Last week, we invited the candidates running in the June 18 Democratic primary to write a post about why Arlington residents should vote for them. Find information on how and where to vote here.
Below is the unedited response from Natalie Roy, candidate for Arlington County Board.
If you want more transparency and responsiveness in the Arlington County Board, then I’m your #1 candidate. As the non-establishment candidate, I am not shy about asking tough questions and challenging the status quo – all in the quest for a better Arlington for renters and homeowners, newcomers and long-timers, children to seniors. I have a 33-year record of service to Arlington, I know the county well, I have decades of community and professional leadership experience, and I tell it like it is. Most importantly, I am committed to common sense leadership.
Just in the last year, I have taken a stand – and action (!) – on the following important County issues, including:
• Reaching out early to the family at 1802 Columbia Pike to help in successfully stopping the County from using eminent domain to take their home. This is a home that has been in their family since 1900 in one of Arlington’s historically-Black neighborhoods;
• Being the first and only candidate to highlight missed opportunities at the condemned Key Bridge Marriott site. After sitting on the decision for more than a year, the County finally declared the property, which sits on a premium spot, a public nuisance, and is now scrambling to find a suitable solution for the blighted hotel site;
• Testifying and submitting written statements to the County Board and the Planning Commission when projects need support (such as the great affordable housing development coming on the Goodwill site on Glebe) – and on matters where more scrutiny is in order (such as the sky-high County budget, Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) challenges, EHO that has divided the community, and the special General Land Use Plans (GLUP) in much need of review); and
• Producing a periodic newsletter, entitled EHO Watch (Expanded Housing Options Watch), on the County’s developer-driven densification program with insufficient planning for the range of services to support the density. EHO is one of the most sweeping zoning changes many of us will ever experience in Arlington. Because of the woeful lack of county regular updates on the subject, EHO Watch has provided an important public service to hundreds of readers.
I’m about actions, not words. This sample of actions above are an indication of the type of County Board member I intend to be – hands-on, approachable, and results-driven.
I am not a politician and got out of my comfort zone last year to run for public office. A cross-section of residents encouraged me to run because I opposed the County’s developer-driven zoning changes, previously known as Missing Middle and now rebranded as EHO because they will not achieve housing affordability or promote diversity in our neighborhoods. Other possible, better solutions were never meaningfully explored. Far from the isolated issue some claim it to be, Arlington’s up-zoning-everywhere approach is again a central issue this election. These density dynamics will affect our county’s economy, our environment, and tree canopy, infrastructure, transit, schools, and emergency response for decades into the future.
This watershed election is a vote on who has the best vision for Arlington – for the full range of constituents, including YOU! In me you will find the requisite experience, high creativity, strong leadership skills, and deep community roots to hit the ground running on day one. I have no political aspirations other than to serve on the County Board, and provide strong unifying leadership and transparency, both of which are critically needed right now. I would be honored with your #1 vote!
