Meet The Candidate: David F. Snyder For Falls Church City Council

FALLS CHURCH, VA — In addition to voting for statewide office in Virginia, along with candidates for House of Delegates, residents of the City of Falls Church will be voting for candidates to fill seats on the city council and school board.

As part of our 2021 election coverage, Patch has asked each of the candidates in Falls Church to fill out a questionnaire to describe why they think they're the best person to fill the job they're running for.

This questionnaire was completed by David F. Snyder, who is running for reelection to the Falls Church City Council.

In-person early voting began at Falls Church City Hall at 300 Park Avenue on Sept. 17. In-person voting will be available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Residents can also vote in person on two Saturdays: Oct. 23 and 30 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

On Nov. 2, election day, the polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Learn more about Snyder and why he is running for reelection to the Falls Church City Council in 2021:

Candidate

David F. Snyder

Position sought (mayor, city council, school board, etc.)

City Council

Party Affiliation

Independent

Family

Edith Holmes Snyder, wife and a journalist; Richard Holmes Snyder, son and an attorney; Sarah D. F. Snyder, daughter and a school counselor; Michael Cummings, son-in-law and a veteran currently working to ensure that military spouses and families receive the survivor benefits they have earned.

Education

BA from Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania; JD from George Washington University Law School, Washington DC

Occupation

Attorney specializing in administrative law and international trade; 45 years

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

Member, Falls Church City Council (1994-present); Mayor (1998-2000) and Vice Mayor (1996-1998 and 2010-2015).

Campaign website

davidfsnyderforcitycouncil.com

Why are you seeking elective office?

Falls Church City was ranked the third-healthiest community in America this summer by U.S. News & World Report, a rating earned due to our excellent public safety, parks, and education system, among other factors. I want to maintain the qualities of our community reflected in this ranking. Beyond that, I want to increase our community’s resilience and diversity and, at the same time, moderate the tax impacts on our citizens. Finally, I want to continue to engage in regional emergency preparedness, environmental, and transportation issues to make our region and City even better.

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

Throughout my time on Council, I have argued consistently for development projects with real commercial tax generation as well as other community benefits. This continues to be a pressing issue in Falls Church and one tied to our long-term viability as an independent city.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I trust the voters to decide what those differences are. I bring experience and demonstrated dedication to public service to this post.

How do you think local officials performed in responding to the coronavirus? What if anything would you have done differently?

I think local officials in the City of Falls Church and elsewhere have done their best through a very difficult time. I thought we did a good job of supporting our businesses by providing “Grab and Go” signage and allowing their expansion into outdoor parking and sidewalks. I would have liked the messaging, particularly about reopening our schools, to have been more consistent, but, again, the situation was unprecedented. With the availability of vaccines for children and adults 12 years old and older and today’s promise of vaccines for children aged 5 to 11 years, I hope we will soon be able to return to greater normalcy.

Personally, in the midst of the pandemic, it was important to me to volunteer in the Moderna vaccine trial and with the Virginia Medical Reserve Corps, and to work weekly with my church in downtown DC and World Central Kitchen to deliver food to those most in need.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

My platform is as follows:

• Engage with and represent all citizens and ensure that diverse views are heard and respected
• Support highest quality, safe, and accountable schools
• Enable effective and fair public services, including police, fire, library, and parks
• Demonstrate regional leadership that produces local results
• Facilitate the economic development needed to lower taxes, maximizing commercial development while protecting neighborhoods
• Support cost-effective improvements to infrastructure, affordable housing, and environmental quality

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

• City Council (1994-present)
• Mayor (1998-2000) and Vice Mayor (1996-1998, 2010-2015)
• 2010 Recipient, Metropolitan Public Service Award, Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments
• Chair, National Capital Region Emergency Preparedness Council; pushed for greater coordination and cooperation among local governments in emergencies
• Member and past Chair, Metropolitan Washington Air Quality Committee; advocated for the highest possible environmental standards across the Metropolitan area
• Vice Chair and past Chair, Northern Virginia Transportation Authority, and Member and past Chair, Northern Virginia Transportation Commission; spearheaded successful efforts to bring $40+ million in transportation funding to Falls Church and regional multi-modal improvements such as widening the W&OD trail and bikeshare
• Member and past Chair, National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board; led TPB’s initiative to address our region’s highway safety challenges and to move toward a more climate focused planning policy
• Member and past President, Virginia Transit Association
• Former President, Falls Church Housing Corporation, advocating then for affordable housing and now as a Council member requiring more affordable housing in the City’s development projects
• Pandemic Response: Vaccine trial volunteer and Medical Reserve Corps participant, supported local businesses, and worked weekly with church and World Central Kitchen delivering food to those in need
• Licensed Emergency Medical Technician

The best advice ever shared with me was:

From Abraham Lincoln because it is continuously valid: “As our case is new, so we must think anew. And act anew.” And from the first Fire Chief I served under in my hometown of Greensburg, Pennsylvania: “Think, then act.”

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

Please see my website as well as my responses to questions asked by the League of Women Voters on Vote 411 (https://www.vote411.org) and the Village Preservation and Improvement Society (VPIS) (https://www.vpis.org/).

RELATED: VA Election 2021: Early Voting Set To Begin In Falls Church