Candidate Profile: Shelley Mountjoy Runs For Vienna Town Council

VIENNA, VA — Shelley Mountjoy, a Vienna native and former college professor, is running for Vienna Town Council in the Nov. 7, 2023 general election.

All six Vienna Town Council seats and mayor are up for election in 2023 due to a new Virginia election law. Previously, Town Council had staggered two-year terms with elections in May. Mountjoy is running for Town Council along with incumbents Charles "Chuck" Anderson, Ray Brill and Howard Springsteen and newcomers Jessica Ramakis, Roy Baldwin, Sandra Allen. Mayor Linda Colbert is also running for re-election and does not have a challenger. Elizabeth Korondy is no longer running for Town Council, and Beth Eachus has a write-in campaign, according to the Gazette Leader.

Town of Vienna voters will have the Town Council and mayoral elections on the ballot, as well as Fairfax County races, Virginia House 12 and Virginia Senate 37. The Fairfax County races in the Town of Vienna include Hunter Mill District Board of Supervisors member and Fairfax County School Board member, as well as countywide races for Board of Supervisors chairman, three at-large School Board representatives, Fairfax County Commonwealth's Attorney, Fairfax County Sheriff, and Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District.

Early voting for the general election began Friday, Sept. 22. More information on how to vote is available from the Fairfax County Office of Elections.

Patch asked candidates for Vienna Town Council to fill out a candidate questionnaire with the same questions. Here are Mountjoy's responses:

Name

Shelley Mountjoy

Office Sought

Vienna Town Council

Campaign Website

www.shelley4vienna.com

Age (as of Nov. 7 election)

41

Education

AAS, Automotive Technology (Emissions Specialization); BS/BIS Computer Science/Technology Instruction; MS Telecommunications (concentration in Network Forensics and Security) [I also completed over half of a Doctor of Arts program in Community College Education.]

Occupation

Former College Professor (Web Development); Caretaker; Retired/Disabled

Family

I grew up in the Town of Vienna and I went to school at Our Lady of Good Counsel. Today, I still live in my childhood home in SW. I have a five-year-old daughter (fourth generation here in town) and we share our home with a rabbit and an aquatic turtle.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No.

Why are you seeking this office?

I have not previously been elected or appointed to a position in government. However, I have been incredibly involved in advocacy and civic engagement throughout my life.

I worked as an election officer for over a decade - beginning when I became eligible to vote myself, at age 18. I have significant experience as a community organizer (routinely moderating mailing lists and organizing events for hundreds of participants), participated with the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships and Youth Outreach (Obama Administration), served on the Board of Directors for several non-profits, have sent in feedback and spoken during public comment on many occasions, and was consistently quite active in student government throughout my college career.

More recently, I created the Vienna Votes Project, in 2019, to increase voter participation in Vienna and help all citizens have easy access to the resources they need to make informed decisions at the polls. In 2023, I was among those recognized at the Mayor’s Volunteer Award event for organizing a fundraiser to help food-insecure families.

I feel that my lifetime of active engagement in the political process combined with not having held an elected or appointed role would give me the ability to contribute a fresh perspective that is not limited by the need to get acclimated - particularly in this election cycle, when half the seats will be filled by new faces.

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

I grew up in Vienna and returned here as an adult. In addition, a member of my family was formerly a Member of Town Council and then Mayor. Of course, the current Mayor has a similar background. However, no other Town Council candidate has childhood memories in Vienna. I lived our past and, over my lifetime, I have seen ‘new’ issues arise that stumble on the similar undercurrents. There is absolutely a benefit to having life experience elsewhere and choosing to move to Vienna. However, with each election we hear so much about losing continuity and institutional knowledge; in addition, we have numerous examples of times it has been incredibly helpful to understand Vienna at different stages of life and be able to draw from memory rather than stumble through past minutes or newspaper articles without knowing if relevant records even exist. I feel I can help us move forward while still honoring our history.

I use a wheelchair for mobility due to injuries sustained as a passenger in a motor vehicle collision. Acquiring a disability forced me to become more creative as problem-solving and resilience are often unavoidable when encountering barriers. I consider myself to be uniquely qualified to help our Town Council be more aware and responsive to the needs of the disabled community. Also, disability has made its mark on my income and activities; I feel deeply invested in helping to make Vienna a place residents can continue to call home as they grow older. I consider it a tragedy when someone has to leave the comfort of their home and friendly faces of their neighbors solely because of the transition to a fixed income - particularly at a time when familiarity is a vital component to their quality of life. I do believe I am the only candidate that would absolutely not be able to move to Vienna today (if I had not already been here) yet the rising cost of living has a significant impact on our community as a whole. Our seniors helped build the community we enjoy today and I would like to see our Council take greater steps to facilitate aging in place.

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

Ironically, the top questions we have seen asked most frequently during this campaign will already have been answered by those currently in office before those newly elected take their seats. The bulk of the zoning code update will be voted on in October and the proposed tree ordinance, also will likely come to a vote before the end of year.

In November of 2019, elections were last held to fill the School Board here in Fairfax County just to see COVID close the doors of our public schools. Although a pandemic is a historically infrequent occurrence, it does demonstrate that the top issue during this term in office could very well be one that none of the candidates have even considered.

That being said, I think zoning ordinances will continue to be a major aspect of discussion over the next several years. I would like to see new development along Maple Avenue that is responsible and sustainable. Although, I am concerned that that heavy focus on Maple has reduced discussion on residential-only districts and left us at a disadvantage as far as the possibilities to increase housing options. We have already seen so much infill development; the prevalence of new higher-priced single family detached homes has amplified the challenge of finding accessible and affordable places to call home. I think we need to reconsider accessory dwelling units, duplexes, and examine whether it is feasible to provide incentives to builders for including universal design features within the homes they build - such as zero-entry, wider doorways, and lower height counters - as cost at the time of construction are minimal in comparison to modifications needed as residents age.

I also feel there is a need to look beyond regular business and discuss how the Town can foster an increased quality of life - enhancing green spaces, promoting environmental practices, and thinking outside the box to address recurring concerns. We often see a recurring theme with each election cycle that is not unique to Vienna; residents say they don’t feel their voice is being heard, yet, almost every candidate proclaims that they will listen. I believe this cycle is something other than a broken campaign promise.

Our ways of obtaining public feedback, while legally required, are antiqued and bring the voices of stakeholders in too late in the process. They also favor those who have the ability to take it upon themselves to become involved. I think we need to rethink outreach as well as how we respond to citizen concerns.

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

I consider myself to have had a demanding life. Of course, we all have our own challenges. Although, certainly, there have been times when I have felt overwhelmed or discouraged, in the end, I have always managed to adapt and not only rise to the challenge but excel because of it. For example, as a college student when unexpectedly I acquired my disability, I continued to not only continue my undergraduate program without missing a semester but take on concurrent work on a graduate degree. Being a college professor, as well, requires a lot of persistence as it is one of the few career fields where there remains little turnover. When that door opened for me, I didn’t simply show up on time and get my work done. Within the first two years, I had led two department committees, obtained a grant to develop open-source materials for students to leave the expense of textbooks behind, and was nominated for faculty of the year. In short, I have a track record of not just showing up, but being motivated through adversity.

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

- I support preservation of our tree canopy; I strongly value science and think we need to take action to create a more environmentally sustainable future so generations to come can enjoy Vienna as well.
- I support creating a noise mitigation plan to facilitate businesses co-existing with their residential neighbors and striking a balance that can maintain business activity while still enabling Vienna to have vibrant commercial activity.
- I support ending County use of gas-powered leaf-blowers and providing incentives for businesses and residents to do the same.
- I want to see Vienna take steps to create an environment where those with physical disabilities have less barriers to participating in our events and being active in our public spaces.
- I would like to see us do more to help aging residents stay in their homes, should they choose to do so.
- I think local public officials need to be more vocal and proactive in both soliciting feedback from the community and advocating for the needs of Vienna to county and state officials.
- I want to see walk-ability continue to be enhanced through town; I think we need to consider creative ways to avoid the halt of sidewalk construction with end of the Robinson trust. Also, when reducing requirements for parking we also need to take care to not create a situation that encourages the abuse of designated handicap spaces.
- I would like to see more diverse housing options; I’m concerned that the coding update may lean too far towards “safe” choices rather than those that really facilitate change and sustainable, responsible growth.
- I consider public art to be a vital component to our quality of life, social interaction with each other, and place-making; I would like to see more emphasis on our public display of history and shared values through the arts.
- I am concerned that infrastructure has been improved at the same rate as new development; we also need to find ways to cease the delay of implementing upgrades and enhancements that are approved.
- I think that Council members should attend at least one meeting of each board/commission annually. I am committed to not just attending required Town Council meetings/work sessions but always being fully prepared and participating in community events.

Thank you for taking the time to read about me and for voting by Tuesday, November 7th. With the Town Council being non-partisan, it can take a lot of time and research to be an educated voter. I, myself, have struggled to distinguish candidates from each other when voting for members of Council.

You can learn more about me at http://www.shelley4vienna.com/. You are also always welcome to email (mountjoy@gmail.com) or call/text me anytime (202-285-3298). That is my actual cell phone number; I have had the same number for two decades and intend to keep it for the foreseeable future. If elected, I want to continue to be someone that is always approachable and will respond when you reach out.