Table of Contents
Independent city council candidate Frank Fannon formally kicked off his campaign Sunday afternoon at Union Street Public House, drawing a crowd of supporters and introducing a new policy position: returning Alexandria to a ward-based representation system.
"Instead of the current at-large system, you really need to have neighborhood representation," Fannon said, according to a campaign release. "We need to have City Council members who represent and are responsible to a certain area, and can't hide from them." Fannon did not raise the ward system proposal during his Alexandria Brief interview recently.
Fannon framed his candidacy around fiscal concerns and what he described as a council that has drifted from its core responsibilities. He cited the city's budget growing from $523 million in 2010 — which he described as the last time the council reduced the budget during his tenure — to $977 million in the current cycle, and said the average non-condo homeowner pays $988 a month in property taxes. Those figures are his and have not been independently verified. Fannon served on city council from 2009 to 2012.
"Everyone talks about 'affordability' — that's the current political buzzword," Fannon said. "But when the average non-condo homeowner has to pay $988 a month in property taxes, what is affordable about that?"
He also repeated his opposition to multi-unit housing in residential neighborhoods and the Braddock Road bike lanes, and argued that Alexandria's political leaders have "lost their way" by pursuing national agendas rather than focusing on local concerns. "Local leaders work for the citizens. It's that simple," he said.
Among those in attendance, according to the campaign, were Roy Byrd, who ran an independent race for city council in 2024; former Vice Mayor Bill Cleveland; and Greg Golubin, an activist involved in opposition to the Pump House project at Waterfront Park.
Fannon is one of three candidates competing for the city council seat left open when Kirk McPike resigned in January to serve in the Virginia House of Delegates. He faces Democratic nominee Sandy Marks and independent Alison Virginia O'Connell. Voters will also decide on a proposed statewide constitutional amendment on congressional redistricting on the same ballot. Early voting is underway through April 18. Election Day is April 21.
Read the Alexandria Brief's full conversation with Fannon here.
Ryan Belmore
