Alexandria city council elections

[Anonymous]

I'm new to alexandria city politics. I'd like to know any thoughts you may have on the upcoming elections. Thanks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm new to alexandria city politics. I'd like to know any thoughts you may have on the upcoming elections. Thanks.

Primary is June 12. There are 14 Democrats running for 6 nominee slate.

There are two Republicans in the race, and an independent who currently sits on the council and votes Republican (Alicia Hughes).


Among the 14 Democrats, only two are incumbents (Pepper and Smedburg). Two others (Wilson and Lovain) previously served on the Council but lost in 2008 and are trying to get back on.

Two of the Republicans (Fannon and Hughes) sit on the current council.

The big issues are:

-- Development (the Waterfront plan, the Bureaugard small development plan, the fallout from BRAC)
-- Schools (which is odd since the council doesn't really have any say in school policy, although it does control the purse strings).
-- Transportation, taxes, budget, etc.

The most qualified candidates, IMHO, are all Democrats: Wilson, Chapman, Lovain, Smedburg, Feld, and maybe Pepper (although many Ds think she has served for far too long). There are some other upstarts, including a guy named Sean Holihan who got like 75% of his money from outside the city -- he's been championed by disgraced Del. David Englin and has made it no secret the election about his OWN ambition rather than city of Alexandria, so I'd rather see him lose. He's only lived in the community for a couple of years, hasn't served in any civic capacity, and seems to be basically running on the "I'm gay, so you have to vote for me so I can eventually get to Richmond and fight those MoFo Republicans" platform. The others really haven't demonstrated much of a grasp in policy. Some are one-issue people (opposed the Waterfront plan, etc.).

Of the Republicans, Fannon will probably win again. Hughes has a terrible reputation and has been mired in scandal and controversy since taking office, including a stint where it appeared she was actually living in Delaware and not the city of Alexandria. There's a third Republican announced recently, a high-ranking military officer. I don't know much about him.

Hope this helps.

[Anonymous]

Thanks!! Just curious, why would it be odd that schools are an issue? I have to admit, it's why I'm interested in the Alexandria scene in the first place.

[Anonymous]

I get what the previous poster said. The City Council has no formal control over school operations--all it does is decide how much money to give the school district.

The school board hires the superintendent, allocates the school $$$$, makes policy, and "ovesees" the schools. So, I can see the point that if you're concerned about
school quality--you should be more interested in the School Board races, not the City Council races.

But, truth be told, the problems at ACPS can be traced largely to City Council policies/decisions. It's the City Council that insists that we operate as a virtual sanctuary city for illegal aliens, and that we keep building/maintaining large amounts of public housing, and that we concentrate all the immigrants/poor into certain neighborhoods/large complexes where the kids are surrounded with drugs, alcohol, violence and lawlessness.

Until the City Council decides to stop making Alexandria a magnet for the wrong crowd, our schools will continue to struggle because our student population is overwhelmingly "hard to educate."

[Anonymous]

Just curious, but is it the school board or city council that determines whether and when to build additional schools?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just curious, but is it the school board or city council that determines whether and when to build additional schools?

If the City Council has the purse strings, all they have to do is withhold money from the school board, and the school board will be forced to accommodate the growing student population with something other than additional schools (raise the student/teacher ratio, trailors, etc). Are there any City Council candidates that have been talking about schools?

[Anonymous]

BTW, what's up with the red brick sidewalks Alexandria? I work there and it's so freaking hard to walk on the lumpy sidewalks with high heels.

I know it's the "historic" look, could we do away with the foolish aspects of the olden days?

[Anonymous]

Are there any City Council candidates that have been talking about schools?

Well, per the Old Town Patch, they've been taking about them generally, but none have addressed the specific issue of the need for additional capacity.

[Anonymous]

I asked a similar question and got some answers here...

http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/235528.page

13:54 - I kinda agree with. I am not sure about the illegal aliens as I think that tends to be a much bigger issue in Arlington co. and the FFX cty parts of Alexandria but the public housing is a major concern. I personally think it all needs to be torn down and I am not even sure that most of the residents should get assistance to relocate. Those who are elderly and truly disabled yes - but anyone who is young, able bodied - well they will just have to find another county or city govt to sponge off of.

I know it's a crime in this City to say it but I actually am against "affordable housing" as defined by the City.