I'm running for the Herndon Town Council to bring . Learn more by visiting www.clark
This budget fully funds our capital projects, gives significant wage adjustments to our staff, improves our existing services, gives our police the resources they need, and delivers tax relief to our residents.
I was proud to join with you in advocating for these priorities.
Herndon, thank you for entrusting me with a seat on the Town Council. I am honored to be following in the footsteps of other committed public servants who have also received the highest number of votes from you in the past. Among them, Vice Mayor Cesar Del Aguila and former Vice Mayors Sheila Olem, Jennifer Baker, Connie Hutchinson, and Lisa Merkel.
I will work every day to keep the promise I made to you—to elevate the needs of Herndon residents above anything else. I look forward to being your advocate on the Council. Let's bring .
Mayor Sheila Olem defeated two challengers in her re-election bid and a Herndon Town Council candidate turned down the option for a recount.
Made it to voting day 🇺🇸 Polls are open till 7pm. Hope to see you here and remember to vote Herndon!
VOTE HERNDON
Hi neighbor 👋
During this campaign, I’ve knocked on over 1200 doors talking to Herndon residents. You’ve inspired my best hopes that we can bring to make our wonderful town even better. Thank you for the confidence you’ve given me throughout this campaign. If you haven’t voted yet, I look forward to seeing you at the polls tomorrow—Tuesday, November 8. Polls are open 6AM-7PM.
Best,
Clark
🔸 Defending Herndon’s Non-Partisan Elections 🔸
I have neither sought nor received the endorsement of any political party. This election is for non-partisan seats and it should stay that way.
A sample ballot with the appearance of a Democrat Party endorsement is circulating with my name on it. It is not an official Democrat Party sample ballot. I did not request or authorize the endorsement or the appearance of an endorsement. If I had been asked, I would not have authorized such an endorsement.
It is important to me that the Herndon Town Council prioritize local issues above partisan politics. I have asked that either the sample ballot be redesigned to not give the appearance of a political party endorsement or, alternatively, to have my name removed from the sample ballot.
Thank you, Herndon voters, for your continued support of me and my campaign to bring .
🔶 V O T E ! 🔶
Early voting opened up at the Herndon Fortnightly Library today. Early in-person voting at the library is available now through November 5th during the following days and times:
• Weekdays, 1-7PM
• Saturdays, 9AM-5PM
• Sunday (10/30 only), 1-5PM
…
C. helped me vote today and was an enthusiastic fan of the process 🇺🇸
Keven LeBlanc Here for Herndon what do you think? Did she represent with the right colors?
🔶 HERNDON TOGETHER 🔶
You will see on all my signs and literature the phrase "Herndon Together." This is the central value of my campaign and it will guide my agenda if elected to the Council. Unless you live under a rock, you know how polarized it seems almost everything in the world is. However, as I knock on doors and speak with neighbors in every corner of Town, I've found that we agree on 99% of the issues the Town Council is tasked to address. We all want walkable communities, responsive, transparent government, responsible budgets, well-paved (and quickly cleared) roads, a compassionate, competent police force, et cetera. The only differences we have are how to prioritize those needs.
Frankly, the Council could devote all of its time to those needs and still have work to do. So instead of spending Council time on divisive, partisan issues, the Council should be listening more and focusing on the needs of the community; the Council needs to improve the way it invites input from the community in order to hear from a greater number and diversity of perspectives. Let's bring "Herndon Together" to do that. If elected, I would vote against any provision or motion that would elevate divisive, partisan issues in Town government no matter where the proposal comes from.
What makes me different than other candidates seeking Herndon Town Council?
1) I am one of two candidates for Council who has young children at home. My vision for Herndon is on a 50-60 year horizon, knowing that they will be living in or returning to this community for decades. I want to make sure this can be a home for them and their families for decades after any of us are on the Council.
2) I am an attorney who works frequently with government oversight, compliance, and budgets. There is often a disconnect between policymakers, policy implementers, and constituents. My professional experience is steeped in bridging those disconnects. I believe it is a skill I can apply to the business of the Council as it considers changes to Town policy, to staff as they implement those changes, and to residents.
IMPORTANT: Herndon voters, you received a notice like this in the mail today. The Virginia Department of Elections made an error and it incorrectly labels your precinct location. If you are registered in the Town of Herndon, your voting location is in the Town of Herndon—depending on your address, either at Herndon Elementary School, the Herndon Community Center, or Herndon Middle School. You also have the option to vote early in-person at a number of voting locations across Fairfax County, including at the Herndon Fortnightly Library (from 10/27-11/5 at that location).
To find your precinct location and the hours for early voting and Election Day, you can find a number of voting resources on my website at https://www.clarkhedrick.com/vote
Affordability. It’s the single most pressing issue facing the Town of Herndon right now. Our real property tax bills increased on average about $725 last year. If you are a young family or looking to retire and transition to a semi-fixed income, that kind of tax increase is unsustainable. Herndon residents are struggling to afford living here. We need to prioritize their needs. We need to do everything we can to limit increases to the Town's budget so that we can provide relief to folks who are struggling to stay in Town.
One example of unnecessary budget increases: last year, all six current Town Council members voted to nearly quadruple the Town Council salary. While your tax bills were going up, while the price of groceries and gas were skyrocketing, while most Herndon residents were watching our real wages decline, this Town Council decided it was the right time to increase its own salary by 375%—that increase comes directly from our tax dollars. The first thing I will do if elected is to move that we repeal that increase. The Town Council needs to totally reorient its perspective on taxes and the budget; to understand that every increase places a little more burden on our neighbors who are least able to bear it.
Hey there neighbor 👋 Here’s the first post in a series I’ll be running about me and why I’m running for Herndon Town Council. I’d love to hear from you!
I am running for Town Council because I love the Town of Herndon and I believe I have the skills and experience to improve our Town's government. My wife and I bought our home here in 2016 because we loved Herndon's "small town charm," the historic downtown core, and the vibrant, diverse culture of community. We set down roots and were blessed with 3 children in the first 5 years here. We see that Herndon is at a fork in the road: As the Metro station opens and downtown redevelops, our Town must have a clear vision of who we are—a small town with an historic core. If we value and cultivate those qualities, Herndon will be the best place to live in the area. However, if we lose sight of that vision we will lose what makes us distinct from the rest of western Fairfax. The Town Council is the guardian of that vision.
See comments for more 👇
Clark Hedrick is running for one of the six seats on the Herndon Town Council in the Nov. 8 general election.
Hi Neighbor! It’s been a while since I gave a formal introduction here. My name is Clark Hedrick and I’m running for Herndon Town Council. Our town faces many challenges and one thing is clear, local government has never been more important. That’s why I’m running—to bring as we solve problems as a community.
Over the next couple weeks, I will be posting a series about me, why I’m running for Council, and the local issues I will champion on the Town Council. Stay tuned!
In the meantime, visit my website to learn more: www.ClarkHedrick.com
I'm looking forward to seeing you this Thursday, October 13—let us know if we'll see you there! Porter4Herndon, Keven LeBlanc Here for Herndon, and I each have unique perspectives, but we're all committed to bringing to address the opportunities and challenges we face as a community. Please come "meet and greet" with us as you consider who to support for Town Council this election.
Join us for a casual conversation with Herndon Town Council candidates Clark Hedrick, Keven LeBlanc, and Stevan Porter
Family fun at this morning’s Herndon homecoming parade
Nine years ago, I asked this woman if I could tag along with her for the rest of our lives. When she said "yes," neither of us understood what an adventure it would be. Through all the storms and turns, she's been the most steadfast partner and faithful friend.
These last few months she's worked overtime to support this campaign—doing so much more both inside and out of our home to keep us going. And that's on top of all of her normal, everyday work. She's definitely the family MVP and my personal hero. If you haven't yet, I hope y'all get to meet her soon because she's pretty great.
I am honored and grateful to receive Councilmember Jennifer Baker’s endorsement—her service to the community and on the Council are a great credit to Herndon. Please take a moment to read her thoughts about cultivating a diversity of opinion in our local government.
Let's bring !
The Town of Herndon is guaranteed to have a Council led by Democrats given that 6 of the 8 people running for Council are on the Democratic sample ballot. As a life-long Democrat and current member of the Town Council, you might think I’d be happy with this news. I’m not. A core tenet of democra...
Please message me if you’d like a lawn sign! I will bring it by today.
Herndon has so much potential—an historic downtown, a new metro station, and among the most diverse and closely-knit communities in the region. I'm running for town council to amplify our strengths and to fix what needs fixing.
Clark Hedrick is running to bring a fresh perspective to the Council, bringing during this campaign and through next term.
With less than a month to go before election day, we're working hard to bring . Let's develop Herndon's historic downtown into a best-in-class, small-business oriented destination.
Clark Hedrick is running to bring a fresh perspective to the Council, bringing during this campaign and through next term.
Herndon is changing and the next Council will have to fight to maintain our small-town community as we grow. Read more about my vision for Herndon's future.
Clark Hedrick is running to bring a fresh perspective to the Council, bringing during this campaign and through next term.
We're working hard for Herndon's future. In the last 7 days, this campaign team has hit over 1400 doors. If you haven't seen us yet, we'll see you soon!
Clark Hedrick is running to bring a fresh perspective to the Council, bringing during this campaign and through next term.
We're less than 6-weeks from election day and voting has already started! Let's bring —I'm running to make local issues a priority, not partisan interests.
Clark Hedrick is running to bring a fresh perspective to the Council, bringing during this campaign and through next term.
We have yard signs*! If you want one and you live in the Town of Herndon (or know someone who does), please direct message me and I will make sure you get one.
*child not included 🙃.
I'm running to bring —to put our needs as a community above partisan politics. That's why I've neither sought nor received any support from any political party.
Clark Hedrick is running to bring a fresh perspective to the Council, bringing during this campaign and through next term.
We have less than 7-weeks to go until election day! Learn more about my plan to bring .
Clark Hedrick is running to bring a fresh perspective to the Council, bringing during this campaign and through next term.
Happy first day of school everyone! This is our first, first day of school and it looks very different from what we had imagined. But we couldn't be happier to be spending more time at home with our pre-schooler.
Photo by Allison Kuykendall Photography
I'm running to bring , to build on our strengths and to fix what needs fixing. Learn a little bit more about me and my campaign at www.ClarkHedrick.com
Clark Hedrick is running to bring a fresh perspective to the Council, bringing during this campaign and through next term.
Herndon Learning Together: Public education and library services are important to every Herndon resident, that's why I will work to improve access to and oversight of Herndon's public education and library administrators.
Improving Oversight of Local Public Education. Fairfax County provides public education and library services to Herndon and, as such, the…
Each Tuesday during this campaign I will highlight one of the nine points of my plan to bring .
5. Herndon Saving Together – my approach to the Town budget
Like every other municipality across Virginia, Herndon faces significant financial uncertainty in the wake of the COVID pandemic. The Town has sequestered $11.5 million in its $61 million budget to adapt to this uncertainty. The Council and staff should be applauded not just for acting decisively to revise the fiscal year 2021 budget proposal, but also for the years’-long work to prepare for unforeseen events like this.
I don’t want to cut our budget, but I want to “right size” it as we grow. Herndon is growing, with an incredible number of new housing units already approved to be built. This will expand the Town’s tax base. So we can accomplish this with no cuts to services, no personnel reductions, and no scaling back of currently approved capital projects. If elected, I will require every budget item to prove these qualities:
Efficiency. In good times, public spending is often not carefully vetted for efficiencies. Unfortunately, it is often only after a crisis hits and revenues dry up that government entities find ways to cut costs. Such moments are the worst times to be looking to cut costs. As elected representatives of taxpayers, the Council’s duty is to review every line of a budget proposal with a critical eye, asking whether the same (or better!) service can be provided by another, more efficient method. If elected, I commit to being that “critical eye” over the budget.
Effectiveness. Local governments sometimes authorize programs or events with grand plans for success and, even if met with underwhelming public response, continue to pour time and resources into them. Throwing “good money after bad” is usually the result of failing to implement data gathering and establishing measurable success metrics from the beginning. In some cases, it’s the result of a program or event being a “pet project” of some influential individual or interest. If elected, I commit to establishing measurable metrics of success for all new and existing programs to be authorized (or reauthorized) by the Council.
“I cry when I’m brave.” - R. Hedrick, 3 years old.
Bravery is doing something right even if it’s scary or painful; sometimes it’s good to be reminded that tears are okay.
We’re getting acclimated to an eyepatch, to help R’s eyesight develop. Taking it off is the hardest part.
As discussed, my plan for electoral reform (Herndon Voting Together) includes three central points:
– End Political Party Endorsements. Political endorsements in Herndon elections are contrary to the Town's interest in holding nonpartisan elections. While ending it will likely require more than a legislative change, the Town needs to take an active role to discourage the practice. It will also require working with candidates and the local party committees to agree to this change internally, so that resources gathered and devoted to advance partisan agendas in state and federal politics should not be used to benefit candidates in Herndon's purposefully nonpartisan local elections. Without this change, unaffiliated candidates and their supporters are at a disadvantage; and by extension, many local issues which are not typically partisan will not receive the focus they deserve.
– Move Town Elections to May. A few years back, the Council decided to move Herndon's elections from May (when local elections are traditionally held throughout Virginia) to November in a well-intended effort to increase voter participation. With the benefit of hindsight, we now see that the change diminished the ability of voters, campaigns, and candidates to bring attention to important local issues. Each election season approaches with a flood of campaigning, mail, debates, advertising, etc., on political issues which are important to inform our vote for federal offices. It's absolutely appropriate for voters to be motivated by those concerns, but local issues rarely cut to the surface. The cost of campaigning for a November election is significantly higher and it is incredibly difficult for voters to amplify matters that are essential to Herndon residents. This is a particular burden for those who are trying to raise concerns which may not have been addressed by incumbent elected officials. Moving Town elections to May will create an environment where local issues are central to the campaign and minority interests will be more fully addressed.
– Establish Alternating 4-year Terms for Town Council Members. Good governance requires both that elected officials represent the voters who elected them and second, that they are effective in fulfilling the duties of their office. Having an election every two years gives voters the chance to be heard and it provides elected officials the mandate for making good policy. However two years is barely enough time for part-time legislators, like those who serve on the Town Council, to build experience and expertise to legislate effectively. By reforming town elections so that every two years, half of the Council is elected to four year terms, Herndon would benefit both from the existing representation but also from the ability of Counsel Members to build experience and expertise over a longer term.
Let’s bring .
For this week's policy highlight, I completed my plan for electoral reform (which I started on last week's post). I had it all drafted and ready to go last week, but then lost it all due to an unfortunate technical error—can anyone relate?
I updated last weeks post and I'll also post what I added separately.
Each Tuesday during this campaign I will highlight one of the nine points of my plan to bring .
4. Herndon Voting Together – my plan for electoral reform
Local elections should be local—local candidates campaigning on local issues with local support for the local good. That's why, years ago, Herndon decided to have non-partisan elections. Unfortunately, Fairfax's political party committees have tried to influence Herndon's recent elections. Why should political activists in McClean, Falls Church, Springfield, and Oakton have influence over Herndon's governance? That's why I will not seek any party endorsement in the upcoming election and, if elected, I will propose a series of electoral reforms to secure Herndon's political independence.
End Political Party Endorsements. Political endorsements in Herndon elections are contrary to the Town's interest in holding nonpartisan elections. While ending it will likely require more than a legislative change, the Town needs to take an active role to discourage the practice. It will also require working with the local party committees to agree to this change internally, so that resources gathered and devoted to advance partisan agendas in state and federal politics should not be used to benefit candidates in Herndon's purposefully nonpartisan local elections.
Move Town Elections to May. A few years back, the Council decided to move Herndon's elections from May (when local elections are traditionally held throughout Virginia) to November in a well-intended effort to increase voter participation. With the benefit of hindsight, we now see that the change diminished the ability of voters, campaigns, and candidates to bring attention to important local issues. Each election season approaches with a flood of campaigning, mail, debates, advertising, etc., on political issues which are important to inform our vote for federal offices. It's absolutely appropriate for voters to be motivated by those concerns, but local issues rarely cut to the surface. The cost of campaigning for a November election is significantly higher and it is incredibly difficult for voters to amplify matters that are essential to Herndon residents. This is a particular burden for those who are trying to raise concerns which may not have been addressed by incumbent elected officials. Moving Town elections to May will create an environment where local issues are central to the campaign and minority interests will be more fully addressed.
Establish Alternating 4-year Terms for Town Council Members. Good governance requires both that elected officials represent the voters who elected them and second, that they are effective in fulfilling the duties of their office. Having an election every two years gives voters the chance to be heard and it provides elected officials the mandate for making good policy. However two years is barely enough time for part-time legislators, like those who serve on the Town Council, to build experience and expertise to legislate effectively. By reforming town elections so that every two years, half of the Council is elected to four year terms, Herndon would benefit both from the existing representation but also from the ability of Counsel Members to build experience and expertise over a longer term.
As we finish out this first month of the campaign, I thought it'd be a good opportunity to highlight what I'd like to do to bring during the next Town Council term:
1. "Herndon Coming Back Together" is my plan for Herndon's post-COVID recovery. If elected I will propose a 2-year holiday on Herndon's meals tax. This will bring tax relief to the town's lowest income residents and bring business back to our struggling local small businesses.
2. "Herndon Staying Healthy Together" is my plan for Herndon's parks and recreation services. If elected, I would focus my attention of improving residents' access to parks and green space. I would also require that proposals for development which come before the Town would require a statement of impact on parks and recreation facilities; this would help ensure that these facilities are able to plan and increase capacity in correspondence with expected population growth.
3. "Herndon Improving Together" is my plan for zoning and historical preservation. If elected, I would commission a line-by-line review of the zoning code to identify and eliminate regulations which undermine essential principles of property rights, produce a discriminatory impact, result in an unnecessarily burdensome administrative process (factoring both time and money costs), can be reasonably achieved through harmonizing language with neighboring jurisdictions, or are otherwise outside the scope of the Town’s interest to regulate. I would also focus to improve heritage preservation property-owner engagement.
For more, please visit my website at https://www.clarkhedrick.com/issues
Vote November 3rd, 2020.
When my wife and I first moved here, we did not have a car and were completely dependent on Fairfax County's public transportation network to get to work, school, Target, Home Depot, etc. If that's you, make sure your voice is heard so that our public transportation can work for you.
https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/connector/news/c18_20
Fairfax County, Virginia - Herndon Reston Silver Line Outreach on the Preferred Plan
According to recent figures, Herndon’s 20170 zip code has the 8th highest COVID cases in the Commonwealth. Be wise, wear a mask, make socially conscious decisions to keep your community safe.
Let’s beat this,
Each Tuesday during this campaign I will highlight one of the nine points of my plan to bring .
3. Herndon Improving Together – my plan for zoning and historical preservation
Zoning and land use regulations are perhaps a local government’s most consequential work. Whether a property owner or a tenant, every resident and business in the Town of Herndon is directly affected by our zoning and land use code. Property rights are among the most essential traditions of modern democracy, and to the American conception of liberty. We are also aware that, historically, land use restrictions have been some local governments’ means of enacting discriminatory policy.
Herndon is a welcoming and diverse community and I am confident that we do not currently have intentionally or overtly discriminatory policies on our books. However, it is appropriate that Herndon and other local governments periodically review zoning and land use restrictions in order to rebalance them in favor of essential property rights and to expose discriminatory impacts, even if unintentional.
Delegate Commission to Review Zoning Code. If elected, I will propose that the Council delegate a commission to do a line-by-line review of the Town’s zoning code and present the Council with a report containing legislative recommendations by the end of 2022. The commission should include town officials, commercial property owners, residential property owners, commercial tenants, and residential tenants. The commission should be specifically tasked to identify and make recommendations regarding land use regulations which: 1) undermine essential principles of property rights, 2) produce a discriminatory impact, 3) result in an unnecessarily burdensome administrative process (factoring both time and money costs), 4) can be reasonably achieved through harmonizing language with neighboring jurisdictions, or 5) are otherwise outside the scope of the Town’s interest to regulate.
Improve Heritage Preservation Property-Owner Engagement. Likewise, the Town is currently undergoing a review of its Heritage Preservation Program—I agree that our community has a broad interest in protecting the Town’s various historic landmarks, homes and other buildings. However, the Town needs to recalibrate its preservation efforts to protect property owners from cost prohibitive restrictions and administrative processes. The Town needs to improve its engagement with owners of historic properties to understand the impact of certain minute requirements, which, in many cases, add little value to (or thwart) good-faith efforts to maintain these properties. The Town also needs to improve its efforts at educating prospective buyers of these heritage properties about what their rights and obligations are before the sale has closed.
https://www.clarkhedrick.com/issues
Vote November 3rd, 2020.
Father's Day weekend is always a very special time for our family: we celebrate both R's birthday—the boy who made me a father three years ago—and my dad's birthday. Of course R asked for a library cake, so I did my best to make the Herndon Fortnightly Library (how'd I do?). He asks us every day, "is the library open, or closed." Well we got to eat the library this weekend, which I guess is as good as it being open.
Herndon, VA
20170
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