The McLean Citizens Association has been the informal town council of McLean since 1914. The MCA Board, a group of 40 citizens representing a cross-section of the McLean community, assists local elected officials by searching for creative solutions to problems confronting our community. This work is divided between five committees in which any MCA member may participate:
*EDUCATION AND YOUTH Unhappy with your child's school curriculum? Alarmed about teen substance abuse? This committee confers with school administrators and local experts on these and countless other issues affecting our young people. Once a year committee members share community concerns about our schools with the Dranesville School Board representative, currently Jane Strauss. The school budget is examined in detail annually and recommendation for changes in school spending are made.
*PLANNING AND ZONING is the committee to call when you learn the vacant lot next door is about to be rezoned to accommodate 20 townhouses. Planning and Zoning will guide you and your neighbors through the technical process of negotiating with the developer and presenting your case before the Planning Commissioner.
*ENVIRONMENT, PARKS AND RECREATION strives to keep our streams clean, our night sky visible and our parks accessible to all citizens for all kinds of recreational activities. If you have any ideas for improving our parks or reducing pollution of any kind (water, air, light, noise), please contact this committee.
*BUDGET AND TAXATION Why do your property taxes keep going up and up? Is there any solution? This committee looks for answers to these questions each year when they go over the proposed county budget with a fine toothed comb. Their analysis and budget recommendations have been lauded by The Washington Post.
*TRANSPORTATION Metrorail is coming to Tysons Corner! Preliminary engineering studies are already underway. The Transportation Committee has been hard at work finding ways to make this Metro extension more user friendly and less disruptive to McLean citizens living near the proposed route. Any transportation issue which impacts our community is appropriate subject matter for this committee.
To insure that your voice is heard by local government, please join the MCA. Membership dues of $15 annually are our only source of funding. Participation in a committee is optional although we welcome new members to all our committees. An application for membership can be downloaded from our web site at www.mcleancitizens.org. For more information, refer to our web page or contact Susan Turner at 703-356-9657 or at susan@mapwizards.com.