Opinion

This week, we invited the candidates running in competitive races in the Nov. 7 General Election to write a post about why Arlington residents should vote for them. Find information on how and where to vote here.

Below is the unedited response from Juan Carlos Fierro, who is running for the Arlington County Board as a Republican.

My name is Juan Carlos Fierro. I’m a husband, a father, a 26-year resident of Arlington, and a proud American. I am running for Arlington County Board because I care about our community, and I believe voters deserve a choice in this election.

I was born in Ecuador and raised by my grandparents before moving to Northern Virginia. I earned my undergraduate degree at George Mason University where I also played Division I basketball. For the last 25 years, I have worked as an entrepreneur and financial advisor — to help my clients achieve their American Dream. And in 2000, I proudly became an American citizen. I married my wife Inmaculada in 2005. We have three daughters — Carolina, Isabel Teresa, and Rebecca — and an adorable Shih Tzu named Olivia.

Through my church and community service projects I am deeply aware of the need to help Arlingtonians who are not blessed with stable homes, and resources to provide food for their families. The issues in this election are non-partisan issues that affect the community: Affordable housing, the rising crime rates, and the pending tax increases because of the failure to address the consequences of densification initiatives. These issues cut across party lines. Regardless of political affiliation, many are disenchanted and disappointed with the political status quo in our community given how the existing board does not truly value public engagement.

On ‘Missing Middle,’ our elected leaders ignored the will of a majority of Arlingtonians by ramrodding a densification initiative that jeopardizes Affordable Housing, and puts excess strain on our existing infrastructure, If elected, I will challenge staff policy proposals that call for more densification that does not adequately reflect the impact of proposed developments and causes land prices to increase with negative impacts on Hispanic and other minority communities.

On the issue of crime and community safety, our elected leaders don’t seem to care. I support common sense, data-driven policies to address the increase in violent crime and property crime across Arlington. I support fully investing in the Arlington County Police Department’s effort to recruit and retain qualified, professional staff, including incentives for incoming officers and retention incentives to keep veteran staff on the force.

Many of our crime problems stem from mental health issues in a post COVD environment. I will fight for the provision of mental health services as part of efforts to reduce the crime rates.

When it comes to the “Arlington Way” –a process our elected leaders claim to support but disregard when it’s politically convenient — I will fight to ensure everyone has a voice in local government. If elected, I will be a voice for the tens of thousands of you — irrespective of party affiliation — who are ignored and dismissed by our political leaders.

And on fiscal matters, I promise to roll up my sleeves and dig into the county budget, prioritizing necessary county services while questioning waste and unnecessary expenses. Unless something is done quickly, homeowners will be hit with a rate hike — costing Arlington families hundreds more dollars each year as recently admitted by retiring Board Chair Christian Dorsey.

Single-party rule benefits only a select few in our community. Tens of thousands of Democrats, independents, and Republicans are left out of the process and disregarded by the current members of the County Board.

Regardless of your party affiliation, my door will be open to you as we seek to make Arlington a better place. It would be an honor to channel my dedication to community service on the County Board, and I am personally asking you for your consideration and your vote.

Sincerely,

Juan Carlos Fierro

Read more at www.votefierro.com

I am seeking election to the Arlington County Board — and your vote — because I believe Arlington’s best days are ahead and we need elected leaders with experience and common sense to get us there.

From the divisive missing middle housing debate to urgent challenges facing our youth, we clearly have important work to do to bring our community back together. My priorities include:

• Smart growth and planning that gets housing right — with diverse options for ownership and rental across life stages and incomes. This includes revisiting lot coverage, closely monitoring and revising the Expanded Housing Options policy, and developing a comprehensive, common-sense housing plan that takes all Arlington residents into account.
• Reconnecting our community — especially our young people, whose formative years have been disrupted by the pandemic, political unrest, and climate anxiety. This includes improving access for all and strengthening volunteerism and out-of-school programming.
• Transparent, good government that gets the basics right and responds quickly when something needs attention. This includes careful spending analysis and long-term planning, improvements to permitting and site review processes, and transparent, easily accessible data to answer inquiries.

I know many of you through professional and volunteer roles. Trained as an engineer, I am a seasoned executive and mom to two teenagers in Arlington Public Schools, known as:

• Problem-solver. Trained as an engineer, I bring stakeholders together with critical data to develop and deliver lasting solutions. Whether serving as a founding member of the Joint Facilities Advisory Commission, leading a divided community through the Dorothy Hamm Middle School project, or readying a Donaldson Run rambler for a refugee family, I get things done for and with this community.
• Common Sense Leader: As an executive at U.S. Department of the Treasury and McKinsey, I managed billion dollar budgets and led large organizations through challenges and change. As CEO of AHC, our largest nonprofit affordable housing provider, and as an environmental sustainability leader at Gensler, I leveraged many of the finance, design, and land-use tools we need to mitigate climate change and get housing and planning right.
• Engaged Long-time Resident: My husband, Philip, and I have lived in Arlington and participated in civic life for over 25 years, from young adulthood to raising teenagers. I led the Stratford Junior High historic interpretation project, St. Mary’s Episcopal Outreach, and Arlington Thrive.

Throughout this campaign, it has been a real privilege to talk with thousands of Arlingtonians about your hopes and concerns. I hear a nearly universal desire for a resilient Arlington that is connected, inclusive, and sustainable – both environmentally and financially. And, I hear deep concern that the accelerating global climate crisis, violence in the Middle East, and loneliness epidemic nationally raise the stakes for reconnecting our community, hearing each other, and building Arlington’s future together.

My experience and common-sense leadership will help move Arlington ahead into its best days. I look forward to what we can achieve together and ask for your vote on or before Tuesday, November 7th. Thank you.

To learn more, visit https://susanforarlington.com.

This week, we invited the candidates running in competitive races in the Nov. 7 General Election to write a post about why Arlington residents should vote for them. Find information on how and where to vote here.

Below is the unedited response from Maureen Coffey, who is running for the Arlington County Board as a Democrat.

I’m running to be your next County Board member because I know that Arlington can do more to live by our values and take meaningful steps towards our goals.

Housing availability and affordability are at the front of many residents’ minds. We should continue to invest in housing, pathways to homeownership, and opportunities to age in place. Our community should prioritize addressing the climate crisis. We need to support our schools and our teachers. We need to balance fixing immediate problems while investing in long-term community goals. We need a plan that centers the needs of people in our community and protects and values our core identity.

As we look to our future, we must plan for and invest across all of our critical systems: housing, schools, transportation, parks, stormwater management, infrastructure, and services like child care and mental health. We must recognize where our areas of need overlap with each other, breaking down the silos in our planning process, and working to address the bigger picture while we make tangible progress in each area.

Planning for our future will require us to bring everyone to the table. Arlington can and should provide better transparency and more effective engagement. We need to develop overlapping layers of communication so we bring in voices that reflect Arlington. We should recognize that the people closest to the problem should be most involved in creating solutions. This also means that we need better engagement processes, where members of the community can not only provide input for county decisions but also know that input is heard and used.

My professional experience combines listening to people and using survey data with quantitative analysis and evidence-based practices. My policy work supports the real needs of families, focusing on economic opportunity with an emphasis on gender and racial equity, helping to build investments in child care, workforce development, and our social safety net. That expertise is why Governor Ralph Northam appointed me to Virginia’s Family and Children’s Trust to advise on policies that create stable families, support child well-being, and prevent and treat family violence. My experience has prepared me to address our biggest issues here in Arlington.

As a member of the County Board, I will focus on developing a plan that enables us to create the community we want, together, by bringing people to the table to share their perspectives and listen to others. As a renter and union member, I will bring an important perspective to the County Board that reflects the experiences of many in the community. I am asking for your support and your vote on or before November 7th.

To learn more about my specific policy priorities, endorsements, and more, please visit MaureenCoffey.com

This week, we invited the candidates running in competitive races in the Nov. 7 General Election to write a post about why Arlington residents should vote for them. Find information on how and where to vote here.

Below is the unedited response from Audrey Clement, who is running for the Arlington County Board as an independent.

I’m Audrey Clement, Independent candidate for Arlington County Board. As a 19-year Westover resident, long time civic activist, and past member of the Transportation Commission, I’m running for County Board because the County has pushed harmful policies resulting in:

• excessive taxation
• overcrowded schools
• lack of transparency
• loss of green space and excessive runoff

I also oppose the so-called “Missing Middle” ordinance that the County rammed through earlier this year. Missing Middle up-zoned residential neighborhoods throughout the county, despite massive opposition from homeowners and those like me who believe it is nothing more than a sop to developers.

County Board is pushing for Missing Middle, while actively misleading voters about what it will do. They claim that Missing Middle will end de facto redlining even though in a February 1 letter to County Board, the local NAACP president reported that only 20% of Blacks in the county can afford a Missing Middle unit.

They also say that Missing Middle will provide a way for moderate income residents to get starter homes, even though most of the units will be rental and the prices prohibitive.

If Missing Middle is upzoning on steroids, plans for Clarendon Presbyterian Church at 1305 North Jackson Street is upzoning on crack. The congregation wants the County to rezone the .89 acre site on which its historic church is located from single family residential to high rise apartments. Even under Missing Middle zoning the site would be limited to 3 6-unit multiplexes or 18 units total.

If, however, the County approves the church’s application for a “spot” amendment to the General Land Use Plan (GLUP), the sky is the limit. The deal will also set a precedent whereby every other church property in the County — 85 in number — can be re-glupped for high rise development.

The Democratic Party candidates are waffling on this issue now. Once elected they will be forced to go along with the program. The only way to stop Missing Middle and re-glupping church property throughout the county is to end one party rule by voting for Independents Clement and Fierro for County Board on November 7.

If elected, I also pledge to:

• Seek immediate tax relief for residents and businesses.
• Demand full transparency in the deals the County cuts with developers.
• Convene a task force of housing experts and civic associations to study reasonable alternatives to Missing Middle.

If you share my agenda, then:

• Spread the word about my candidacy.
• Donate to my campaign.
• Help make the “Arlington Way” more than an empty phrase.