Blog posts are the personal views of Letty Hardi and not official statements or records on behalf of the Falls Church City Council

Dear Friends,

Happy new year, Falls Church. I hope your 2026 is off to a good start. It’s hard to ignore the weight of the world right now. Many days, the news is exhausting and the challenges feel endless. But here in Falls Church, I’m constantly reminded how lucky we are. This community shows up for one another, cares deeply about where we live, and believes that local government can still be a force for good. Serving as Mayor has been a great privilege, and as I begin my second term, I do so with deep gratitude for this community and a renewed commitment to keep listening, keep learning, and keep doing the hard work of making the city work well for the people and businesses who call it home.

On that note – read on for my comments as the new City Council was seated this week. I’m also sharing our schedule for the next few months, including office hours. These are “open door” and first come, first serve opportunities to chat with me individually or with additional members of Council outside of the formal public comment on Monday night meetings. It remains important to me that government is not just for those who have privilege and flexibility and we are accessible to different parts of the community – so you’ll see there are varied times of day and locations. I’ll also be starting up my multifamily visits and business roundtables and if you’d like me to come to your next HOA or scout meeting, just let me know.

Take care,
Letty

PS – It’s also National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day – if you see a Falls Church City police officer or sheriff, give kudos to them for their dedication and professionalism in serving our community. Here is Officer Fischli, our newest SRO at Falls Church City Public Schools and K9 Partner Faro when he was “sworn in” in 2024.

What Happened This Week:

My comments from January 5, 2026 Meeting:

I’m grateful to my colleagues for the trust you’ve placed in me. And I want to start by acknowledging that the fact that more than one of us wanted this job speaks to the strength of this Council. I have so much respect for the commitment, ideas, and energy each of you brings to this work. This responsibility matters to me, and I’ll keep earning the community’s trust through what I do, not just what I say.

Congratulations to Laura on becoming vice mayor, and a warm welcome to Art. Fresh ideas and new skills matter as we work to fully represent our growing and changing community and to keep improving the city we all love.

Collectively, thank you as well for the kind words and reflections about the years ahead. I share the sense of gratitude and hope for what we can accomplish together. I’m grateful to our community, who expect a lot from their local government and never stop pushing us to be better.

I also want to pause to thank our professional city staff. You are the constant in this work—the ones who show up every day, who keep the city running no matter what the headlines are, and who turn our ideas and votes into real world things. You are the true heroes of local government, and I deeply respect your expertise and dedication and I’m excited to continue working alongside you.

Every time I run for office or take on a new responsibility, I spend a lot of time reflecting—on why we do this work, why I do it, and what I still have to offer. And especially this year, after personal loss and change, I’ve really challenged myself to think about how I spend my time and the tradeoffs that come with public service.

Because if I’m here just to be something instead of do something, then I should be making room for others.

I hope we can keep that spirit in mind as we set Council priorities for the next two years and think about succession planning for liaison and regional roles. Are we here to be something or do something?

Two years ago, I talked about both the responsibility and the privilege of this work—and the opportunity to do it a little differently. I made three commitments then, and I want to renew them tonight, with an invitation to the rest of Council to continue building and improving together.

First, you have my commitment to transparency and accessibility in local government. That includes my blog, which I’ve kept up for more than a decade, and the regular office hours we expanded to the full Council a few years ago. And to the multifamily buildings, HOAs, Girl Scout troops, and so many others who’ve welcomed me into your homes and businesses over the past two years—I’ll be back. Building relationships, especially with people who aren’t always at the table, matters. Listening carefully matters.

Second, you have my commitment to keep learning and to approach every vote thoughtfully—doing the homework, asking the questions, and making fact-based decisions that balance priorities across the city.

Third, I committed to making this Council more egalitarian and to doing some things differently. I won’t always be the one cutting ribbons or giving speeches, and I appreciate continuing to share that responsibility. In meetings, every one of us has a voice and a vote. That may mean meetings run a little longer—especially when we choose three meetings instead of four a month—so thank you, and apologies in advance, to staff for the Tuesday morning hangovers. But that inclusiveness has mattered to this body, and we can revisit how the next council wants to approach it.

In the spirit of doing something, I also want to make a few new commitments, given the challenges and opportunities ahead.

First, regional and broader collaboration is more important than ever. We learned during the pandemic that navigating uncharted territory requires strong partnerships—and honestly, that still feels like a daily reality. When you’re the smallest city on the block—even if you’re small but mighty—you need to be friends   with your neighbors and leverage those relationships at the state level and beyond, especially with a new administration in Richmond.

Second, we’ve just come through an incredible era of growth and revitalization, and we’re finally mostly on the other side of it. It’s no accident that even with all that disruption, we lowered tax rates by 17 cents, earned national accolades, and saw a five-point increase in our community survey—where 93% of residents say quality of life here is good or great. Construction was painful, but that long-term investment in housing and infrastructure matters.

Falls Church is, hands down, a great place. 

Now let’s take it to the next level. This is the moment to invest in the future of the city we want to leave to the next generation. As the real estate market cools, we have an opportunity to reimagine economic development—not just as new buildings, but as showcasing our great bones and what already makes this place special. We can be the best city for small businesses. And we can keep building on the evolution we started a decade ago toward a walkable, bikeable, greener, safer, healthier 15-minute city. And are we going to make bold moves to meet our affordable living goals we adopted last summer and match our welcoming values?  

Third, I want to be honest about the budget realities ahead.

We’re facing real uncertainty—from federal decisions that directly affect our residents, our workforce, and our local economy, to broader economic pressures squeezing families and small businesses. These challenges show up in rent checks, grocery bills, and childcare costs, and I’m committing to keep that top of mind in the next few budget cycles.

We’re fortunate to be on solid financial footing, but that doesn’t mean decisions will be easy. We’re going to face a real test of our revenue-sharing agreement with our schools. Like any marriage, the question is whether it works in good times and in bad. The answer is still to come.

Finally, I commit to continuing to lead by example and staying focused on results.

At a time when trust in government feels fragile—especially across the river—we have a real opportunity to show that local government can still work. That it can still deliver.

Government shouldn’t be judged by good intentions alone, but by whether it actually works for the people it serves. That means relentlessly focusing on outcomes. It means building and fixing things, even when it’s hard. And it means learning as we go, improving what doesn’t work, and being willing to change course when the evidence tells us to.

The policies we pass up here on this dais are just the starting line. The finish line is knowing we actually achieved what we set out to do. How many homes did we build? How many crosswalks did we paint? How many new jobs did we add? How many trees did we plant?

That means improving both internal and customer-facing processes, tracking and measuring progress so we can celebrate success, investing in and growing our workforce, and succession planning not just for today, but for what comes next. 

That’s what I mean when I talk about a small city growing up.

Holding ourselves accountable to outcomes is the kind of culture shift that will outlast any one project—or any one person.

We’ve always believed that small cities can lead in big ways. Together, we will continue to prove that—by governing thoughtfully, getting things done, and never losing sight of the values we hold dear and the city we want to leave for future generations.

Thank you for your continued support – and trusting us with the responsibility and opportunity to keep working for you.

What’s Coming Up:

January 12 – City Council Meeting*

January 26 – City Council Meeting*

January 31 – City Council Planning Retreat

February 2 – City Council Meeting*

February 4 – Ask the Council Office Hours (9 am, City Hall)

February 9 – City Council Meeting*

February 23 – City Council Meeting*

*All Mondays (except 5th Mondays and holidays) at 7:30 pm. You can access the agenda and livestream here, including recordings of past meetings

Letty’s Office Hours:

Wednesday, January 21 (12 pm, Harveys)

Wednesday, February 18 (5 pm, Stratford)