To the Editor:
As the date for the June 9 Democratic mayoralty primary draws nearer, voters will have an opportunity to decide what kind of Alexandria we want to live in. Do we want a city where our unique historic heritage will be respected and preserved? Where the integrity of neighborhoods and quality of life is nurtured and advanced? Or a place where the developers have the last word about what gets built and where?
Certainly developers are investing in their own future by giving funds to the campaigns of Mayor Bill Euille and former Mayor Kerry Donley.
The third candidate, Vice Mayor Allison Silberberg, by contrast, has received little if anything from the developers. Why? She has demonstrated repeatedly that she is not against new development in Alexandria. But she has said development must be in keeping with the historic character of the city and fit with our residential neighborhoods. Some developers do not like the sound of that. They want a free rein and are spending money to ensure it.
Developers have benefited in Alexandria since Donley and Euille have been in office but most of us have not benefited. Nor has it kept us from increasingly higher property taxes and burgeoning city debt. Alexandria has been on the wrong track with the wrong engineers. The choice is clear. My vote on June 9 will go to Allison Silberberg.
Jack Sullivan
Alexandria