Jun 19, 2023 | Campaign News, Endorsements, Featured2
We’d like to report more endorsements from local leaders in support of Susan for Arlington. These include “1st choice” endorsements from Libby Garvey, vice-chair of the Arlington County Board; Nancy Iocomini, past chair of the Arlington County Planning Commission; Reid Goldstein, chair of the Arlington County School Board; Dr. Barbara Kanninen, past Arlington County School Board member; Chanda Choun, former board candidate; and Andrew Schneider, former director of Arlington Thrive.
Now it’s time to go vote! See you at the polls tomorrow.
Jun 16, 2023 | Campaign News, Featured2
Susan Cunningham is seeking your #1 vote in the June 20th primary! If you’re still doing your research, here’s a news archive of all the campaign coverage.
News Coverage Archive:
- Arlington Connection Interview 5/24
READ MORE
- Gazette Leader, May 24 Editorial: Parsing the Arlington County Board Race So Far
READ MORE
Jun 15, 2023 | Campaign News, Featured2
Susan Cunningham, and two other candidates running for the Democratic nomination for two seats on the Arlington County Board, explained to 7News where they stand on some of the county’s biggest issues. This includes the recently passed “Missing Middle” zoning changes. Watch more here.
May 24, 2023 | Campaign News, Featured2
Susan Cunningham is a small business owner and currently, interim director of Thrive. Trained as an engineer, she has served in a number of executive roles including the U.S. Treasury Department and interim CEO for affordability provider AHC. Arlington Connection sat down with Cunningham about her candidacy for the county board. Here’s the interview:
Q: If you can pick just one, what is the single thing that prompted you to run for County Board?
A: The Missing Middle process and dialogue around it. It is a complicated issue, and the community dialogue was not as deep or nuanced as it needed to be. It was really about leadership and how the community was engaged. I have spent my time putting people together. We need depth of experience.
Q: What is your position on lot coverage?
A: When the missing middle debate was taking place I went to the County Board about adjusting lot coverage at the same time they were making the rezoning decision. You don’t hang something new on something broken. Many don’t oppose new units; they just oppose additional coverage. The board said, “I hear you but not now.”
Q: What is one County Board decision you would not have voted for in the last few years?
A: Definitely missing middle in its current form. I would not have done a full upscale rezoning with 4 and 6 units allowed everywhere.
Q: How would you define the Arlington Way and do you think it remains a strong element in the county?
A: The ideal of the Arlington Way is stating the problem you are trying to solve, seeking every input before trying to solve it. The recent missing middle process didn’t really clearly state the problem so it was difficult to get a good solution.
Q: Rising crime in Arlington: what is the one thing you would do to assure residents Arlington remains a safe place to live and work?
A: I think sharing the data about what crimes are happening where and how it has changed. Facts speaker louder. Also for the police to be more visible in the community which is difficult because they are way understaffed. They are just delivering basic services. I rode along with a police officer on a Saturday night, and there was no downtime.
Q: Would you like to see the county be more willing to invest in rescue of historic homes than they have recently with the Fellows, Broyhill, and Rouse mansions?
A: Yes, it is environmentally better to reuse a structure than tear down and start over.
Q: How familiar are you with the stormwater management issues in the County?
A: I am very familiar. I am an engineer. Stormwater management ties everything together. Arlington is pretty far behind. Storms are more intense and development has happened very rapidly.
Q: What are some areas where Arlington can cut costs?
A: I think overall you can get more savings by moving quickly to correct a problem when you get something wrong. Engagement processes currently go a long time.
Q: What is the single best thing about Arlington that attracts people to live here?
A: Really it is the package—strong schools, businesses, proximity to the nation’s capital, urban and space parks. This is especially important with more people living in multi-units.
Q: No matter what the outcome, what will you take away from running for Board?
A: I love the opportunity to meet so many different people in all parts of the county and learn more deeply about issues I know about.
Q: What is the one question I didn’t ask that you wished I had?
A: I am the candidate who has the most experience running large organizations. I have led Arlington through challenging times when people were mad, things were not going well and they needed a reasonable voice. The board will be losing a lot of service and expertise, and it’s important to have grounding and balance.
You can also read the interview from May 24, 2023, online here.
Mar 18, 2023 | Campaign News, Featured2, Press Releases
On March 18th, I joined with other community members in giving testimony about the “Missing Middle” ordinance changes. I wanted to share my public testimony with you on how I would approach housing issues. Arlington needs to slow down and get housing right.
You can watch my public comments here and read them below.
Public Testimony on Item 33, “Missing Middle” proposal, Arlington County Board Meeting, 3/18/2023
“I am Susan Cunningham, a 25-year resident and candidate for County Board.
Thank you Board, staff and all of our neighbors who are in this room or online today. Please connect and listen to each other, and the many more neighbors who are juggling kids, aging parents, multiple jobs this morning. I just left an eviction prevention fair, where our faith community, lower income residents, landlord, safety net, and county are rolling up their sleeves, bringing resources together, and solving problems. That is the collaboration and problem solving we can do as a community and I hope we will slow down and take that same spirit to working together to get housing right.
Missing Middle is a mess.
The goals have been unclear and shifting. Our community is Confused. Divided. Mad. Sad. Exhausted. Maybe you all are too.
First, we need to slow down and create a common sense housing plan that builds on decades of successful smart growth. We do not need a one-step, one-size-fits-all zoning change. We DO need a comprehensive approach that adds in long-overdue updates to lot coverage and tree ordinances, property tax relief for aging in place, pilots around home ownership and preservation (esp. in our historically African American communities), and investments in truly affordable homes. All of this before encouraging new unchecked by-right development.
Second, respect and collaboration are mandatory. Democracy has had some tough knocks these last few years. We can get it right here in Arlington, but we need to slow down. We need our whole community working together, using transparency, thoughtful engagement, and real collaboration to get the problems on the table and work together to solve them. At the same time, we can’t let housing distract us from other critical needs: stabilizing our youth, balancing a challenging budget, and preventing evictions. We can get housing right, but a one-step, one-size-fits all zoning change will do more harm than good.
Thank you.”
More news coverage of the “Missing Middle” housing issue facing Arlington:
Full meeting video, Arlington County Board — March 18, 2023
“Arlington County Board expected to vote this evening on Missing Middle,” ARLnow — March 22, 2023
Mar 2, 2023 | Campaign News, Featured2
“And then there were six in Arlington board race”
From GazetteLeader.com — March 2, 2023
The March 1 Arlington County Democratic Committee meeting brought a sixth candidate for County Board into the mix.
Susan Cunningham launched her bid for the Democratic nomination, saying she would provide common-sense leadership. She also attacked the county government’s Missing Middle housing proposal as ill-conceived and not fleshed out.
Cunningham in 2020 ran as what she described as a “progressive independent” in the special election called to fill the County Board seat left open by Erik Gutshall. Democrat Takis Karantonis won the race.
Cunningham joins J.D. Spain Sr., Natalie Roy, Tony Weaver, Maureen Coffey and Jonathan Dromgoole in seeking the two open County Board seat. Democrats will make their selection in a June 20 primary.
Also at the March 1 event, Del. Alfonso Lopez and state Sen. Adam Ebbin formally launched re-election bids. Each currently is unopposed.
“New County Board Candidate,” Morning Notes, Arlnow.com — March 2, 2023