Politics & Government

Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Race: Dranesville District Candidate Dennis Husch

Husch hopes to bring fiscal responsibility to Fairfax County's budget process and school system

Today and Tomorrow we will introduce you to the Democratic and Republican  candidates running in November for the Dranesville seat on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. Today here is  a look at Dennis Husch, a former member of the Herndon Town Council. Tomorrow we'll take a look at incument John Foust.

Dennis Husch’s volunteerism and public service started when he was in high school, and after that community involvement simply became a lifestyle.

Husch has worked with the Herndon Optimists, was one of the founders of the American Legion post in Herndon, served eight terms on the Herndon Town Council and is now running for Fairfax County board of supervisors for the Dranesville district.

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Husch said through his service on the Council and through volunteering he has learned a lot about budgets, land use, zoning and many other municipal level issues. He said they are all very similar to county-level issues.

During Husch’s time on the Town Council ,Herndon went from a suburban to a much more urban town he said. He said the town faced many challenges along the way, having to do with population growth, development and public safety—many issues that other communities of its size haven’t had to deal with.

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Husch said its those experiences of local government at work that will be helpful to him if he wins the Dranesville seat on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors.

In December 2010, Husch completed the Political Leaders Program at the University of Virginia’s Sorensen Institute. He said often people hang out with like-minded people and the program gets participants out of their “echo chambers” so they can hear different perspectives and learn about issues other communities face.

Husch said they traveled to municipalities throughout Virginia learning about their local issues, ranging from agribusiness in Staunton to the impact of Nascar in Martinsville. He said they learned about the issues, and then debated ways to help solve them. “Virginia is a huge state and it’s not homogeneous,” he said.

In the time that Husch was on the Herndon Town Council he had his hand in many significant projects, including the Herndon Municipal Center, the expansion of the Herndon Community Center, finishing the Herndon Parkway, the new police station and new parks, among others. He said those are all accomplishments that bettered the town that he is proud of.

Husch said his main concern at the county level is the budget. “It’s time for a little fiscal sanity,” he said. He said the county faced many problems caused by the downturn in real estate values and he wants to ensure it doesn’t happen again.

Keeping the county real estate tax rate at $1.09, which it was set at last year, and saving the extra $30 million it will raise for another purpose is dishonest, Husch said. He said the county should set the tax rate at the equalization rate, which would cover the county’s budget without taking any extra funds to put toward other purposes or projects.

“You can’t just tip at the tax rate and not do something about spending,” Husch said. He said the county needs to change its policies on things such as consolidation, human resources functions and outsourcing. He said the county must change how it does business.

Husch said constituent services at the county level could be done better as well. He said being responsive to residents concerns and helping them maintain the quality of life in their neighborhoods is important.

If elected to the board, Husch said he wants to maintain a sense of transparency in all he does as a member. When he was a member of the Herndon Town Council, he kept a website where constituents could access files from the town of Herndon, from communications to the county to agendas and minutes. “I use that website as my file cabinet,” he said.

Husch said something must be done about the traffic on Route 7. He said the General Assembly allotted $10 million toward the engineering of widening the road this year, but the real price tag is $250 million to actually make the project happen. “Some serious work needs to be done there,” he said.

Fairfax County should also pay better attention in what is happening in neighboring counties and municipalities, Husch said. He said a lot of development is happening just across the border in Loudoun County at Route 28 near the Center for Innovative Technology and near the area of Loudoun County Parkway and Route 7.

“All of that impacts the Dranesville district,” Husch said. He said while they may not be able to influence Loudoun County, by working closely with them they can ensure Fairfax County makes the best decisions based on what is happening there.

When it comes to Fairfax County Public Schools, Husch said  the ratio of administrators to classroom resources is not right, and more should be going to the classrooms. He said when parent groups have to hold fundraisers so they can pay to replace the toilet seats in a school, something is wrong.  

He said the county can take a tip from the Town of Herndon and bring in an outside auditor who can make sure FCPS is being as efficient as possible. He said it has paid off in the town of Herndon and lends to the town’s credibility. “Schools need the same thing,” he said.

Husch said he encourages Fairfax County residents to vote in the coming election for the board of supervisors. “We’ve learned that elections have consequences,” he said. He said county residents need leaders they can trust to worry about them and not their own political records.

General Election Information : November 8, 2011
To elect members to the Virginia Senate, the House of Delegates, the Commonwealth's Attorney, the Sheriff, and members of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, and the Fairfax County School Board.


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