Do You Want a Rubber Stamp or a Community Leader for Arlington County Board?


Arlington County Chamber of Commerce Candidate Forum: Closing Remarks, 5/12/20

The issue in this year’s County Board race is clear. Do you want an engaged community leader or a rubber stamp? I am the former, and my opponent is the latter.

For eight full years Libby Garvey has uncritically endorsed every tax payer rip off since the Pike trolley, including the Lubber Run Community Center and Long Bridge Park Aquatic Center. These boondoggles are so overbuilt they are already too expensive to operate. Libby has also rubber stamped every major site plan development project to come down the proverbial pike without regard to their impacts on traffic, schools, parks, public safety, runoff or pollution.

Lately my opponent has elevated her usual do nothing stance to a virtue by suspending her campaign to devote herself to the Covid crisis. Yet in all recent County Board Covid town halls, Libby has insisted that she can do little to regulate local businesses during the crisis, even though Title 44 of VA code provides localities with explicit authority to do just that.

Chairman Garvey’s abdication of her responsibilities has reached a critical stage now that that the Governor has announced a gradual reopening of the state, risking all the progress we’ve made in flattening the curve.

As an Independent candidate for Arlington County Board, I won’t claim credit for rubber-stamping done deals. I won’t beg off exercising County Board’s duly delegated emergency oversight authority.

You can help me help you flatten the Covid curve by:

  • Visiting my website at www.AudreyClement.com
  • Spreading the word about my candidacy
  • Volunteering or donating to my campaign and
  • Voting for me on November 3.

Let’s join together to make Arlington a Covid free place to live and work.