Husch: I am a 25-year resident of Herndon and a 38-year resident of the state of Virginia and have served on the Herndon Town Council since 1994.
As a member of the Town Council, I chaired the Downtown Trolley Study Committee and the Level of Service Ad Hoc Committee. I have served on the Council’s Finance Ad-Hoc Committee and as the town’s representative to the Transportation Coordinating Council, World Congress for Information Technology, the Commonwealth’s Joint Commission on Technology and Science, and Virginia State Corporation Commission Division of Utility and Railroad Safety Damage Prevention Advisory Committee. I have been a member of the Hispanic Task Force, the Mayor’s Sports Field Inventory Task Force and the Herndon Telecommunications and Management Information Technology Advisory Group.
I was committee chairman of Cub Scout Pack 157 and founded the Tiger Cubs program for the pack. I am a past president and life member of the Optimist Club of Herndon and former member of the board of directors for Herndon Community Television HCTV-23. I have coached and refereed basketball for the Optimist Club and the Cardinal Basketball Referee Association and have umpired for high school and Optimist Club baseball.
I work for System Planning Corp., providing subject matter expertise and consulting services to the U.S. government.
I hold a B.S. degree in business administration from Strayer University and an associate's degree in science from Northern Virginia Community College. I am certified in cryptology by the National Security Agency and was trained by the U.S. Army in Traffic Analysis/Cryptanalysis.
What is the most pressing issue that the Town of Herndon is currently facing? What is the remedy for this issue, and the process needed to achieve it?
Husch: A major issue is managing development of downtown Herndon in a commonsense manner that preserves our heritage, protects adjacent residential areas, mitigates traffic impact and creates a pedestrian friendly, safe and prosperous environment. Citizens must be fully engaged throughout the design and planning process and their concerns must be mitigated in the final generalized development plan. The engagement must include citizen-developer meetings to discuss the project’s functions, uses, density, massing, materials and economic viability. Many homeowners are rightly concerned about the impact of downtown development on their quality of life while commercial property owners are concerned about their personal financial gain. The design and planning process must respect the desires of the homeowners and marginalize the lobbying and influence of those motivated by potential financial gain and other special interests.
If one key Town service had to be cut out completely due to a shortfall in revenues, which one would you cut?
Husch: I certainly do not want to eliminate or reduce any essential services, but it is clear that the Town will continue to experience a decrease in General Fund revenues for the next few years. Driven by that circumstance, I would support the elimination of the Town’s involvement in the Neighborhood Resource Center (NRC). The NRC is a joint effort with Fairfax County and serves as an outlet for county social services, the Town’s neighborhood revitalization initiatives, and as a meeting place for community groups. The NRC costs the Town tax payers in excess of $560,000 annually -- $330,000 for personnel and $230,000 for operations and maintenance. The majority of the Town’s cost to operate the NRC could be eliminated by informing the county of the Town’s intent to remove support for the NRC, giving the county the opportunity to assume the full financial responsibility; co-locating the neighborhood revitalization office with the neighborhood inspection and zoning enforcement office at the old police station; and, moving the after-school activities, social group activities and other community group activities to the Herndon Community Center where the activities could be managed and scheduled by the existing community center staff.