Nader Baroukh
Office Sought: Falls Church City Council
Age: 37
Residence: Winter Hill/Cherry Hill.
Education: JD, University of Virginia School of Law; BA, psychology and legal studies, Chapman University.
Occupation: Senior attorney with management responsibilities, Department of Homeland Security.
Web site:http://www.friendsofnaderbaroukh.com
E-mail address: friendsofnaderbaroukh@yahoo.com
Offices and positions held: Member, Winter Hill Community Association board of directors; Major Design Team for the City Center project; Village Preservation and Improvement Society; League of Women Voters.
What is the most urgent problem facing your jurisdiction?
It is critical that commercially zoned land be used predominately for commercial purposes. The target for a healthy city tax base is 50-percent commercial/50-percent residential. Despite mammoth new developer-friendly projects that threaten our neighborhoods and add significant new public-service costs, commercial properties only make up approximately 25 percent of the city's total tax assessments. We must follow a development strategy that retains a sense of proportion and is economically sustainable. Rather than responding to what developers bring to the table, we must pursue developments that preserve the city's many unique qualities, which set it apart from surrounding jurisdictions.
Why should voters elect you?
I am an independent thinker and a team player. I will bring a needed alternative voice to city council to address the challenges we face.
What steps, if any, should your county take to mitigate the affects of a slowing economy?
Our City must look for ways to cut government expenses where possible and expand the City’s tax base by promoting commercial development. We cannot continue to convert our commercial zones into predominately residential projects.
In March, the Virginia Supreme Court ruled the transportation package passed by lawmakers last year unconstitutional, endangering major projects across the region. What steps, if any, should the county, region and state take to address funding issues for transportation projects?
The State has a responsibility to fund transportation projects in Northern Virginia. It has not done so. At the local level, we must do our share by promoting redevelopments that create a more walkable environment.
-- The Washington Post | Submit a correction request.
