News

FFXnow

By Scott McCaffrey

A member of the Fairfax City Council has been named one of Northern Virginia’s “40 Under 40” for 2026 in honor of his professional and civic contributions.

Anthony Amos will be among those celebrated at two events set for April 14, jointly sponsored by Leadership Fairfax and the Leadership Center of Arlington.

“This program celebrates emerging leaders who demonstrate exceptional and impactful leadership in their professional and personal spheres within the Northern Virginia region,” the organizations said in a joint statement announcing the honorees.

Amos, 27, said he greatly appreciated being included in the ranks of 2026 honorees.

“This diversity in representation is truly remarkable, and I’m honored to be one of the selected with such esteemed company,” he told FFXnow, adding:

“This 2026 cohort of the Northern Virginia 40 Under 40 is expansive and impacts day-to-day operations at all levels. Government contracting, secondary and post-secondary education, nonprofits, local government — this selection of honorees speaks on every sector and topic that you can imagine.”

In 2023, Amos was among 11 candidates contesting the six seats on the Fairfax City Council. He emerged victorious, finishing fifth, and is expected to seek reelection when council seats return to the ballot this November.

Amos’s engagement extends beyond his service on the city council. He has been active in the Central Fairfax Chamber of Commerce and a number of regional groups, including the League of Women Voters and the NAACP.

In 2024, Amos earned a master of public policy degree from George Mason University. Professionally, he is a development associate with the Michaels Organization, addressing affordable housing development throughout the Mid-Atlantic.

At the state level, Amos serves as a member of the Virginia Charitable Gaming Board.

Leaders of the organizations sponsoring “40 Under 40” said those receiving the 2026 awards spanned a wide spectrum of community engagement.

“Their leadership and civic engagement stand out as stellar examples of inspirational leaders working to build thriving communities,” Leadership Fairfax President and CEO Kia Cole-Hines said.

“In a quickly evolving world, this year’s honorees shine a light on the values of curiosity, innovation, empathy and service,” added Lisa Fikes, president and CEO of the Leadership Center.

“Through both their professional and personal lives, they are meeting the moment and making a positive impact in our region,” Fikes said.

An online celebration of honorees is slated for April 14 at 11 a.m., with a reception taking place at 4:30 p.m. at Caboose Commons in Merrifield.

Happy to rep the green and gold everywhere I go!

By Anthony Amos

Video games. Once considered a blight on early childhood in many political spheres, it stands today as a key indicator on the state of the economy and the looming recession. According to the Entertainment Software Association, roughly 60 percent of Americans play video games and it contributes to over $66 billion in gross domestic product for the U.S. – exceeding the rest of the entertainment industry by a wide margin. Many of my greatest memories came from playing co-op with my friends on Halo and with my dad on fighting games. The interpersonal nature of games became more important for people globally during the COVID-19 pandemic, allowing for engagement in a world where we could close the physical gap on our headsets. However, it is not all sunshine and rainbows. In this industry, the growth of anticonsumerist practices and the lack of effective oversight mirrors what we are seeing across the economy today… and it started over a decade earlier.

Drivers on the Cost of Living

Whether you are a fan of consoles like the PlayStation and Xbox or decided to build your own personal computer (PC), you have noticed skyrocketing price increases and stock shortages for parts and devices in recent years. A running gag in my family for three years was my inability to find a PlayStation 5 that I could purchase at fair market value. This was primarily driven by a worldwide semiconductor chip shortage, which affected timelines and costs for electronics in general. One would think that this is behind us after a surge in product in 2023; however, think again. Multiple news outlets are reporting RAM (random access memory) shortages in 2026, which is responsible for your computer’s ability to process multiple pieces of information simultaneously like opening multiple tabs at one time. The current generation of consoles are expected to see additional price jumps and the next generation to be delayed from their original 2027-2028 release window since the RAM shortage is expected to last well beyond 2026. Sales for these devices hit a 30-year low in November of last year, consistent with the overall drop in consumer spending from years past. The state of things are worse for those using PCs. Consumer prices for new GPUs (graphics processing units) started at $1,999 in January of 2025 and may potentially reach over $5,000 by the end of 2026 – marking a 150 percent increase with no signs of slowing down. If you are not a consistent gamer, you may be wondering what the big deal is. Why should I care? These trends are signals for what to expect with all of our devices. Phones, laptops, and all modern devices will be impacted by the same driver: the tech industry’s investment on artificial intelligence (AI) through data centers.

The changing economic landscape is being driven by a singular promise: an AI evolution to benefit everyone. Billions of dollars from AI investors has driven the need for more capacity and networking infrastructure, with AI being a data-intensive tool that requires far more processing capabilities than what currently exists. Chipmakers are redirecting their production to meet this demand, reducing the amount of available chips for consumer products. This is evidenced by the recent announcements from international companies that dominate memory production like Micron Technology, one of the world’s largest chip manufacturers, stating that they are leaving the commercial market to focus on their “larger, strategic customers in faster-growing segments.” The same can be seen with electricity. The need for additional data centers with stronger capacities are constraining the RAM market with this supply diversion; meanwhile, according to a study from the University of Michigan, the electricity demand surges are being subsidized by local residents due to “utility companies passing the costs of infrastructure upgrades and energy procurement onto residents and small businesses through higher rates.” With a growing rent-burdened population and wealth gap, affordability becomes more difficult for most of the population due to the dreams of Big Tech.

Many of these dreams are centered around control of particular industries, such as recent efforts by OpenAI and Microsoft to consolidate AI research and development under their companies through strategic partnerships and acquisitions. Merger and acquisition transactions (M&As) have doubled over the last decade, primarily by non-AI companies acquiring AI upstarts. Large technology companies have gone on aggressive sprees of acquisitions to dominate the AI market – with entities like Apple, Alphabet, Microsoft, and Meta ranking as the top acquirers for several years. The video game industry has also been defined by M&As and their impacts on the technology landscape. In 2008, two major gaming studios, Activision and Blizzard, merged – and now Activision Blizzard is set to be acquired by Microsoft as of 2023 – potentially leading to many of their games and products becoming exclusive to Microsoft-based devices. Similar to the healthcare market and most industries, market consolidation leads to price increases and is impacted by the lack of antitrust legislation to promote more stringent enforcement. The M&As of the past and those ongoing centralized corporate power – disrupting supply chains, minimizing competition for fair market pricing, and stripping away workers’ rights according to the Roosevelt Institute. Activision Blizzard has received numerous complaints for violating labor laws and using intimidation tactics against employees, including a recent filing for an unfair labor practice charge from the Communications Workers of America. In the pursuit of more capital, we see the growth of anti-worker and anti-consumerist trends as industries cannibalize the competition, especially with Big Tech and what that implies for the future. 

The New American Dream

In 2024, the executive of a major gaming company, Ubisoft, caused a controversy when he openly stated that “it’s about feeling comfortable with not owning your game”, endorsing a game pass subscription model where physical ownership is becoming more of an outdated preference. Ownership is no longer permanent in the minds of many business leaders – contrary to what many of us were taught growing up and what the generations prior to ours experienced firsthand. He believes this model works despite the multiple failed products Ubisoft has pushed out and the multiple rounds of layoffs they have undergone, resulting in the loss of hundreds of jobs and concerns surrounding workplace unionization playing a role in its decisions. This compounds with poor AI implementation and the aforementioned anticonsumerist practices, reducing competition and product quality.

While inflation is a key driver, the cost of development for games has skyrocketed. Many publishers have taken different approaches to recapture those profits through different approaches like increasing the cost of games from the once-traditional $60 to $70. Many games are now implementing AI features to reduce these costs in theory, yet their demanding investments for upkeep coupled with supply shortages are likely contributing to the rising costs we are seeing. Despite Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard and the growth in the gaming market – similar to that of streaming services – they increased their monthly subscription prices for the Xbox Game Pass multiple times within a 14-month period, with the latest jump being around 50 percent. Another controversial method was the implementation of microtransactions, casino-like mechanics for gamers to spend real-world currency for virtual goods in a game. Despite being around in gaming culture since the mid-2000s, microtransactions became so prevalent and manipulative that United States Senator Josh Hawley introduced a bill to regulate these sales and to discontinue their flagrant marketing strategies towards users under the age of 18. The shift into a more subscription-based gaming format began well before the explosion of streaming services like Disney+ and the shortcomings are well documented. Frustrations seen with these cases mirror the ongoing discussions with social media and advertising – often intentionally aggressive and targeted at younger audiences. What we are seeing now, and what is likely to become more relevant with streaming and the transition away from physical media, is a shift in the idea of ownership. Multiple games that were published and were either unsuccessful or difficult to maintain for a long period of time are shut down or made inaccessible by those who purchased them at full price. Many argue that this is anticonsumer in nature and “is effectively robbing customers of their purchases and makes restoration impossible.” Recent pro-consumer movements like “Stop Killing Games” dedicate themselves to conduct outreach with international leaders to protect fundamental rights surrounding possessions and fair compensation, even reaching the European Union via petitions to add this item to the Digital Fairness Act. One might wonder how the idea of purchasing a good and having it rescinded without compensation is legal or valid, yet it is. It sounds an alarm of what is to come beyond the gaming industry and serves to set a precedent for redefining the role of the consumer. The dissolution of ownership marks a new standard for the experiment of neoliberal capitalism. 

The role of the customer has shifted in our current economic system. Rather than serving as the driving force and trendsetter behind economic growth and collapse, a new idea encroached on the market – the subsidizing consumer. The foundation of the American Dream, which was once based on ownership, shifted to support an expanding wealth gap where quality of life is issued via monthly payments. A subscription society, if you will. Every commodity, leisure, necessity becomes more and more decentralized to hide the true cost of living behind layers of paywalls. According to a survey conducted by CNET, the average U.S. adult spends $1,080 annually on subscriptions, with around $200 being on unused subscriptions. Every few months, often driven by an unregulated merger or spikes in investment spending, the routine payment increases and appears to be minimal until you examine them in context. In that same survey, over two-thirds of respondents noted that one or more of their subscription services increased their prices within the past year. Efforts to promote transparency and to make it easier to unsubscribe have been blocked, limiting the abilities of entities like the Federal Trade Commission to exercise its powers to protect consumers. 

The New American Dream is now defined by a rent-based economy and conditional leisure. Ownership is an outdated model – a myth driven by a lack of acceptance for these new norms. Our lives are determined in increments and what we enjoy – be it video games, movies, sports, books, news and information, food, hygiene – is being increasingly digitized and hidden behind locked doors. Keys, like loot boxes, that are pay-to-play. Perhaps we will look back one day on this phase of life as a successful transition toward a brighter future with AI infrastructure and improved accessibility. Perhaps their experiments and investments will work in staving off a recession. Perhaps this piece is laced with worries and assumptions that will fade away over time. Or…perhaps we have seen this story before and the cycle simply continues on. As a gamer, I am sure I will know soon enough.

George Mason University

By Buzz McClain

It did not take long after graduating George Mason University with a 2024 master of public policy (MPP) degree for Anthony Amos to fulfill a longtime dream: win an election that gives him the opportunity to help those around him.

In November, Amos won a seat on the Fairfax City Council after a well-crafted, heart-felt campaign that he said was partially inspired by what he learned at George Mason’s Schar School of Policy and Government’s MPP program.

Amos joins six other councilmembers on a board led by fellow Schar School graduate, Mayor Catherine Read, who earned her BA in government and politics from George Mason in 1984. As it happens, the university’s Fairfax Campus is in Fairfax City.

Serving the public, especially as an elected official, “has always been a dream of mine,” said Amos.

He ran as an Independent, eschewing the traditional opportunities afforded by aligning with a political party. “I wanted to keep things focused on local issues,” he said of that decision. “We were seeing a lot more of the federal talking points and policies trickling down to the local level where a city council doesn’t really decide on those issues, ever.”

In fact, he said, “You have people who try to manipulate the system and use [controversial] federal issues to control local government. Local government is where you’re supposed to be most connected with the community. If you lose that, that’s just bad.”

Amos credits his time at George Mason, whose Fairfax Campus is in Fairfax City, and his undergraduate degree from the University of Hawaii West Oahu with helping him form and express his political ambitions.

“Anthony was a highly motivated, high-energy participant in my course,” said Professor of Public Policy David Hart, who taught Amos’s U.S. Institutions and Policy Process course. “He asked great questions and engaged thoughtfully with his colleagues as well as me.”

“A lot of my policy positions were based on topics I researched while I was in college, such as public financing for different construction projects,” he said. “Land use items, data centers in the energy grid, smart-use items for public transit, things like that … What I appreciate about George Mason is that the professors didn’t skip over the local aspects of government.”

Amos works as a legislative aid for longtime Springfield District Supervisor Pat Herrity, the sole Republican on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. It’s a position that offers opportunities to see policy in action.

Last spring as he was preparing to graduate, Amos won the Jack Wood Award for Town-Gown Relations from the university’s Office of Government and Community Relations. The award for the student category recognizes the winner’s leadership in fostering relationships between the university and the community.

Now that he has graduated, Amos continues his relationship with his alma mater in several ways. He contributes to a program benefiting the ARTS By George! scholarships in the College of Visual and Performing Arts and he remains a member in good standing in the Bridge at Mason club which works to foster civic dialogue on campus. He added that he is continuously working on ways to unite George Mason with the city he now represents.

City council seats sometimes lead to larger roles for elected officials. Does Amos have higher ambitions now that his first election is in the books?

“I want to do a good job first and make sure that I’m built for this,” he said. “I managed to survive the campaign but let me let me get in there and not screw up too terribly, and then we’ll see.”

Patch

By Michael O’Connell

One Fairfax City Council candidate has received more that $25,000 in campaign donations, far surpassing the other 10 candidates in the race.

FAIRFAX CITY, VA — Anthony Amos’ campaign has received significantly more donations than the campaigns of his 10 opponents in the Fairfax City Council race, according to the latest financial filings with the State Board of Elections.

Between June 1 and Sept. 30, 2024, Amos raked up a total of $25,352 in contributions, which is nearly $10,000 more than the $15,410 received by fellow candidate Jeff Greenfield, who was second among the 11 candidates in terms of fundraising, according to state financial filings, as reported by the nonprofit Virginia Public Access Project.

Fairfax City Council Fundraisng As Of Sept. 30, 2024

• $25,352 – Anthony Amos (i)
• $15,410 – Jeff Greenfield (i)*
• $8,753 – Thomas D Peterson (I)
• $8,101 – Stacy Renee Hall (I)
• $6,409 – Billy Bates (I)*
• $5,775 – Kate Doyle Feingold (I) *
• $5,182 – Stacey D Hardy-Chandler (I)
• $3,976 – Rachel McQuillen (I)
• $1,235 – Amini Elizabeth Bonane (I)
• $600 – Jack Ryan (I)
• $0 – Taylor Alice Geaghan

*Incumbent

Anthony Amos Top Donors

• $6,000 – Carey Amos (Retired)
• $1,150 – Douglas M Church Jr. (Banks)
• $1,000 – Sam Gray (Retired)
• $1,000 – William Bruce Jennings (Warehouse/Moving Companies)
• $1,000 – Basim M Mansour (Building Trades/Subcontractors)
• $1,000 – Waria Salhi (restaurants)

Amos kicked off his campaign on June 1. Since then, he has raised $21,276 from 45 cash contributions of more than $100; $3,672 from 68 cash contributions of $100 or less; $399 from three in-kind contributions more than $100 and one $5 in-kind contribution.

One of the most challenging issues that leaders are working on today is the affordable housing crisis. We have seen jurisdictions like Fairfax County declare that they want to construct thousands of new affordable units within the next 10-15 years. If you wonder why we are in the situation we are in as a country, there are multiple factors at play. The growing wage gap and collapse of the middle class in recent decades, skyrocketing land and construction costs for homes, and the 2008 and COVID-19 recessions all contributed to today’s difficult market. The New York Times highlighted how the collapse of the housing market in 2008 drastically impacted our lending and building practices, causing builders to slow down construction due to fiscal concerns. According to a JLARC study, Virginia alone has a statewide shortage of at least 200,000 affordable units for low-income households as median home sales prices have jumped by roughly 30 percent within the last few years [Fairfax has the highest rate of unmet need in the state]. This is likely to be of greater concern as many of our older units under the low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC) program are set to expire within the next few years – opening them to substantial rate increases upon expiration. So, in summary, it is a complex subject that does not have a one-stop solution. There are multiple steps that need to be taken, including increased emphasis on preservation.

My partner and I reside in one of the oldest affordable housing communities in the City of Fairfax. There have been multiple reports regarding pest control problems, stormwater and flooding concerns, and appliance issues. This has taken a central role in my campaign as we need to fix up the affordable housing stock that exists in addition to developing new ones. We can avoid the displacement of residents by not tearing down these older units and, instead, incentivizing property managers to update our current stock through potential abatement programs and an expedited permitting process. The fiscal benefits are clear as newer units can be built upwards of $700,000 per apartment home compared to renovating them at around one-third of the cost on a faster timeline. The US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) also recognizes the importance of preservation – recently announcing $469 million in new funding for this goal. This includes options for climate resilient housing and hazard reduction.

However, there are challenges to these housing rehabilitation projects. Variations in policies fragment these opportunities and discourage owners from going through the process to do it, especially with expiring subsidies as mentioned earlier. Without some kind of expedited process or funding stream, property owners may be limited in what they can do from a budgeting standpoint. While the costs of new housing are not as high as renovating older stock, it is still a financial burden. Strengthening code enforcement can only do so much if additional funding tools are not available. In 2003, the total national rehabilitation investment needed was estimated at $1.3 trillion, so we can imagine it is higher today. 

The good news is that tax programs and government investments can close the affordability gap, so we need to increase the supply of these opportunities. Fairfax County decided to look at this in 2021 through their report from the Affordable Housing Preservation Task Force. This includes ideas like gap financing, predevelopment funds, a preservation warning system, and using reserve funding to meet these goals. In the City of Fairfax’s housing assessment report, they touch on renovations and how we have lost affordable housing units at a higher rate than we have gained. Local policies are crucial to getting preservation efforts started and in complementing federal grants as well to mitigate these trends. 

Preservation is key and a renovation fund can go a long way. I am calling on us to make this more of a focal point when discussing the housing crisis.

Patch

By Michael O’Connell

Fairfax City Council candidate Anthony Amos focuses on three changes to make the city a more prosperous and democratic union.

FAIRFAX CITY, VA — Fairfax City voters heading to the polls to cast ballots in the Nov. 5 general election will find candidates running in the city council, school board and mayoral races.

Anthony Amos is one of the six candidates on the ballot in the Fairfax City Council race that have not previously run for elected office. Three incumbent candidates are running for reelection and two current members of the City of Fairfax School Board are seeking seats on the council.

All of the candidates in the city council race participated in the Sept. 25 candidate meet-and-greet at the Sherwood Community Center. Before voters got a chance to speak one-on-one with them, each of the candidates delivered a statement summarizing their reasons for running. The following are the remarks Amos made at that event.

“Aloha, everyone. As a local government employee, you see a lot of things.There’s a lot of angst and suffering around us. When my partner and I moved to this city, it was because we had nowhere else to go. The owner of a townhome we rented decided to move back in, and we had 60 days to find an affordable place to live.

“Since our transition, we have experienced a cycle of flooding, mice and bed bug infestations, and rats and raccoons hanging near our trash bins. Due to allergies, that meant months of sleeping in our car or in the bathtub, and unfortunately, it’s not an uncommon occurrence here. You learn a lot when knocking on doors.

“I share this with you because it is a narrative that we seldom discuss here in the city. People ask me why I’m running. It’s because I think that government should be fun.

“But here are three standout items that I ask that you expect out of all of us. It is time for an affordable housing renovation fund. It is time to connect city council even more with the community through opportunities like a biennial city council parks tour. And perhaps most importantly, it is time to launch a participatory budgeting pilot program, where a portion of the city’s budget is allocated to a citizens task force, and you decide how it’s spent. It’s being done right now in places like Chicago and Greensboro, encouraging more people to get engaged in local government, especially the youth and underrepresented.

“It’s time to become the change we want to see. It’s not easy doing this, but this isn’t about me. It’s about my little brother, my future child, and all those who come after. So, I ask you to, like me, to try to give us what we need, for us to come together, regardless of creed or color, to promote and advocate for these ideas in order to form a more prosperous and democratic union. Thank you.”

Patch is publishing a new story each day featuring remarks made by one of the candidates who spoke at the Sept. 25 meet and greet at the Sherwood Community Center, which was co-sponsored by the League of Women Voters of the Fairfax Area and Central Fairfax Chamber of Commerce.

Listen to the full audio from the Sept. 25 candidate meet-and-greet event

Many of you may wonder why your taxes have increased dramatically in the past decade. Multiple factors play into that, but a heavy hitter is the impact of teleworking and the pandemic on commercial/office space. Originally, two-thirds of revenue collection came from taxes on the commercial sector; however, this has transferred to residential without a significant alternative. Addressing affordability and the higher cost of living we are experiencing requires creativity and exploring every opportunity to tackle this disparity – hence this discussion on pop-up stores!

These retail opportunities are deliberately temporary, often introducing unique brands from other regions or countries that would not appear if they had to maintain a permanent location. You are probably familiar with traveling exhibits, farmers markets, or stores like Spirit Halloween, which show up for the Halloween season each year in various locations. Locations and events under this structure produce a slew of benefits, like increasing sales and commercial tax revenue, supporting startup potential for entrepreneurs, and helping provide brand reputation for municipalities. The Association of National Advertisers highlights how brand activation and initiatives to tap into the ever-growing potential of social media have a market of over $740 million. This coincides well with hubs like Downtown Fairfax and revitalization areas seen in the city’s Small Area Plans (SAPs). It results in more pedestrian foot traffic and drives business for all stores – both pop-up and permanent. A global survey of retailing organizations found that more than 80 percent of respondents who implemented a pop-up shop deemed it a success. More residents could engage with new brands and events, which also supports diverse options for a diverse population like ours. 

Our neighbors have already received the memo. The Fairfax County Office of Economic Revitalization developed a pop-up brochure to help guide potential owners in setting one up. This resource includes options for street festivals and parks, too. An area in the region known for its selection of pop-up shops is Fairfax Corner, which just announced that the Vermont-based King Arthur Baking Company is taking a space next to REI for a year. Local shoppers tend to love new business concepts and this method is a great integration of blending online culture with our vacant storefronts. But, to do this, we need to talk about permits.

Existing ordinances and regulations were not designed with pop-ups in mind. There are still significant costs and burdens associated with obtaining temporary special use permits and maintaining compliance. The University of Texas A&M finds that this requires localities to re-evaluate their processes to not deter these opportunities, and advocate for regional cohesiveness in its implementation. We want to build a better business environment with predictable, easy-to-understand standards. Jurisdictions like the District of Columbia are already doing this. Mayor Muriel Bowser announced earlier this year the Pop-Up Permitting (PUPs) pilot program – an initiative to create a streamlined permitting process with the Department of Buildings, allowing businesses to get their Certificate of Occupancy at a significantly faster rate. With a 15-day initial review timeframe and multiple investments through grants and the general fund, both businesses and constituents are looking forward to quite an economic transformation.

There is no single solution to complex issues like affordability and taxes. However, there are supports we can institute that can build off of one another to something better. We could be like St. Louis, which does not encourage a flexible permitting process and drives these types of businesses across state lines, or we can be more like Philadelphia, which bolsters strong public-private partnerships with organizations like Food Trust through grants – producing millions of dollars in economic impact. Our neighbors are figuring it out, and I believe we will, too!

A great deal of attention goes into the national, trending topics surrounding the federal government – especially during years with Presidential campaigns. This is reflected in voter turnout rates in Virginia in recent years, with 2022 and 2023 averaging to about a 43 percent turnout rate compared to 2020’s 75 percent (less than 16 percent and 25 percent in primaries respectively). Local elections are seen as a less important checklist item compared to everything you see on the news. However, the role local government plays in your day-to-day life should not be undermined. In recent years, we have seen localities tackle issues that garner a lot more attention. Data centers, affordable housing, green space – the balance of innovation and regulation often falls under these jurisdictions.

Local government includes everything from development and what is built near you to parks to schools to road maintenance. It is designed to be the most community-engaged mode of government (and the most fun). These essential services and operational items are critical to economic development and infrastructure planning. The National Civic League highlights the undervaluing of local government, which employs over 500,000 officials and manages $2 trillion in spending. The City of Fairfax alone has a total revenue of over $237 million for the Adopted FY2025 Budget. This allocation affects our public safety officials, our transit system, community events and recreational activities, and our schools. This level of government offers a high amount of creativity for programs and partnerships, yet the main focus are the practical issues for you and your neighbors.

As a county employee, my energy is centered on constituent service casework like reporting flooding of a property, citations for overgrown grass and invasive species, and business/home permits. And while it may not sound attractive, I think it is fun and rewarding. I often get to sit down with community members and brainstorm ideas for potential solutions, then see what can be done to help people. One of my favorite stories involves recycling. A community association reached out to me on initiatives to support glass recycling education in their area. After our office spoke with them further, we coordinated on getting them set up with a purple bin from the glass recycling bin program (purple can club). It required negotiation between where the association wanted it and where the state Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) would allow it to be placed. That bin has recycled over 30,000 pounds of glass waste. That is good governance and what makes local government so impactful.

There are a lot of ideas on how to increase civic education on local government and common-sense policymaking. Multiple studies and articles show a consistent theme that needs to be followed – community inclusion. The nation is shrouded in rhetoric of negative political discourse and exhaustion. We have an election every year in Virginia and involvement has been impacted as people feel ignored or a part of a routine. This is evident in discussions around the standard public hearing set up. These studies highlight that hearings often lack young and minority voices, and suggest that the experience of participating in a public hearing actually reduces a participant’s feelings of community attachment. Ideas like volunteer banks, community rewards programs with local businesses, and participatory budgeting are opportunities to engage our youth and citizens in our localities. Government and politics can often seem exclusionary, so mitigating that perception is important. The American Bar Association highlights different voting practices states and localities are adopting to increase voter turnout and civic engagement. We can explore these options and gauge what the community likes.

Elected officials will not know everything nor have all the answers to our most pressing items, but we (especially the City of Fairfax) live in a vibrant community of bright minds. They are flooded with ideas that we should work to explore.