Audrey Clement Runs For County Board: 2024 Candidate Questionnaire

Find out what's happening in Arlingtonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Audrey Clement

Position sought:

County Board

Have you been endorsed by a recognized political party? If so, which one?

No

Age (as of Election Day)

Decline to State

Campaign Website

AudreyClement.com

Names, ages and any pertinent details you wish to share about your family.

N/A

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government? This includes any relatives who work in the government you’re a candidate in.

No.

Education

Ph.D. Political Science, Temple U. 1993

Occupation – Please include years of experience.

Computer Programmer, 20+ years

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Political Office

Arlington County Transportation Commission, 2018-2021

Why are you seeking elective office?

I seek more representative government.

The single most pressing issue facing voters is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

The single most pressing issue facing voters is excessive taxation. Earlier this year, the County Manager reported: “This budget is balanced relying on anticipated revenues at the current tax rate.” [FY 2025 Proposed Budget, p. 7.] So why did County Board adopt a tax hike that increased the effective tax rate by $541 or 5.1 percent, which is about double the average 10-year rate of inflation? [FY 2025 Adopted Budget Summary, p. 3.]

The budget doesn’t estimate the number of residents who will be driven out of the county due to escalating taxes. Nor does it explain why it’s okay to put some residents out of their homes to provide housing for others. Someone has to stop the tax gouging, and that someone is me.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

Click Here: France Rugby Jersey

The watchword of the American Revolution was: “Taxation without representation is tyranny.” Yet my Democrat opponent J.D. Spain resides in a tax-exempt property in South Arlington. He also owns another property in Arlington assessed at half of the value of his primary residence. If a tenant resides there, J.D.’s actual real estate tax payments are probably nil, since rent payments usually cover the taxes owed on investment properties. While I don’t begrudge J.D. any tax exemptions to which he may be entitled, I want to know how someone who pays little or no real estate tax can fairly represent those who do?

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)?

County Board consistently ignores, demeans or denigrates those who disagree with the positions taken by developers on proposed site plan projects. Because it is staff driven, County Board also ignores testimony from critics of plans to develop or redevelop County owned facilities. A case in point is the redevelopment of the Melwood site on South 23rd Street, which County officials support, despite the opposition of key stakeholders. In fact in a recent letter to County Manager the Aurora Highlands Civic Association (AHCA) wrote:

“Melwood proposes to demolish a historic building and remove a long standing evergreen tree, provide inadequate parking, create a loading nuisance and develop a footprint so large it cannot meet the 25% required tree canopy and so tall it is the equivalent of 8 stories, while creating a precedent of a High-Density Mixed Use building in the middle of a single-family neighborhood that penetrates beyond the commercial C-2 line into the R-6 neighborhood including a children’s park. The proposal contained in the Application does not meet the standards for approval in Section 15.5 of the zoning code in any way.”

Another recent example is County Board’s approval of elimination of public access to a rooftop overlook at Central Place in Rosslyn in exchange for $14 million from the new owner. Opponents including representatives of the RAFOM Civic Association, who pointed out that the public access easement had been granted in perpetuity to Arlington residents, were ignored.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

I also oppose the so-called “Missing Middle” ordinance that was rammed through in 2023. Missing Middle a/k/a EHO up-zoned residential neighborhoods throughout the county, despite massive opposition from those like me who see it as nothing more than a revenue generating cash cow designed to offset a declining commercial tax base. Adding insult to injury, the County is expected to bill taxpayers $1 million for the lawyers it hired to defend EHO in court.

To stop Missing Middle and lower your taxes, vote Clement for County Board on November 5. If elected, I will:

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

Service as a Congressional Fellow, past member of Transportation Commission, current member of Arlington Neighborhoods Advisory Committee, current delegate to Arlington County Civic Federation

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Put your money where your mouth is.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I’m a straight shooter. Friend and foe alike agree that I mean what I say and I act accordingly. I’m also an independent in the truest sense of the word. Sometimes I side with the Democrats, sometimes with the Republicans, sometimes with other Independents. No matter what party I side with on an issue, I generally distance myself from their ideologues.

Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.