FAIRFAX CITY, VA — Voters had an opportunity Wednesday night to talk one-on-one with all of the candidates who are on the Nov. 5 ballot in the City of Fairfax.
The League of Women Voters of the Fairfax Area and the Central Fairfax Chamber of Commerce co-sponsored Wednesday’s meet-and-greet at the Sherwood Community Center in Fairfax City. Voters had a chance to speak with candidates running in the mayor, city council and school board races.
Patch is publishing a new story each day featuring remarks made by one of the candidates who spoke at the Sept. 25 meet and greet.
Find out what's happening in Fairfax Citywith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Related: Early Voting Begins For 2024 Election: What’s On Fairfax City Ballots
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Candidates running in the mayor’s race were first to speak Wednesday night, starting with incumbent Mayor Catherine Read. Below are challenger Susan Hartley Kuiler’s remarks.
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Mayoral Candidate Susan Hartley Kuiler
“I’m running for mayor as an independent candidate, and it is because, as residents have told me, we need a mayor who will listen to your concerns, who has experience building collaborative teams and who will work with the City Council and staff to find practical, nonpartisan solutions to keep our city safe, viable and affordable for all of us.
“As mayor, I will draw on my professional leadership experience. I have a varied background in business. Early in my career, I managed a store that went from losing money for the preceding seven years to turning profit, and did it during an economic downturn. I did this by building the team. I drew on each member’s skills and ideas, and together we achieved our goals. I’ve learned first hand the power behind a highly collaborative team.
“For the next 40 years. I work in the public and private sectors and software development, program management and capital planning. I am most proud of the disaster response and recovery system we built for FEMA. Through collaboration, we reached consensus on what to do, and I led the execution of this solution.
“As mayor, I will apply the same dedication and team-based collaborative approach to addressing the city’s problems. As mayor, I will ask you how we can make the City of Fairfax better for all of us. Residents not only deserve to be heard, but also have a lot to contribute. As mayor, I will actively seek out neighborhood and community input and city staff ideas with the goal of making sure that our government is responsive to the issues of importance of the community.
“To summarize, I intend to be a candidate for mayor who cares deeply about keeping local elections free from political party influence. I will strive to gain and maintain the trust and support of all city residents, not just a small local political party committee. Most importantly, you’ll never hear me say, ‘I don’t have to listen to you because I am now elected.’ I ask for your support on or before Nov. 5.”
(The above text is taken from a transcript of Kuiler’s remarks at the Sept. 25 candidate meet-and -greet event.)
Check back on Monday when Patch begins publishing remarks made by one of the 11 people running for the six open seats on the city council.
Early voting began at the Fairfax City Hall polls on Friday, Sept. 20 and will continue through Saturday, Nov. 2. Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. There will also be two Saturdays (Oct. 29 and Nov. 2) when voters can cast in-person ballots.
Patch has gathered all the information Fairfax City voters need to know about the Nov. 5 election in one place.
Additional information about the Nov. 5 general election can be found online at League of Women Voters of the Fairfax Area.The 2024 LWVFA Candidate Forum features the four candidates running in the 10th and 11th congressional races at 8 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 30. Watch the forum live on Fairfax Public Access, Channel 10 TV and/or live-streamed on YouTube.
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