Silverthorne's First Speech as Mayor

Mayor Lederer, Members of the City Council, Members of the School Board, Treasurer Maloney, Commissioner of the Revenue Johnson, Clerk of the Court Frey, Senator Petersen, Delegate Bulova, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen:

The last eight weeks have been overwhelming. It is with heartfelt appreciation for your confidence and trust as I become the tenth individual to ever serve as mayor of the City of Fairfax.  

Some of you have heard me say before that there is no higher honor than serving as member of your city council. Well, that was until this evening.

I’ve known many mayors – first and foremost the man who raised me – my late father Frederick Silverthorne who served as mayor from 1978-1982.   

My father taught me the importance of public service, and that you have no right to complain if you're sitting on the sidelines. It is not lost on me, that I’m assuming the office of mayor a full 30 years following my father’s departure from elected service. I only wish he could be here today.  

I am fortunate however to have my entire family with me today, some traveling great distances to be here, and it means more to me than they will ever know for their steadfast support.

I also want to mention to others that have had a profound impact on my life and have been my mentors in public service. First the man I served with from 1990-2002, Mayor John Mason.  

As a newly elected council member in 1990, John taught me the importance of using my position for the common good and to always keep my finger on the pulse of the community. That advice has served me well for nearly two decades.  

John also exemplifies what a great former mayor should be all about - remaining very active in the community when most of us would ride off into the sunset.   Thank you John.

And of course the man I’ve served with most of the past decade, Mayor Robert Lederer. Rob is a gifted leader who has achieved great success.   

His many achievements have been touted repeatedly, but the most notable include our ranking by Forbes as the 3rd most “livable” community in America for a city of our size; achieving the coveted AAA bond rating which recognizes our City’s sound fiscal management; and, the Gold Medal Award by the National Recreation and Parks Association – one of only four jurisdictions in Virginia to receive this prestigious award over the past 40 years. Well done Mr. Mayor.

I am very proud of our new city council tonight. You don’t have to look far – only across the Potomac –  to see how not to govern.  

We are a collegial group, with a sense of mutual respect for dealing with the challenges ahead.  I have known most of them for many years and consider them friends. I am certain that we can work together, even when we won’t always stand together.  

Friends, the City of Fairfax is rich in history and has unlimited possibilities for the future.   

From our unique and diverse neighborhoods, low taxes and outstanding services, a world class university on our border and our strong cultural and recreational amenities, we have a quality of life unparalleled in the Washington metropolitan region.  

While living near the nation’s capital has insulated us of from some of the worst economic hardships faced by others across the country, we also have not been immune to some economic challenges.   

Our unemployment and poverty rates are up and our local economy continues to struggle along with residential property values. While I hope that the worst is over, we must also not be complacent.

Just this year we faced on the worst budget challenges in the City’s history, driven by a combination of flat revenues and a large increase in school expenses. These challenges, along with demands for City services will only compound our economic challenges in the coming years.

Over the past few years, we have seen a chipping away of some City services including cuts to public safety staffing, certain capital projects, back yard trash service and city publications. While I’m the first to suggest shared sacrifice in tough times, we must also never forget the virtues of what made our City great: our people, our common sense leadership and our proud traditions.  

We should create honest and realistic priorities which reflect our shared vision for the future – and with the city council concurrence, we will do just that. 

Every city council member campaigned that a growing local economy is key to the City’s long term health.  

We must focus our energy to redevelop Fairfax Boulevard and continue our progress in our historic downtown. I will also urge the city council to pursue opportunities to streamline City government, including a top to bottom review of the regulatory burdens for starting or expanding a business.

As Chris Lineberger recently pointed out in a New York Times editorial, demand for walkable urban space now extends beyond city centers to the suburbs; Many residents want to easily get to grocery stores, cafes, libraries and get our of their cars to use transit, biking and walking.      

And we have also heard locally, young families, baby boomers and seniors want to sell their large houses and move to a walkable urban places but stay close to friends and family.   

As mayor, I will work closely with our local neighborhoods and business leaders to promote responsible economic development so that we can grow our local economy and minimize future tax increases. And yes ladies and gentlemen, we can have both – growth to move our community forward while also enhancing and protecting our residential quality of life.  

I am asking each and every one of you – as business people, residents, and elected officials to help in this effort, to keep an open mind, and to keep eyes on the future of our City.

As for the future, I also strongly believe it’s time to develop a citywide strategic plan and perform long overdue review of our city charter.  

I’m not suggesting wholesale change, but our last strategic plan was done in 1994 under the leadership of Mayor John Mason. Nearly twenty years is too long.   

And it’s been even longer since we’ve done a comprehensive review of the city charter – aspects of which Mayor Lederer shared his concerns about a few weeks ago during his farewell remarks.

As mayor, I know we can’t be an island unto ourselves, and the City of Fairfax’s views must always represented regionally. We must work closely with our neighbors in Fairfax County, George Mason University and throughout the region if we are going to continue to prosper.

And it’s no secret that our community continues to diversify. When Rob Lederer graduated high school, our minority population was just over 2%.   

When I graduated high school ten years later, the minority population was 8%. Today, it’s 40%. In the Fairfax County school system, we have well over 100 languages being spoken. I believe we have turned a blind eye to this trend – a trend we must not ignore.  

As mayor, I will do all within my power to see that every citizen of the city has an equal opportunity to participate fully in our community. As a first step, I will ask the city council to consider diversity on our boards and commissions so they accurately reflect the community.  

Finally, we should continue Joan Cross’ legacy of promoting tourism as another means of developing local jobs, increasing revenues and to take advantage of our outstanding city events, historic resources, and close proximity to the nation’s capital.

Ladies and gentlemen, I have been proud to serve on your city council and I’m deeply honored to serve as your mayor.  

Your mayor has to know and understand the community. I pledge to listen and understand all sides of an issue before making a decision. Only by maintaining your respect, confidence and trust – can I and members of the city council – be effective in representing your interests in City Hall.

Even today, with people and government caught in an economic squeeze, I’m optimistic about the City’s future because I believe we have the resources, the talent and the good sense to meet the challenge of providing an even better quality of life for each of you.   

There is much to be done and it can’t all be accomplished from behind the dias here at City Hall.  

As your mayor, I will continue to the meet with you, attend neighborhood meetings and host community outreach where our major challenges are discussed.   

By working together we can continue to make City Hall more responsive.   

Thank you all very much.  

Mayor Scott Silverthorne
June  27, 2012