Ask City Council Candidates!
Friday, Oct. 5 is the last day to post/vote for Oct. 15 forum!
What would you ask the candidates?
Civic engagement is what ACTion Alexandria is all about and what's more civic than voting? It's been a boisterous year in city politics, and with more than a baker's dozen worth of candidates running for City Council, it's hard for a lot of us to figure out which candidates best represent our vision for our community.
So, we're turning the tables on traditional political debates by giving YOU the starring role in our online forum.
It's your turn to Ask The Candidates!
If you were moderator of your own City Council candidate debate, what would you ask the candidates? Now's your chance to let the candidates know what you think are the important issues.
Post Your Question
Post your questions in our public forum and/or vote up the questions you most want City Council candidates to answer, and we'll make sure the candidates see them and work with the candidates and political parties to get some responses. Let's create a public forum where everyone can see what Alexandria residents think are the important issues.
To post your question, click "Add Your Idea" below and ask away!
Vote for Questions
Each registered member of ACTion Alexandria has three votes to assign anyway they choose. Vote for your favorite question three times, vote once for three different questions--it's up to you.
The Rules
- Ask questions only! Our focus is on the City Council elections and candidates only.
- Keep it civil. Civility is golden here. We'll remove questions and comments that are not civil. You will also be removed for posting them.
- Real people use real names.
- If you work for a candidate, please disclose that. It'll end up being embarassing if you don't.
- Pontificating, accusations, and insults will not be tolerated.
Ideas
Verizon FiOS is the major competitor to Comcast for internet service in Northern Virginia. Our neighbors in Fairfax and Arlington counties have FiOS service but Alexandria does not. Verizon negotiated with Alexandria to bring FiOS to our city, but delays in reaching an agreement...
What would you do to further implement the Eco-City Alexandria initiative?
Considering the Council's history of not listening to its constituents in Alexandria, many voters want their elected officials to represent their needs, not follow party politics. How will you represent your constituent’s concerns, even against your fellow Democrats?
The City Council recently voted to take funds provided by the state that were meant for the school system and used them to help with the City's budget. Please explain why you agree or disagree with the action taken by City Council and what kind of commitment you would make to funding the...
Do you have the courage to state which other five candidates, in your opinion, would best serve as colleagues of yours on City Council? If so, who do you want to serve on City Council with you. [Please don't say either "they would all make great council members" or "it's up for...
What, if any, are the one or two major decisions made by the City Council in the past 3 years on which you would have voted differently from the majority and why?
If you were unfamiliar with an area of Alexandria that was undergoing redevelopment or was experiencing a neighborhood related public safety issue, how would you get to know the area and your constituents in that area?
I've been surprised and very disappointed to find that there are no prohibitions against cutting down large old trees in neighborhoods when residents are adding on or remodeling homes. Recently for example our neighborhood lost a huge old tree that was providing shade to 4 different yards.My...
I, like many of my fellow students at my high school, may vote for the first time in this election; and I find myself wondering how many of us actually will. What, in your opinion is, the most effective way to bring the youth back into the political sphere and increase their ever low voting...
According to a recent study, The number of Alexandria's children living in poverty has quadrupled in the past 5 years. . This is a sobering statistic. Service needs for children, youth and families have increased in the past year, but the budget for nonprofits serving children, youth and...
If you were unfamiliar with an area of Alexandria that was undergoing redevelopment or was experiencing a neighborhood related public safety issue, how would you get to know the area and your constituents in that area?
What, if any, role do you think that the City Council should play in addressing the capacity issues (too many students for the number of spots in existing elementary schools) currently faced by ACPS? How do you propose that the City Council should work with the school board and...
Is it true that the City Council is pro-development and pro-developer?
A number of candidates are talking about buying the private land on the waterfront, spending city money to create trolley's instead of BRT, and to buy historic properties. How would you balance these capital spending items with current plans to build new classroom space for the schools,...
What, if any, are the one or two major decisions made by the City Council in the past 3 years on which you would have voted differently from the majority and why?
The City Council recently voted to take funds provided by the state that were meant for the school system and used them to help with the City's budget. Please explain why you agree or disagree with the action taken by City Council and what kind of commitment you would make to funding the...
Verizon FiOS is the major competitor to Comcast for internet service in Northern Virginia. Our neighbors in Fairfax and Arlington counties have FiOS service but Alexandria does not. Verizon negotiated with Alexandria to bring FiOS to our city, but delays in reaching an agreement...
Considering the Council's history of not listening to its constituents in Alexandria, many voters want their elected officials to represent their needs, not follow party politics. How will you represent your constituent’s concerns, even against your fellow Democrats?
Dear Candidates for Alexandria City Council, What are your plans for making Alexandria more livable? Specifically, how will you implement effective measures and programs to improve infrastructure and traffic flow for pedestrians and bicyclists in the City? The City has made...
How do you weigh the need to increase Alexandria's tax base, to keep Alexandria competitve with other areas of the D.C. region, and to take advantage of Alexandria's geographic location and access to public transportation with community concerns about the potential effect of development on...