Dear Friends,

Happy weekend and to those with kids in FCCPS schools, congratulations on finishing the first week! A slightly briefer newsletter this time, mainly because the content I want to share is too lengthy for an email, so I’ll be referring you out to my website and blog for various topics below.

What’s Happening:
Mason Row: If you haven’t heard or read in the paper yesterday, City Council voted to send the the Mason Row project to Board and Commission review. FCNP has an article of the Tuesday night work session (and quite a lengthy online comment section so far). I attended the meeting – which was standing room only – and I blogged about the main revisions in this latest version. And while I support the project, I outlined the key concerns I’m going to pay attention to going forward.

To be clear, this is not a done deal. Despite a small effort you might have seen in the community in the form of mailers and flyers to rally for another first reading of Mason Row or to delay the project – there will be more formal votes before the project proceeds. The vote likely will be after the election. There will also be many more opportunities for public comment in Boards and Commission meetings and City Council meetings, and I will share those in an upcoming newsletter for those interested in attending.

Boards and Commissions get a lot less fanfare than City Council meetings, but I have found that this is where the magic happens, so to speak. These citizen-staffed groups are charged with the development and oversight of city policy and to make recommendations back to Council. On that note, I’ll make a plug for the current vacancies on various Boards and Commissions. If you are interested in dipping your toes into City government, or want to share your expertise in a specific area, this is a great way to do so.

I’d love to hear from you with your thoughts about Mason Row – are you excited about the project? What are your concerns? Lots of public input is what has improved the project, and I think it’s come a long way.

Campaign Kickoff: Thanks to all of you who joined me and Erin for our campaign kickoff last weekend. We were thrilled with the great turnout and the nice intro speeches from Tom Clinton and Delegate Simon. Pics are here if you missed it.

My Campaign Platform: If you haven’t visited my website recently, my position on the key issues is posted. Some of my thinking may evolve as I continue meeting with folks in the community and hear new perspectives, however, I don’t expect my core values and the facts I researched about City to change. I really would love to hear your feedback!

Reminders:
Yard signs: they’re popping up like mushroooms all over town! I’ve distributed over 100 so far and have more! If you haven’t gotten one yet and want to show your support, please let me know. Or if you know of friends and neighbors who may like one – please ask them on my behalf and I’d be glad to do more drop offs.

Run for the Schools: the registration is still open for next Sunday’s annual FCEF 5K run. My campaign is proud to be the water sponsor this year, so we’ll see you at the finish line! Look for an early preview of my campaign literature in the swag bags too.

As always, feel free to reach out with questions and pass this email onto your friends. Your input and support of my campaign have been much appreciated. I hope to hear your feedback and thoughts regarding Mason Row and my platform.

Best,
Letty