To the Editor:
On Nov. 3, the voters will elect the next Sully District supervisor. I write to endorse Kathy Smith, and ask you to support her.
One issue alone should be dispositive: Sully District needs another full-time supervisor. Kathy Smith has pledged to work full-time on our behalf, if elected. She will maintain office hours of at least 40 hours per week, and make herself available for evening and weekend constituent matters. Her tea party opponent instead has announced his intention to retain his full-time outside job, if elected, and work around his schedule conflicts. But the responsibilities and challenges of the position, and its $95,000 annual salary, demand a full time elected official. The job of Sully District supervisor is not a part time hobby, to be juggled with or subordinate to outside employment.
Michael Frey, for the past 24 years, served full-time as Sully District supervisor, recognizing the time commitment needed to represent the community. Our next supervisor must interact effectively and efficiently with county staff and other government officials during regular business hours, and must be on the job, full-time. The Sully District supervisor must devote the full-time hours needed to understand our complex issues of budgeting, land use applications, transportation improvements, education funding, environmental concerns, public response to emergencies, and many other priorities on the Board of Supervisors' agenda. Our district supervisor also needs to meet first hand with constituents, and spend time in the community, consistently working on local issues, often on short notice.
Kathy Smith has already proven herself as a dedicated and responsible public official. She is highly qualified, having served the past 14 years as the Sully District member on the Fairfax County School Board, including three years as School Board chairman. She is a long-time resident, already well acquainted with the challenges facing Fairfax County. She is committed to devoting herself full-time to meeting the needs of Sully District residents. Kathy Smith deserves your vote for supervisor.
Jim Hart
Centreville