Gerald E. Connolly* (D)

Office Sought: Supervisor's Chairman
Age: 58
Residence: Mantua.
Education: BA, literature, Maryknoll College; MA, public administration, Harvard University.
Occupation: Chairman, Fairfax County Board of Supervisors; vice president of community relations, SAIC.
Web site:http://www.gerryconnolly.com
E-mail address: info@gerryconnolly.com
Offices and positions held: Chairman, Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, 2003-present; Providence supervisor, Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, 1995-2003; chairman, Northern Virginia Regional Commission; past chairman, Northern Virginia Transportation Commission; member, board of the Washington Metropolitan Council of Governments; board member, Virginia Association of Counties; past president, Fairfax Federation of Citizens Associations.

Elected offices/civic activities:

Chairman, Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, 2003-present;
Providence supervisor, Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, 1995-2003; chairman, Northern Virginia Regional Commission; past chairman, Northern Virginia Transportation Commission; member, board of the Washington Metropolitan Council of Governments; board member, Virginia Association of Counties; past president, Fairfax Federation of Citizens Associations.

Why should voters elect you?

"I've laid out an aggressive six-point agenda on gangs, housing, education, the environment, transportation and tax reduction. I've delivered on each point."

What do you think is the most urgent problem facing your jurisdiction?

"Traffic congestion. We are making serious progress by creating transportation choices and concentrating new development near transit stations. My four-year transportation plan is designed to do that. Under my leadership, we passed a transportation bond that led to $165 million to complete projects. Fifty-seven projects have been completed, and more are underway. We've made progress convincing people to telecommute and with pedestrian and bike connections. We've increased our role in funding transportation because Richmond is not doing its job. We must convince the General Assembly to pay its fair share of transportation costs."

What is your plan to address the traffic problems in Virginia?

Since traffic is addressed above, I'll mention another issue that's important to our community -- the environment. When I became Chairman, I developed a comprehensive 20-year environmental plan to address a host of important issues, including land use, air quality, water quality, solid waste, parks and trails, and environmental stewardship. We've made a lot of progress on that plan and I want to build on that progress. Recently, I joined with the Sierra Club to launch the Cool Counties initiative, a national program to encourage localities to reduce carbon emissions. I'm asking all 3,066 counties in the nation to sign on and many already have. I'm proud that Fairfax is now a leader in the fight against global warming.

Do you think current policies governing growth & development in your area are too restrictive, not restrictive enough or just right?

decline to answer

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