I've had the honor of serving on City Council since 2014, and its time for a re-election campaign. Those 4 years since my first campaign have gone quickly, haven't they?

In those four years my two sons graduated from George Mason High School and went off to college. My daughter (and her brothers) are all taller than me, and our dog still barks madly at anyone he perceives might injure his people.

For the past four years I've been part of a City Council that wants to get things done. As a group we all have different strengths, and some strong opinions. Despite differences, we've managed to work together to pass some important legislation. We have had two successful referendum votes - for addition/renovation at Mt. Daniel Elementary School (2015) and Mary Riley Styles Public Library (2016).

The sidewalks and bike lanes of Falls Church are bustling with people, out and about, enjoying the parks, businesses and gathering places. There's a liveliness and vitality that just keeps growing.

Dozens of small businesses opened, and I've been to more ribbon cuttings than I can count - Lucky Thai, Jumping Joey's, OneFit, Rare Bird Coffee, Falls Church Distillers, The Local Market, Hot & Juicy, Botanologica, Super Cuts, Happy Tart, Kids First Swim School, Breakout Games, with many more to come.

City Council approved The Kensington Senior Living in 2014. It opened in 2017, and is providing care for the elderly on the upper floors. On street level, the sidewalk is wide and welcoming. Falls Church Arts gallery (and soon to be Cafe) are exciting gathering places. The 301 W. Broad St. building opened with a flagship Harris Teeter last summer, and the Lincoln at Tinner Hill will open a Target Express next spring.

We supplemented tax abatement and deferral programs for elderly and disabled citizens. These programs have helped dozens of individuals stay in their homes, and merit further review to see if they can be expanded.

There are a few new bike lanes, and traffic calming on busy streets, and we expect that there will be more soon.

New park benches, bus shelters and bike racks are popping up all over town. Our parks are looking spiffy, and our sidewalks are improving (in some places).

And after four years of study, starts and stops, lots of information-gathering in cooperation with the School Board, the City Council approved a referendum for a new George Mason High School. It will be on the ballot for your input in November. This has been an arduous and thorough process because it is a multi-faceted, complex project. When the land transfer was approved by voter referendum in 2013, there was a broad vision for how the City would be able to finance and build a new high school. Now are close to becoming a reality. I hope every voter will take some time to learn about what a "yes" vote or a "no" vote will mean.

There are so many issues facing the City and I hope that my record over the past four years shows that I'm worthy of your vote. There's a lot of work to do to keep Falls Church City on the right track, and I'm ready to keep at it.