Press Release 5/5/2024: “Candidate Scorecard” Proves Incumbent System Lack Of Accountability
Communities for Accountable City Council (CACC)
Returning District/Ward Elections to the City of Alexandria
FOR RELEASE: May 5, 2024
Contact: info@accountableALX.org
“Candidate Scorecard” Proves Incumbent System Lack Of Accountability
Every Incumbent Candidate Fails To Respond To Community Survey, Challengers Express New Thinking
CITY OF ALEXANDRIA, VA - Candidates’ responses to the Communities for Accountable City Council (CACC) Candidate Survey - Candidate Scorecard - were released this morning at the CACC website www.AccountableALX.org.
No incumbent responded to the community survey regarding the most basic civil right: Representation.
“The incumbents have inadvertently condemned Alexandria’s at-large election scheme by ignoring this community candidate survey. It’s amazing that they have dared to prove our point. That’s how bad it is.” observed CACC leader, Tom Kopko.
No response means no accountability. No response means communities with opposing voices are dismissed. “It’s a pocket veto of community voices disliked by incumbents. Is this what citizens of Alexandria deserve from their elected officials, to be ignored yet again about yet another crucial issue? The at-large election system directly enables this callous behavior.” Kopko said.
“Instead,” he compared, “imagine citizens having a normal, district-based election where one specific candidate answered to their specific concerns. That’s how we do it at every other level from the Federal House of Representative and Virginia House of Delegates to the Virginia Senate, even, which has specific districts.” The US Constitution wisely requires election districts for federal elections but Alexandria rejected that notion 74 years ago.
Candidates vociferously argued for District/Ward elections during the debate hosted by the Alexandria Federation of Civic Associations (AFCA) on April 24. Charlotte Scherer, Jonathan Huskey, and Celianna Gunderson have stated their belief in District/Ward elections for Alexandria. Jimmy Lewis stated he is open to the idea. Detailed results about all candidates are online.
”Some folks said that ‘the unspoken mafia’ would force every candidate to toe the line of keeping the discredited at-large system. Well, the ice has been broken…wide open. ” Kopko observed.
Some candidates, as many of the public, are curious about where District/Ward lines would be drawn and if they would be fair to the many different communities in the City. Implicit is the acknowledgement that one single district for the whole city is the ultimate unfair drawing of district lines, because it drowns every community.
Candidates can still respond or modify their responses to CACC. CACC is accepting candidate commentary in addition to Yes/No answers on the Candidate Survey questions.
CACC believes the return to District/Ward elections is a moral, civil-rights imperative. Every Alexandria neighborhood and community of interest deserves to have a definitive answer to the question, who is YOUR representative on City Council?
Visit AccountableALX.org to review the Candidate Survey, Candidate Scorecard, and information on joining the Community movement for an accountable City Council of Alexandria.
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Communities for Accountable City Council (CACC) is a non-partisan grassroots organization of Alexandria, Virginia residents who fundamentally believe in City of Alexandria government accountability. The CACC does not seek to endorse any Alexandria City Council or Mayoral candidate. For more information, visit AccountableALX.org.