To the editor:

Two articles that appeared in the Nov. 7 Alexandria Times concern me. The first is Our View’s commentary on moving Alexandria’s local election from May to November and the second is Frank Putzu’s remarks about councilors writing off the Federation of Civic Associations and its member associations regarding the Seminary Road fiasco.

The Our View editorial, “We need consumer-based local politics,” accurately points out how council moved the election to November from May so that there will always be one-party rule governing our great city. What makes it worse is that then-Mayor Bill Euille appointed the most respected Democrat in Alexandria, Dick Hobson, to chair an ad-hoc committee to advise council on this initiative.

Well, Hobson and his committee came back with a recommendation not to move the May election. However, their recommendation fell on deaf ears, as council voted to move the elections to November anyway. This is reflective of their usual treatment of ad hoc committees, boards and commissions – which they pretend to listen to for advice on a number of important city issues.

Frank Putzu’s letter, “Those elusive mystery residents,” points out that Mayor Justin Wilson, Vice Mayor Elizabeth Bennett-Parker and Councilors Del Pepper and Canek Aguirre were all dismissive of Alexandria’s civic associations regarding Seminary Road.

Council needs to start listening to its citizens and not continue to think that our opinions regarding the hard issues in Alexandria are not important.

Unfortunately, that’s what one party gets you. Let’s wake up and change it, Alexandria.

-Townsend A. “Van” Van Fleet, Alexandria