Our next Town election is Nov. 6 and now is good time to recall some of the accomplishments of Mayor Lisa Merkel and her colleagues on Town Council, as well as those of our very professional Town staff.
Under Mayor Merkel’s leadership Town taxes have stayed steady and services have increased, even through the turbulent recession. With responsible fiscal planning and with the active pursuit of grants, the Town has been able complete many downtown infrastructure improvements, including new wider brick sidewalks, intersection improvements, pedestrian crossings, landscaping, and undergrounding of utilities. The construction of Herndon’s Metrorail station is well on its way, as well as the downtown redevelopment plan that will include a new Arts Center.
Technology, transparency and communication has improved with on-line webcasts, enabling residents to watch town meetings and have access to meeting materials; online bill pay; and the mobile app "Herndon ON the GO," making it easy to contact our Town officials.
Our playgrounds have new equipment, the Community Center has a new synthetic turf field, the W&OD trail has new lighting, we have a new Fire Station, and our Town square has outdoor tables with umbrellas.
A significant number of new businesses have been attracted to our Town and Herndon property values are up. The first sustainability plan has been recently implemented. Herndon is a success story and is a diverse community that is welcoming to all.
This does not all happen in a vacuum. It takes vision, leadership and a good team to work with.
Barbara Glakas
Herndon