Meet The Candidate: Allison Silberberg For Alexandria Mayor

ALEXANDRIA, VA — Former Mayor Allison Silberberg, the mayor of Alexandria from 2016 through 2018, is seeking another chance at mayor in 2021 and faces a primary race.

On June 8, a Democratic primary will be held for Alexandria mayor and City Council, along with statewide races like governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general and House of Delegates. In the mayoral primary election, Silberberg faces current Mayor Justin Wilson. Wilson defeated the incumbent Silberberg in the 2018 Democratic primary and went on to win the general election. Silberberg had been the city's second female mayor in its history.

Silberberg is a writer and consultant as well as an advocate for social justice and civic engagement. Before becoming mayor, she was vice mayor of Alexandria City Council from 2012 to 2015. Aside from being a published author and having other accomplishments, she serves on the Board of Community Lodgings and Friends of Alexandria’s Mental Health Center, is on the Leadership Council of OneVirginia2021, is on the Government Relations Committee at the Greater Washington Board of Trade and is a founding honorary board member of the National Chamber Ensemble. She has lived in Alexandria since 1989.

For more information about the election in Alexandria, visit www.alexandriava.gov/Elections.

Learn more about Allison Silberberg and why she is running for mayor in 2021:

Age (as of Election Day)

58

Position sought (mayor, city council, school board, etc.)

Mayor

Party Affiliation

Democrat

Family

Two sisters

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Education

B.A. in International Relations and History, American University
M.F.A. in Playwriting from the School of Theater, Film & Television, UCLA

Occupation

Writer/Consultant

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

Vice Mayor (2013-2015)
Mayor (2016-2018)

Campaign website

www.allisonforalexandria.com

Why are you seeking elective office?

I have a vision for the future of our city that includes the long-treasured promise that Alexandria is a growing, vibrant community that must also retain its sense of community. Our city must thrive and do so with respect for our diverse people and neighborhoods, respect for our environment, respect for our numerous historic districts, and respect for the critical role that trust plays in government. I’m the Smart Growth candidate. Of course, we must grow as a city. The question is how we will grow. Smart Growth includes taking into account our infrastructure in terms of sewers and stormwater, schools, and roads. All of that must be honestly addressed as projects are approved. It’s a balance that we must seek. As your Mayor, I will build upon my accomplishments, listen to our residents, take action, and rebuild the public trust.

The single most pressing issue facing our (city) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

The single most pressing issue facing our city is the rapid, out-of-scale overbuilding. I am the Smart Growth candidate. Smart Growth means taking into consideration the existing infrastructure as well as surrounding neighborhoods, the residents, and input from environmentalists, scientists, civic organizations, and stakeholders. When you continue to supersize all buildings, it leads to a variety of issues that our neighbors and residents are feeling today. Overcrowded schools, shocking flooding, destruction of our few remaining forests, lack of greenspace, mismatched infrastructure, increased traffic, increased noise pollution, and sacrifices to our quality of life. I favor Smart Growth that is appropriate for its location in our city and respects the neighborhood in which a development is proposed to be built. Increased development near one of our Metro stations is Smart Growth. But even in these high-density zones, questions regarding the capacity of our infrastructure in terms of sewers and stormwater, school capacity, and roads must be honestly addressed before projects are approved. It’s a balance that we must seek. I will make sure to work with and listen to all of the community when reaching decisions and ensure that our city cooperates and collaborates with residents, businesses, and civic associations as we move into the future.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

The critical difference between my opponent and me comes down to our vision for our city. I am the Smart Growth candidate. In contrast, my opponent consistently pushes for out-of-scale overbuilding and supersizing all buildings. This leads to a variety of other issues that our residents are feeling today, including: sewer and stormwater flooding, overcrowded schools, lack of greenspace, over-stressed infrastructure, increased traffic, and a loss of our city’s charm and livability. As the Smart Growth candidate, I am seeking this post to make sure that Alexandria continues to be a vibrant city with great neighborhoods, strong schools, safe streets, and beautiful open space, but also a city with adequate infrastructure to meet our current and growing needs. It is a balance we must seek.

Other differences include that I am an active listener and respect community input and the important role that our civic associations play. We can and must do better as a city to value our residents and the wisdom they bring to our civic discourse.

I am committed to restoring the travel lanes to Seminary Road. My opponent led the effort to narrow Seminary Road, a major arterial road to our only hospital.

I am committed to saving the forests of Taylor Run, Strawberry Run, and Lucky Run. My opponent is not.

I am in favor of protecting our limited school properties from housing. My opponent has been a proponent of putting housing on our school properties.

I do not take contributions from developers and those who bring business before the city where they will have a financial gain. My opponent has taken contributions from developers for years.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)

When you are elected as a public servant, one of your top priorities is the social contract between the elected leadership and the people you serve. I consistently listen to residents and community members in and out of City Hall on quality of life and livability issues.

For example, 13 civic associations, representing thousands of residents from across our city, joined forces as never before to object strongly to the Seminary Road diet, which is a major arterial road that leads to our city’s only hospital. The leaders of these civic associations met with my opponent to discuss their objections, and he didn’t listen and was very dismissive. I would have listened.

When I was Mayor, I sought public input from all sides of an issue and found compromise whenever possible. It is important to be willing to listen and consider the opinions of all sides before making a decision. A mayor should not make decisions before residents have an opportunity to put forward different points of view, and the residents should expect that their points of view will be fairly considered. And most importantly, a mayor must be truthful. I have a demonstrated track record of transparency, truth, and ethics. As Mayor, I will rebuild the public trust.

How do you think local officials performed in responding to the coronavirus? What if anything would you have done differently?

I think the Alexandria Health Department (AHD) followed the state and federal regulations very well. They communicated on a daily basis with residents about the caseload, and they clarified the often-confusing instructions from the federal government. AHD rolled out a vaccination structure that worked as well as possible, given the changing landscape of the availability of vaccines and the eligibility of different population groups to receive it.

I do regret that many businesses and restaurants were not able to survive the pandemic, despite the infusion of federal funds. One of our city’s most beloved restaurants, Atlantis, which was in the Bradlee Center, closed during the pandemic. While the current mayor said that the Bradlee Center was a “private” shopping center and not subject to city intervention, I would have definitely done everything I could to make sure that all businesses and restaurants throughout our city had all the tools necessary to save their livelihoods.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

As Mayor, I would: push for Smart Growth and prevent out-of-scale overbuilding, repair and maintain infrastructure to stop sewage and stormwater flooding, protect our limited school properties from housing, restore vital travel lanes to Seminary Road, continue to bolster Alexandria businesses and economic development, and save the forested environment at Taylor Run, Strawberry Run, and Lucky Run.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

My greatest accomplishments as Mayor included: tripling the dedicated funding for the Affordable Housing Fund; leading the approval of the long-delayed plan to resolve sewage issues for all four outfalls into the Potomac River; securing the $1 billion Virginia Tech Innovation Campus; approving and building two new public schools (Patrick Henry and Ferdinand T. Day), plus a new wing at John Adams -- all on the West End; initiating and drafting our city’s Statement on Inclusiveness, which garnered national attention; creating a Racial Equity Office, and establishing the Clergy Council and the Senior Advocacy Roundtable.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

As my parents used to advise, “Be humble. Treat everyone like family and with respect. But most of all, be yourself.”

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I have a demonstrated track record of transparency, truth, and ethics. As your Mayor, I will build upon my accomplishments, and I will rebuild the public trust. I am the Mayor you can trust.