4 Vie for 3 Council Seats in Leesburg

Transportation, Taxes Key Issues

By Arianne Aryanpur (Contact)

Thursday, May 1, 2008

• Editor's note: This story is part of the 2008 Voters Guide.

Transportation, taxes and the revitalization of historic downtown are the major issues in Tuesday's Leesburg town election. Four candidates are vying for three seats on the Town Council, and Mayor Kristen C. Umstattd is running unopposed for a fourth term.

Only one council member, Kathryn Sheldon Hammler, is seeking reelection. Kelly Burk left the council after she won a seat on the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors, and Vice Mayor Susan B. Horne decided not to seek a second term.

The other candidates are David S. Butler, Thomas S. "Tom" Dunn II and Frank H. Holtz.

Hammler, 42, said she will continue to push to keep property taxes low while supporting economic development initiatives. A marketing professional for VeriSign, she said her experience making business connections has helped the town, which has struggled in recent years to attract and retain downtown businesses.

"As a council member, I will continue to be actively engaged to foster partnerships that will yield dividends," Hammler said in her campaign kickoff speech.

Dunn, 46, a mortgage company owner and member of the town's planning commission, said Leesburg needs to overhaul its system for approving business applications. He cited a case in which a Pennsylvania-based furniture company, saying that Leesburg's land-use review process was too lengthy, withdrew its application to build a showroom on Fort Evans Road.

"The mind-set should be that we will make whatever the process is as smooth and constructive for our customers, our applicants and our citizens as possible," Dunn said.

Other important issues to tackle are improving traffic and making sure that tax dollars are spent responsibly, he said.

Butler, who ran unsuccessfully for the council in 2006, also named transportation improvements as one of his priorities. He said he will lobby Richmond for state funds to complete Battlefield Parkway, a U-shaped road designed in 1986 as an alternative to Route 15, and other critical road projects.

"Otherwise, they just aren't going to happen," said Butler, 50, a chief security officer for an extended warranty company.

In 2006, Butler chaired a town committee that studied ways to connect Leesburg's southern bike paths to the Washington and Old Dominion trail. He said he would work to expand the town's trail network as one way to alleviate traffic.

Holtz, a supervisor for the U.S. Capitol Police, said Leesburg's quality of life has eroded as the town has grown. He advocates enrolling town police officers in federal immigration law training offered by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement as one strategy to address crime.

"No one else is talking about public safety," said Holtz, 48, who lost a council bid in 2006. He agreed with the other candidates that taxes and the town's ability to attract businesses also are critical issues.

"We need to become more business friendly," he said.

Your Thoughts...

With the current state of the economy, how have your finances changed when compared to last year?