City Council Candidate Forum

Main Candidate Forum Questions

1. Housing For All (at 9:36 in the video)
Falls Church’s vision, as outlined in the Housing a Complete Community chapter of the Comprehensive Plan, is to offer a spectrum of housing options so people of all ages, incomes, and preferences can find a home here. The plan calls for the city to “create and maintain a diverse supply of housing that supports an inclusive community and strengthens the City’s small-town character.” 

What specific housing strategies would you champion to increase the diversity and supply of housing in Falls Church so we can be welcoming to a generationally diverse community such as this audience - recent college graduates who would like to return home, young professionals planting roots, and aging seniors who want to age in place and stay? 

2. Small Businesses (at 22:43 in the video)
Mixed use development has generated $4.5M net revenue per year, helped lower the tax rate by 17 cents over the past 5 years, and funded major projects like a new high school, city hall and library as well as parks and trails and a plethora of new small businesses. Some say the city should slow growth, while others say it’s essential for revenue and the vibrancy of the city.

As future growth is already expected to slow down due to broader economic forces, do you support future development to balance the budget and maintain services? If yes, where and how? If not, what alternatives would you pursue to fund services in school and city government without an increase in residential and commercial tax rates?

3. People First Places - Multimodal Transportation (at 44:15 in the video) 
Falls Church is just 2.2 square miles, with access to two Metro stations and strong potential for walking and biking.The City’s Comprehensive Plan chapter Mobility for All Modes envisions a safe, connected, and accessible transportation network for everyone—whether traveling by foot, bike, transit, or car. Despite population growth, traffic volumes have actually decreased, showing that many people are already choosing alternatives to driving. 

Looking ahead, what specific steps would you take to advance the City’s transportation goals – creating safer, more connected options for walking, biking and transit for visitors and residents alike?

4. Environment (at 56:51 in the video)
Promoting density in compact, walkable places like Falls Church can help reduce carbon emissions by limiting sprawl, preserving green fields in the exurbs, and putting housing near jobs and transit. The City’s Comprehensive Plan chapter Environment for Everyone and Community Energy Action Plan (CEAP) emphasizes creating a sustainable, resilient, and healthy community through greener infrastructure, energy efficiency, adaptation, and zoning changes to meet our climate goals.
Do you support continuing development that aligns with these sustainability and resilience goals? What other steps would you take to make Falls Church more resilient to climate change?

5. Welcoming Community - Community Engagement (at 1:06:22 in the video)
Looking ahead to the year 2040, the Vision Chapter of the Comprehensive Plan envisions Falls Church as a welcoming and inclusive community. The City’s core values include community involvement, inclusiveness, and responsive government. Today, more than half of our housing units are in multifamily buildings like this one and the perspectives of these residents can be underrepresented. 

How would you ensure that all voices - not just the loudest or most engaged - are heard in discussions about housing and growth, actively engage condo and apartment residents, and help the broader community understand the tradeoffs and benefits of housing, multimodal transportation, and development?

6. Other
If not already discussed, what is the most pressing issue affecting Falls Church? Why? And if elected, what would you do to address it?


OTHER CANDIDATE QUESTIONNAIRES

Bike Falls Church
Falls Church Climate Action Network
Greater Greater Washington