal officials to ensure our small city interests are represented when partnering with larger neighbors to further shared goals.

My Priorities:

(1) Housing: affordable and diverse so all generations, incomes, and backgrounds can call Falls Church home. Though 50 percent more affordable units are coming online in the next two years, we need to further preserve units and expand options so seniors can age in place, graduates can affordably return home, diverse families can attend our top-notch schools, and starter homes can co-exist in neighborhoods again, homeownership can be a reality for more. A healthy queue of redevelopment already exists, so instead of large projects on every corner, we’re encouraging adaptive reuse, small infill, and diverse housing to offer more than large homes or rental apartments.

(2) Accessibility: to keep evolving from a car-centric culture, we need safer, more accessible streets, sidewalks, crosswalks, bike lanes, and traffic calming. At 2.3 square miles, we truly can be the “15 minute city” for living car-free or car-lite, including those seeking more sustainable lifestyles or aging in place. This frees up roads for those that must drive — or visitors from elsewhere.

(3) Sustainability: pedestrian, bike, and microtransit options reduce our environmental footprint, but more is required to leave our planet better than we found it. I’m one of three Sierra Club-endorsed candidates (this election and previously), reflecting my consistent environmental voting record and belief that all have parts to play in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. That responsibility is inherently tied to land use policies and sustainability investments: preserving and growing our high tree canopy, building resilient stormwater infrastructure, upgrading existing buildings, and greener future building standards. Our parks and trails are top rated amenities — let’s keep it up.

(4) Excellent City Services and Schools: we’ve always valued high quality public education and services. Schools represent a big part of our city’s renown and budget, so we must continue collaborating on financial and capital planning, and ensuring city services meet residents and business needs.

(5) Fiscal Stewardship: with high inflation and cost of living, affordability remains a top concern. Taxpayer dollars should be treated as if they were our own, and we should pursue opportunities to reduce the individual tax burden through thoughtful development and strong local businesses. Healthy local revenues and new business growth is evidence this strategy is already working.

Stay updated on my blog, lettyhardi.org. I’m grateful to serve this community and meet and listen to so many of you — and hope to earn your vote again this fall to keep moving us forward.

Tim Stevens

Members of City Council are called upon to address a wide range of issues — even in a small city like Falls Church. If elected to City Council, I would carefully consider various points of view and information sources before reaching a decision. Here’s how three key themes would guide my thinking.

First, we must maintain what keeps Falls Church strong as an independent, self-governing city despite the challenges we face. Larger jurisdictions enjoy economies of scale, and state aid to jurisdictions in Virginia is very limited, especially for high-income jurisdictions like ours. Falls Church must craft fiscally responsible budgets and focus on growing our commercial sector. This approach will continue to fund community initiatives we value while reducing the City’s reliance on residential real estate taxes. Recent City leaders should be commended for achieving our strong fiscal position, and I will work to maintain this strength.

Second, while we all take great pleasure in enjoying and wanting to preserve the many local features that make Falls Church unique — including our improving walkability, our parks, special events like the Memorial Day parade, our great civic organizations, the growing array of places to dine, shop and be entertained, and much more — we must closely monitor and respond to important regional and national issues that will affect our future.

My work on the Planning Commission and the Environmental Sustainability Council has highlighted two major concerns: climate change and the growing housing crisis. Failure to address climate change will diminish the quality of life for future generations, including the students in the excellent schools we all make sacrifices to provide. We need to join with neighboring communities to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and prepare for extreme weather. Soon, we will have a Community Energy Action Plan to guide our actions at the local level, and we should make achieving our climate goals an important part of our everyday decisions.

As for the housing crisis, Falls Church offers excellent choices for those who find living in larger multi-family buildings meets their needs, and those who can afford to buy and rebuild detached houses in our highly desirable residential neighborhoods. This doesn’t provide sufficient and affordable choices for first-time buyers, lower-income buyers and people who work in the City. We need diverse housing choices to ensure that we are a complete community. While there are significant limits to how much impact a small jurisdiction can have on this nationwide issue, we nonetheless must do our part. Failure or delay in addressing these important issues would further burden future generations and affect whether they can afford or want to remain citizens of Falls Church.

Third, our decisions need to consider equity among different groups. Just as companies in the U.S. have learned they can be more successful when their workforces reflect our country’s population, we need to be a community that welcomes diverse groups. The housing choices we enable, library facilities we provide, voting processes we adopt, the bike lanes that we provide are all examples of how an equity lens can be used to improve our City. Even supporting our independent Chamber of Commerce — which avoids the sometimes-partisan views of larger, national organizations — reflects an equity element.
As a longtime volunteer in the City, I am proud of the roles I have played in supporting the progress Falls Church has made improving our quality of life in the past decade, and I want that progress to continue. I would be honored to earn your vote and serve you on City Council.

Justine Underhill

Justine Underhill for Falls Church City Council: Shaping a Sustainable, Connected, and Thriving Future
As a second generation Washingtonian, growing up about 15 minutes away from Falls Church, I have a profound appreciation for our Little City’s charm and potential. My experience as a journalist living in over a dozen cities worldwide has given me a distinct perspective on city design, housing, and community engagement. And my background as a filmmaker and economist has shaped my creative and analytical approach to problem-solving.

It’s this fusion of local understanding, global insights and a creative, analytical approach that I plan to bring to the Falls Church City Council.

A Holistic Approach to Urban Design

Every corner, park, and building in our city tells a story. City design isn’t just about aesthetics; it’s about how we live, interact, and thrive. How often do you see neighbors on your way to the local coffee shop? Can your kids get around town safely on their own? Does our city support an excellent standard of living for people of all backgrounds?

On City Council, I will promote connectivity, environment and community. I envision a city where people of all ages and abilities can walk anywhere or bike safely and comfortably, where diverse and affordable housing options exist, where our local businesses thrive, where our schools are supported by a diverse and resilient tax base, and where city policies support environmental sustainability. It’s no surprise that my commitment to such a future has garnered the endorsement of The Sierra Club.

The Ripple Effects of Thoughtful Urban Planning

My policies are rooted in community planning and economic development, which if we get right, can bring surprising benefits to the city:

• Transportation: Creating a city where everyone, including children and seniors, can walk, bike, and utilize public transit safely not only reduces congestion and pollution, but promotes health and independence.
• Public Spaces: By building more pocket parks, fostering outdoor dining spaces, and expanding tree canopy, we can bolster community interactions that improve public safety.
• Housing & Tax Base: Housing along transit corridors can offer a trifecta of benefits: it can combat rising housing costs, promote environmental sustainability and lower our overall tax rates by generating astoundingly net positive financial support for our schools and local programs.

Our Climate Commitment

Falls Church has ambitious greenhouse gas emissions targets for 2030 and 2050 and we need concerted efforts to achieve these. I’m committed to pushing for investments in sustainable transportation, green building standards, and robust environmental programs.

Growing Green

Our tree canopy and green spaces are the lungs of our city. As we evolve, it’s crucial that these elements not just remain, but flourish. While state restrictions may limit direct mandates, I will advocate for incentives that prioritize green spaces in all future developments. This includes championing biophilic designs, green roofs, and rain gardens. As we update our infrastructure, I’ll prioritize integrating tree planters and expanding green spaces.

Transparency in Government

Alongside all of my priorities, I will lead with transparency and communication. Nearly a decade ago, I was one of the youngest officials representing Dupont Circle as an Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner. My community elected me primarily to negotiate between my neighbors and the developers of a multi-million dollar project. I take pride in my ability to listen and connect people together, and one of the biggest lessons I learned from that project is the importance of frequent and clear communication.

My favorite part of running for City Council has been meeting so many amazing neighbors in the city. That can include you too. If you would like to learn more about me or share your thoughts– even if you don’t regularly engage in city affairs — I would love to hear from you. Please reach out to me at JustineUnderhill.org.