To the Editor:
Over the past few days in our local news, I have read various opinions over an important topic facing our city: Can our city do better?
I want to unequivocally state that I know we can do better. That is why I am running for Alexandria City Council.
I have enjoyed this recent discussion because quite frankly, vigorous debate is missing from the halls of City Council. When one party controls all the seats on the council, it is far too easy to fall into “group think." Democracy functions best when ideas are thoroughly debated and vetted. When all viewpoints are heard, compromise can lead to great solutions. I call for more rigorous debate when we contemplate the future of our city.
Alexandria is truly a fantastic place to live. Great people are the key ingredient to a great standard of living that includes great city services. Unfortunately, our city services are not free and far too much
of the burden for paying for those services falls on our middle class homeowners. It is my belief that we need to do more to implement smart strategies to limit our city expenses and create a friendly business
environment to attract more businesses that increase revenue.
This election cycle I challenge you to hold candidates accountable for putting forth concrete solutions to important problems. Over the next few months, you can find my ideas to some of these issues on my website (http://www.moniquemiles.com/). I look forward to the debate and discussion.
Monique Miles
Candidate for Alexandria City Council