Candidate Profile: Vice Mayor Letty Hardi Seeks New Term On Falls Church City Council

FALLS CHURCH, VA — Letty Hardi, the current vice mayor, is running for a new term on the Falls Church City Council in the Nov. 7, 2023 general election.

There are three City Council seats up for grabs in 2023. Hardi is one of four candidates along with Tim Stevens, Erin Flynn and Justine Underhill. Mayor David Tarter and Councilmember Phil Duncan are not running for re-election.

City of Falls Church voters will have three City Council seats on the ballot as well as three Falls Church School Board seats, Virginia Senate 37th District, Virginia House 13th District, Arlington County Commonwealth's Attorney and Arlington County Clerk of Court.

Early voting for the general election begins Friday, Sept. 22. More information on how to vote is available from the City of Falls Church Voter Registration and Office of Elections.

Patch asked candidates for Falls Church City Council to fill out a candidate questionnaire with the same questions. Here are Hardi's responses:

Name

Letty Hardi

Office Sought

City Council Member, City of Falls Church

Campaign Website

lettyhardi.org

Age (as of Nov. 7 election)

44

Education

B.A., University of Virginia

Occupation

Vice Mayor, City of Falls Church since 2021; City Council Member since 2016; Former Financial Services & Marketing Professional; Mother of 3 FCCPS Children

Family

We moved back to Falls Church 20 years ago as newly married young professionals. Since then, we've been fortunate to be raising our three sons, who are all in City schools and the 3rd generation of Hardis in Falls Church, with their grandparents nearby. We are active in the community - between PTAs, sports, clubs, and civic life, you'll also see us at the Farmers Market, walking our rescue dog Rosie, enjoying Little City restaurants, and Letty (literally) running around town.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

My brother is in Government Relations at the National Education Association (NEA)

Previous public office positions or appointments

City Council Member, City of Falls Church - 2016 to present

Why are you seeking this office?

I’ve had the honor of serving you for 8 years and I’m running for re-election because I'm committed to a city that is more vibrant, equitable, and sustainable. And do it in a way that keeps you engaged!

I’ve seen firsthand both the responsibility and impact of local government, and I want to keep playing a role - especially to help us continue tackling the challenges of the housing crisis, climate change, and a more accessible city. As my kids get older, our responsibility to the future is that much clearer to me. With so much opportunity in front of us, we can keep preserving the best of our small town charm while working towards a more sustainable and welcoming community and a high quality of life for now and future generations.

What are the major differences between you and the other candidate(s) seeking this post?

As the only incumbent running for City Council, I have 8 years of experience serving our community and delivering results while partnering with the School Board, our boards and commissions, staff, the business community, and civic groups. I've also built relationships with our regional, state, and federal officials. As one of the smallest jurisdictions in the DMV, good relationships are important to make sure our city's interests are represented at various levels and we partner with our larger neighbors to further shared goals.

I'm also honored that I am one of three Sierra Club-endorsed candidates this year (and previous elections). That endorsement reflects my consistent voting record and positions on the environment and my belief that our community has a critical role to play in rapidly reducing greenhouse gas emissions - and that responsibility is inherently tied to local government decisions for smart growth land use policies, transportation investments, and sustainability initiatives.

What do you see as the top issues facing (your city), and how do you address them in your campaign platform?

The top issues in Falls Church and how I'd address them:

(1) Housing Affordability & Diversity: affordable and diverse housing so all generations, incomes, and backgrounds can call Falls Church home. We’ve made significant strides with 50% more affordable units coming online in the next 2 years, but still need to preserve what we already have and create more housing options - where seniors can age in place, graduates can afford to return home, families of all kinds can attend our top-notch schools, smaller, starter homes can once again co-exist in neighborhoods, and homeownership can be a reality for more. We already have a healthy queue of redevelopment in our commercial area and because we don’t want a multi-acre project on every corner, we have been encouraging adaptive reuse, small infill projects, and more diverse housing types, so we can have homes beyond single family homes and apartments.

(2) Accessibility: walkable, bikeable, and safer streets. Our evolution from a car-centric culture means we need to keep advancing safer and accessible streets, sidewalks, protected bike lanes, and traffic calming. At 2.5 square miles, we truly can be that 15 minute city for anyone who chooses to live car-free or car-lite (like those aging in place or just want to live more sustainably) which frees up roads for those visiting outside the city or who truly need to drive.

(3) Sustainability: besides the fact that more pedestrian, bike, and microtransit options reduce our environmental footprint, we should expand our other sustainability initiatives, with an eye on leaving our community and planet better than we found it. We should preserve and grow our already high tree canopy, keep making the city resilient to climate change with stormwater infrastructure, upgrade our existing buildings and have green building standards for future buildings. Our parks and trails are rated one one of the top amenities by our residents - let’s keep it up.

(4) Excellent City Services and Schools: our city has always valued public education and high quality services. FCCPS is a big part of our city’s renown and our budget, so we need to continue strong collaboration on financial and capital planning and ensure city services across the board continue to meet residents’ and business’ needs.

(5) Fiscal Stewardship: in recent years, we’ve made generational investments across the city in a fiscally responsible way, yet with high inflation and high cost of living in the region, affordability remains a top concern so we need to keep treating taxpayer dollars as if they were our own with every budget cycle. We should continue to diversify our tax base with smart development and strong local businesses, which means the burden on individual households is smaller. As evident by strong year-over-year growth in local taxes and number of new businesses, our strategy is making a difference.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

I’m proud to have a hand in getting Falls Church caught up on all the infrastructure around the city since my election in 2016: a new high school, library, city hall, multiple parks and making new investments in sidewalks, traffic calming, public parking, bikeshare, bike racks, bus shelters, big strides in affordable housing, public art, annual holiday lighting, and a more vibrant, walkable city – powered by smart development, new businesses, and financial stewardship. And all of these generational investments have been done in a fiscally responsible way: we’ve grown our tax base, lowered the tax rate 12.5 cents, and maintained a triple A bond rating.

I've also led in making sure our community's progressive values were followed by real action: I advocated for the adoption of more restrictive gun laws in public places when Virginia granted localities the authority, our recognition of Indigenous Peoples' Day as a city holiday, expanded tax relief for seniors and people with disabilities, the first curbside composting program in the state, and community painting projects of Pride rainbow crosswalks.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

Eight years ago, as the new voice on City Council, I promised that I’d serve with transparency and thoughtfulness– I bring strong communication, organization, and analytical skills to city policy decisions, do my homework, understand the details, ask questions, host office hours, and write a weekly blog. I believe active citizen engagement is critical and I have seen the results of that pay off. Even if we disagree, I share my thinking on a weekly basis to find common ground and make local government accessible.

Check out my blog and subscribe to stay updated at: www.lettyhardi.org - I hope to hear from you or see you at my office hours soon!