When the early voting for this Fall’s election cycle, including for the Falls Church City Council, began in August, the News-Press announced its endorsements in this space, and now on the eve of the Nov. 7 General Election Day we take another stab at that. Through the two-month intense campaign season, we have come away with no changes to our original endorsements, which after all, were made with no small amount of thought and consideration. Our endorsements over the years have been non-partisan, with an equal or almost equal number of candidates from either party winning our recommendations to our readers of the best choices. Two years ago, with four of the seven City Council seats open, we endorsed two Republicans and two Democrats, all of whom wound up being elected and all of whom now serve constructively on our Council.

This election is the same, from our point of view. We suggest to our readers that they go with the candidates, three in this go-around, with the best qualifications and stated sentiments and commitments to our community.

This year, it is important to make good choices in light of the fact that two key members of the Council are not running. Mayor David Tarter and Councilmen Phil Duncan, both long-serving citizens committed to the best future for our Little City and its citizens, opted out of bids for re-election this fall. Only vice mayor Letty Hardi, arguably the single most qualified member on the Council, has a history of service there, putting in two exemplary terms to date.

Given Hardi’s profoundly qualified service for eight years so far, when she suggests who would best work with her for the next four years, it represents a very compelling recommendation. She has put her fellow candidates Tim Stevens and Justine Underhill on her list of endorsements, and that has a lot to do with why we have chosen to follow on that same course.

So, we endorse incumbent Vice Mayor Hardi, Planning Commission chair Tim Stevens and Housing Commission member Justine Underhill. The only among the four candidates on the ballot who does not get our endorsement is first time candidate and recent transplant to Falls Church Erin Flynn, whose campaign has become more negative in the last weeks. In her letter to voters utilizing space provided to her by Beyer Automotive in our paper this week, she contends that her three opponents’ pooling resources for joint mailers and to purchase newspaper ads doesn’t “benefit City residents on local issues.”

But rather than “a mix of perspectives and experiences,” in our view candidates should try to find common ground on key issues, and the three we’ve endorsed, following Vice Mayor Hardi’s lead, have done that that and will work to ensure the City’s future of top quality education, measured development that lowers the tax rate for homeowners, and commitment to quality of life issues like transportation, sidewalks and safety, will prevail.