Wednesday: Deadline for Absentee Ballots in MCC Board Election

Wednesday is the deadline for casting an absentee ballot  in the election of three adult board members and two youth members of the McLean Community Center Board.

Four adult candidates  --- two incumbents and two newcomers ---are running for three  adult seats on the board. Four students are running for the two student seats on the 11-member board.

You can also vote Saturday at McLean Day, held in Lewinsville Park and attended by thousands of McLean residents and visitors.

Why you care: All McLean residents pay property taxes that finance most of the center's $6 million budget. In addition,  the board has accumulated a $12 million surplus by collecting more in property taxes than it needed to operate the center.

While all residents pay taxes for the center, less than two percent of McLean residents usually vote in the election, Susan Bourgeois, chair of the MCC Election Committee said at a committee meeting earlier this year.

The board is seriously considering building a new community center downtown that taxpayers would finance on the site of the current Old Firehouse Teen Center. The new center  could include a black box theater. The board has paid a consultant $100,000 to tell them the feasibility of such a plan.

To vote by absentee ballot you must obtain a ballot. 

• You may E-mail to “elections@mcleancenter.org” to have a ballot package sent to your home. Reminder: the deadline for returning absentee ballots to the Community Center is  5 p.m. Wednesday.

• You may call  the McLean Community Center, 703-790-0123, and request to have a ballot package sent to your home. Reminder: the deadline for returning absentee ballots to the Community Center is 5 p.m. Wednesday.
• You may stop by the Center, 1234 Ingleside Ave.,  and pick up an absentee ballot package.  Completed absentee ballot applications and ballots must be received by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, May 18, to be counted.

At McLean Day, you can vote from  10:30 a.m.- 5 p.m. Saturday, May 21, at Lewinsville Park, 1659 Chain Bridge Rd. To vote at McLean Day:  You must bring identification and proof of residency, such as a driver’s license or student ID. If you do not have identification, you may sign a sworn statement.

 Residents need not be registered to vote in Fairfax County to vote for MCC board candidates.

Voters Guide

McLean Patch asked McLean neighbors  to submit questions to the four adult candidates. We sent your questions to the candidates May 4 telling them that Patch would their publish the answers verbatim. We do not edit them.

Chad Quinn is the only candidate who has answered your questions. We sent another request to the other three candidates Sunday. The other adult candidates are incumbents Sean Dunn, Risa Sanders and first-time candidate David (Bucky) Morris, a long-time McLean resident and McLean Youth Lacrosse coach. The other candidates said they received the questions.

Chad Quinn Answers:

The questions from the neighbors are:

• What would you do with the $12 million budget surplus that has accrued over the past several years?

I would take the following 5-step decision process regarding the McLean Community Center (MCC) surplus:

Step 1:  The first thing I would do is critically review and analyze the most recent survey results and other past surveys conducted by the MCC to understand current trends and priorities.

Step 2:  I would conduct on-site public forums at the MCC to hear first-hand, McLean residents’ priorities. To this end, I have already begun this open dialogue with residents via www.votechadquinn.com .

Step 3:  Having assessed the survey results and feedback from the public forums, I would work with the Board to develop a Strategic Plan to share with the community. The plan would include long-term goals, objectives, and tactics.

Step 4:  I would execute the Strategic Plan and provide updates to the plan online.

Step 5:  I would review, adjust, and tweak the plan based on progress.

McLean residents agreed to tax themselves to pay for building the Community Center 35 years ago. Since the bonds that built MCC were paid off long ago, will you support dissolution of the Small Tax District that Imposes that extra tax on residents?

I would considerate it premature for me to comment on this issue prior to developing a Strategic Plan and understanding the capital requirements going forward for the community.

• For the existing board members, it would be interesting to know when (what year) they knew the surplus was getting so large and what they did to communicate to the McLean Community about these surplus funds.  I have only heard about this recently with the upcoming election. For the new people running, I would like to know if they were elected, what they would want to do with the funds.

Please see my answer # 1 above.

McLean Patch added these biographical questions:

• How long have you lived in McLean?

I have been raising my family and running a small business in McLean for over 13 years.

• Education

BA Economics, Ohio Wesleyan University, 1991

• Occupation

Small Business Owner

• Your Message to the neighbors.

As a Father, I have watched my three young daughters grow from their experiences at the community center.  Access to sports, art, dance, theatre, and a diverse group of friends has a shaping influence on many families.  As your Board member, it will be my privilege to help your family and all McLean families create their own wonderful experiences at the community center.

As a McLean Resident, I appreciate the need to keep our community connected.  This connection is based on a public trust between the community center and its residents.  As your Board member, I will cultivate that trust with open and transparent communications on Board decisions, programs, classes, and future plans for the center leveraging online resources like Facebook and Twitter.

As a Small Businessman, I understand first-hand the importance of sound financial management.  As your Board member, I will be responsible for your money.  Our growth plans will be clear and transparent for all to see.