Author: ARLnow.com

Last week we asked the four Democratic candidates for Arlington County Board to write a sub-750 word essay on why our readers should vote for them in the May 9, 11 and 13 caucus.

Here is the unedited response from Vivek Patil:

My name is Vivek Patil and I am an engineer, entrepreneur, and community builder. As a leader at a global life science company and founder of two biotech startups, I have consistently faced seemingly impossible ideas requiring innovative thinking and persistence to make a reality. I’ve put this perspective into practice since my appointment to Arlington’s Economic Development commission, where I lead an advisory group exploring innovative and disruptive economic development ideas with the potential to transform Arlington.

In my experience, an equitable economy cannot be built without buy-in from all stakeholders. That is one of the reasons why I co-founded Building Bridges, a community outreach group that has built meaningful relationships with communities across Arlington. Our mission has been to reintegrate the diverse voices and visions of community stakeholders into our political and community processes through persistent outreach, listening, and engagement. In conversation, I have heard wonderful things about our progressive values, our inclusive and welcoming community, and Arlington’s remarkable livability. However, I have also heard stories of fading economic opportunity and housing affordability, a growing divide in incomes as well as our community issues and interests. I felt compelled to run for County Board to incorporate these voices into our ‘Arlington Way,’ and facilitate civic engagement that seeks out our community’s broad range of perspectives and collectively addresses school capacity, housing affordability, transportation infrastructure, and the fostering of economic opportunity.

This campaign is about re-imagining a bold, new economic vision for Arlington; one that transforms our community by creating a green and clean tech innovation economy. While nurturing our current business infrastructure, Arlington possesses the ingredients to build a green energy innovation hub rivaling Boston’s biotech space or Silicon Valley’s information technology economy. This new economy emphasizes our region’s talent, expertise, geography, and financial and strategic resources and it speaks to our progressive values of compassionate capitalism, equitable economic opportunity, and environmental protection.

Constructing this economy will require a regional DMV-area partnership that leverages our globally competitive green tech anchor companies and federal energy expertise to attract new entrepreneurs and startups. It will require strengthening of our university consortium along Fairfax drive and creating high-tech incubators to house and nurture new technologies and innovators. Older buildings in Crystal City and the metro corridors could be redeveloped through creative financing and cooperative investment models to house new companies as well as future entrepreneurs, employees, and families.

The green and clean tech sector is unique in that it requires an innovate-build-manufacture economy, utilizing both skilled and unskilled labor at each step of the way. A skilled workforce of engineers can design the next generation batteries or solar panels and trained workers can build them in facilities in Arlington or across the Commonwealth. It creates an economic opportunity continuum, bridging divisions between Virginia’s counties by advancing prosperous yet equitable growth.

Our schools and universities are indispensable to this economic transformation. I propose stronger collaboration between the County and School Board focused on preparing our children to be globally competitive in this innovation economy. Programs like Arlington Tech that offer project-based learning can partner with universities and employers, providing an applied learning construct with career opportunities for our high-school, career center, community college, and four-year university graduates. After all, Arlington only succeeds when all Arlingtonians succeed.

If elected to the County Board, I will act expeditiously and decisively to facilitate this bold new vision, well aware that it will require strategic collaboration, community engagement, and patience. A more sustainable, equitable, and diversified economy will help us generate the wealth necessary to fund our 21^st century multi-modal transportation system, develop globally competitive schools, nurture our burgeoning arts infrastructure, and create a more biophilic and energy-efficient urban infrastructure. Arlington is uniquely qualified to lead this sector and I stand ready to lead our community in meeting this challenge. I hope you join me in achieving this innovative vision and I ask for your vote at the Democratic caucus on May 9th, 11th or 13th.

Last week we asked the four Democratic candidates for Arlington County Board to write a sub-750 word essay on why our readers should vote for them in the May 9, 11 and 13 caucus.

Editor’s Note: A county employee listed as someone who endorsed Klingler has requested that his name and job title be removed from this post. ARLnow.com has honored that request. Below is the otherwise unedited response from Kim Klingler.

Arlington is a great place to live, and that is why I have grown roots here and have been a volunteer and leader in our community for the past 15 years.

Arlington is experiencing a time of transition, growth, and constrained budgets. We can no longer rely upon many of the things we have relied on in the past: from being able to live in an affordable manner, to Metro reliability and sustained funding, and having enough seats and qualified teachers in our schools.

Yes, Arlington is changing, but our values continue to remain the same.

And that is why I am running to ensure we keep Arlington safe, diverse, and forward thinking.

Having served as a volunteer firefighter/EMT and as the current Chair of Arlington’s Emergency Preparedness Advisory Commission (EPAC), I know first-hand that Arlington needs more highly trained paramedics and emergency radios that work in all County buildings and schools. We must ensure our county has the technology and resources so that when you or a loved one dials 911, emergency services arrive and are ready to respond in 4 minutes or less.  As our density and our population continue to grow, our public safety needs grow too and we must keep up.

The Arlington chapter of the International Association of Firefighters (Local 2800) have honored me with their endorsement in recognition of my boots-on-the-ground experience and policy leadership. My background also gives me with a unique perspective to understand the community’s needs. I will use this perspective as I examine and develop future policies that address public safety and also inform how we plan for density, how we protect our school children, and how we enable our seniors to age in place.

I have stayed in Arlington because I love our diversity in all of its forms.  However, our diversity is at risk.  We have schools in Arlington where 2% of students receive free or reduced lunch and we have schools where almost 80% do.  These statistics keenly demonstrate that we are not distributing affordable housing around the county, which is essential if we truly value our diversity.  We are also struggling to maintain and develop housing that meets the needs of those who make more than 60% of area median income, and don’t qualify for committed affordable housing, but not enough to afford Arlington’s market rate housing.

This isn’t just about housing, it is about attracting and maintaining residents who are professionals, young families, seniors on fixed incomes, or public servants.  As a member of the Lee Highway Alliance, I support taking action to reinstate and deploy the Middle Income Purchasing Assistance Program (MIPAP), putting more emphasis on “Live Where you Work” programs, and updating and balancing our zoning decisions to allow for mid-range housing options, e.g. – townhomes, duplexes, multiplexes, etc. along Lee Highway, Columbia Pike, and other non-Metro thoroughfares. This is my challenge, too, because I went into a business partnership with friends to buy a townhome so we could afford to live in Arlington. We are now looking to go our separate ways, and like many Arlingtonians, I seek more options to remain in the community I love.

I am incredibly proud to have received the endorsements of Ingrid Morroy (Commissioner of the Revenue), Theo Stamos (Commonwealth’s Attorney), Cord Thomas (local entrepreneur and small business owner), and [redacted]. These leaders have endorsed me because of my community and civic leadership and my proven professional background in strategic planning, organizational and change management. I am committed to listening, understanding everyone’s needs, and then working collaboratively on forward-thinking solutions. I will build partnerships in Arlington and across our region to meet shared goals.

As a member of the County Board, I will continue my mission of keeping Arlington safe, diverse and forward-thinking. I will work to keep us safe by making sure our first responders have the resources they need. I will prioritize keeping Arlington economically and culturally diverse through smart zoning decisions. I will advocate for creative, forward-thinking business solutions so Arlington can be more competitive in attracting entrepreneurs and businesses of all sizes to set up shop here. I ask you to help me on this mission, starting with your vote in the caucus on May 9^th, 11^th or 13^th! For more information about my campaign, and where to vote, please visit www.kim4arlington.com

Last week we asked the four Democratic candidates for Arlington County Board to write a sub-750 word essay on why our readers should vote for them in the May 9, 11 and 13 caucus.

Here is the unedited response from Peter Fallon:

I am running to get things done for the people of Arlington, just as I have for 25 years as an active member of my community. I am running because in this crucial time for our county, we need someone with the knowledge, experience and reputation for action to meet this moment.

There are many things I believe that make me different. First of which, I am a parent of two children in APS. My daughter Alexandra is finishing up second grade this year, and my son Andrew will be starting kindergarten in the fall. With more than a decade of schooling ahead of us, you bet that the future of our school system weighs heavily on my mind. I share the concerns of many of my fellow parents about overcrowding and maintaining a high quality learning experience with small class sizes. That’s why I am so committed to working with our School Board to build new schools, including a fourth comprehensive high school, which I think is needed urgently.

The second thing that makes me different is that sense of urgency. Arlington is beset by two large, seemingly intractable problems that threaten our prosperity and great quality of life. Those issues are Metro and the rising price of housing. Arlington staked its future on Metro decades ago and it has paid off tremendously. Our unique blend of walkability, city and suburban feel, and attractiveness to employers depends on Metro. However, Metro is no longer safe and reliable. This is a regional issue that affects Arlington directly. We need to take the lead on solving this problem. We need more people on the board who will work with our regional bodies to get Metro fixed and back on track.

It is Arlington’s attractiveness that is pushing the cost of living higher every day. We need County Board members who are committed to protecting and growing our affordable housing stock. As the Planning Commission’s liaison to the Housing Commission, I was able to make this happen. I played a significant role in creating over 1,000 units of affordable housing for our residents. How do you did I do it? You have to stand I stood firm in negotiations with developers. As well, my background in accounting helped me get the maximum return for every tax dollar. I believe we have to aid our citizens at every stage of life deal with this affordability issue. That means helping families get affordable childcare as well as helping our seniors age-in-place. These are citizens who contribute so much to our community, and it is wrong for them to be priced out of the home they love. As a County Board member I will fight to expand programs that help our seniors, families, first-time home buyers and young people stay in this great community.

The final thing I believe makes me different is my way of doing things. I am a “listen, engage, decide, get it done” type of person. If you and I talk, you’ll see. You’ll get 100% of my attention because I want to hear you. I want to understand your issue, and once I do, I make it mine. I ask a lot of questions, but that just means I care enough to fully grasp what’s going on. Once I’ve decided to support your cause, rest assured I am with you until the end. My parents ingrained in me at a young age the importance of speaking up for the little guy and sticking your neck out there to do the right thing. As your County Board member, you’ll always have a friendly ear on the board, no matter who you are or where you live. I do this because I believe in action and getting results for the people of Arlington.

For more information about my campaign you can visit my website, FallonforCountyBoard.org. I would be honored to be your first choice vote on May 9^th, 11^th or 13^th.