Office Sought: Chairman Loudoun Board of Supervisors
Party Affiliation: Democrat
PREVIOUS OFFICE HELD: Seven-year member of the Loudoun Planning Commission, Chair in 2000
OCCUPATION: Urban Planner
CURRENT EMPLOYMENT: Retired
PREVIOUS EMPLOYMENT: President, international planning and economic development consulting firm (PADCO) for 22 years (1965 Ò 1987); Executive Vice President, Eastern European Real Property Foundation (1992-97).
EDUCATION: Dartmouth College, BA 1955; University of North Carolina, Masters in Regional Planning, 1959.
COMMUNITY TIES: Board of Directors, Virginia Citizens Planning Associations (1998-2002); Board of Directors, Older American's Humanities Corp. (1996-2002); Board of Directors, Loudoun Foundation for Adequate Housing (1991-93); member of the Chamber of Commerce, Sterling Foundation, the Land Trust of Virginia, and Preservation Society of Loudoun, NAACP, Keep Loudoun Beautiful.
ENDORSEMENTS:
Governor Mark Warner and Lt. Governor Tim Kaine
Loudoun Education Association (Loudoun Teachers)
AFL-CIO
Dulles Area Association of Realtors
1. What is your top public-service accomplishment?
Incumbents: Describe the top accomplishment of your last term. Why shouldnít voters blame you for current problems in your district?
Drafting the new General Plan when I was Chairman of the Planning Commission.
2. What are the top five problems facing your constituents and what approaches will you use to solve them? Describe one challenge (or more) in your district that is different than other parts of the county.
I'm running Countywide: Top issues are 1) Growth, 2) Transportation, 3) Taxes, 4) School Boundaries, and 5) Economy
3. What qualities, qualifications and characteristics will you bring to this office?
As an experienced and successful professional planner with 40 years experience I have the proven record as a planning commissioner to lead the county. I've experience in evaluating financial institutions and managing budgets.
4. How will voters best distinguish between you and your opponent(s)?
I have run a positive campaign with fresh proposals to deal with Loudoun's challenges.
My opponents have run negative campaigns blasting each other without specific new initiatives to guide Loudoun's future.
5. What specific solutions will you propose for the transportation dilemma? Please address funding, prioritization, air quality, bus service and other non-rail public transportation solutions, expansion of rail service, and any other possible approach.
I will set priorities (Loudoun Tri-County Parkway, realign Route 659, widen Route 606, and interchanges for Route 28 and Route 7), call for a developer summit to re negotiate the start dates for their road proffers, seek innovative public/private partnerships to finance roads, support expansion of the commuter bus service to meet demand. Metrorail is at least 15 years away and must be reviewed to see that it is affordable to Loudoun taxpayers.
6. The majority on the current Board of Supervisors has followed a "Smart Growth" policy. How has it been successful? How has it failed? What remains to be done?
"Smart Growth" is a slogan not a program. The current BOS has passed the Planning Commission's General Plan and zoning amendment that is to their credit. However, much more needs to be done. There is a huge unfinished agenda.
7. What are your top environmental priorities? Please address air quality, water quality, open space, etc.
I participated in drafting the very strong environmental policies in the General Plan.
However, the implementing regulations still have not been approved. I will make sure they are completed.
8. Are residents safe enough? How do public safety officials balance new demands of "homeland security" with other safety and quality of life issues?
I support Chris Jones for Sheriff to bring a fresh approach to controlling crime through community policing. Crime is a growing problem, but can be controlled if we attack the problem now. Our "homeland security" effort should be constructed within the overall programs of public safety not as a competing activity.
9. Do you have any concerns about civil liberties and public access to information in the wake of the Patriot Act and other responses to Sept. 11?
I object to the expansion of the Patriot Act as an invasion of our civil liberties. I have promised to join many other local and State governments in passing a resolution that calls for the limitation of the Patriot Act to protect our fundamental liberties. Eliminating terrorism does not require abandoning America's fundamental liberties.
10. Working poor families in Northern Virginia face a daunting cost of living, with little in the way of affordable housing, health care, child care and transportation. Are low-wage workers important to the local economy? What do you propose to address the needs of these families?
I have prepared a "work force housing policy" (see my website) that calls for a public/private partnership with the development community to address this issue.
Government programs at taxpayer expense are not the answer.
11. Should counties have the taxing authority of cities?
Yes.
12. What proposals do you have for mitigating the effects of soaring property values and related taxes?
Soaring property values are in fact good for building equity for our working families. The problem is controlling spending. The government should not just keep expanding because the assessed values of homes are increasing.
13. What campaign finance reform do you support? How should the county avoid conflict of interest, or even the appearance of conflict, given the Boardís role in approving development and zoning changes and contributions by development interests?
Virginia has no limits on campaign contributions. There is disclosure in our financial reports and obviously my opponents are attacking each other over their respective massive contributions. I cannot speak for my opponent's potential conflict of interests as that is a matter of their own integrity. As for me, I have no business or financial interests in Loudoun County. I have a record of seven years service on the Planning Commission dealing with developer applications and never have had my integrity questioned. I will serve only the public interest.