Last week’s questions were “Did you see that homer?” “Can you believe Stras?” “Are you going to the Nats parade?”

This week’s question is “Who are you voting for?”

Last week I answered “Yes!”, “Amazing!”, “Absolutely!”

This week’s answer is for City Council, I’m voting for Phil Duncan, Letty Hardi, and Dave Tarter. For School Board, I’m voting for Susan Dimock, Laura Downs and Phil Reitinger.

These six candidates have proven that they can get things done in Falls Church. They know the community. They understand the issues. They’ve been involved for years, in a variety of ways, and gained experience in leadership roles in community organizations. Their resumes include a demonstrated commitment to working with community members for the good of the City.

The two first-time School Board candidates on my list are Susan Dimock and Laura Downs. Both are seasoned volunteer leaders. Laura was Elementary PTA president, which may be the toughest volunteer job in Falls Church. She collaborated with hundreds of volunteers on dozens of programs. She’s been on the Board of Falls Church Kiwanis Little League. Susan is currently chair of the School Board’s Health and Wellness Advisory Committee. She’s been a leader on the new Health & Wellness Speakers Series, bringing in meaningful speakers. Both Susan and Laura speak passionately about their dedication to continuous improvement of our schools.

The candidates who are running for re-election: The Phils - Reitinger for School Board and Duncan for City Council, as well as Letty Hardi & Dave Tarter are all deserving of re-election. They are active participants in the most important and challenging project our City has ever undertaken. The new high school and the economic development project have been a consistent focus of the School Board and City Council, and these four candidates have been in the thick of years of decision-making. All have shown that they can work together and all are reliable sounding boards for community concerns.

The candidates I am not voting for, Douglass Stevens and Stewart Whitaker, are both newcomers, taking their first steps in the community leadership arena. While accomplished in their careers, neither was an active participant in the civic life of Falls Church before deciding to run for office. While I appreciate their willingness to throw their hats into the ring, I am not ready to vote for either of them because they don’t have a track record of leadership or decision-making in the City of Falls Church. There are lots of ways to participate in the City and build some experience - serving on City Boards & Commissions, School Board Advisory Committees, PTAs, Little League, Scouting. This kind of involvement and demonstrated commitment is, to me, a necessary step before earning my vote to one of our two governing bodies.

To recap - I’m voting for Susan Dimock, Laura Downs, Phil Reitinger for School Board and Phil Duncan, Letty Hardi, David Tarter for City Council.

And Nats Forever!