To the editor:

This is an open letter to mayoral candidates Annette Catchings (R) and Allison Silberberg (D) as well as City Council candidates Florence King (I), James Lewis (D) and Darryl Nirenberg (R):

You are identified as having signed the “Alexandria Constituents’ Bill of Rights” created by the group For Better Alexandria Government. I recently sent an email asking who made up the membership of this group. The response was the group was “a diverse group of City of Alexandria residents who live across a number of Alexandria neighborhoods.” Do you know who they are? I am hopeful that they identified themselves when they requested you sign this pledge. Is this a group of five people? Fifty? Five hundred? How many neighborhoods are represented?

They state they plan to recognize candidates that incorporate four “objective” criteria into their platform, including “[integrating] ethics, integrity, transparency and accountability to their constituents …” Are you concerned that this group demands transparency from you but will not tell others who are part of their group or state its membership and leadership on their website? Do you consider yourself more accountable to this group of individuals over the other residents of Alexandria?

I encourage you to reach out to the members of this group and strongly request they make themselves more publicly known with full names and neighborhoods.

Note: I am a volunteer for John Chapman’s campaign who has not responded to the pledge and support the re-election of Justin Wilson for mayor, who declined the pledge.

-Pamela Goodell, Alexandria