Good morning, my name is Alexandria Searls. I'd like to tell you a bit about myself and why I am seeking the Democratic nomination.

I am a photographer and a teacher, and I help students to find a vision important to them. Working towards a vision and finding community are two of my guiding principles.

I live in the Woolen Mills neighborhood, a place which has a lot of what I love about Charlottesville. I live in a small house with a yard big enough for a vegetable garden, and there is a stream running by that flows past Meade and Riverview Parks into the Rivanna River. Along the Rivanna I can see blue herons and other wildlife, I can bicycle alongside my neighbors, and the water is clean enough to swim in.

In the other direction there is the Downtown Mall, where I can enjoy the arts at McGuffey, and the thriving atmosphere of restaurants and pedestrians. Nature and culture are both easy to find in Charlottesville, and I would like to help keep it that way.

I became involved in politics when I noticed the need for preservation on West Main Street. In a variety of neighborhoods I began to work for historic preservation and for the protection of parkland. Preservation in an era of change is one of my reasons for seeking the nomination today.

In the many years I've lived in Charlottesville I have supported the arts as vital to our quality of life and to attracting visitors to the city. I founded the Vinegar Hill Film Festival. I serve on the panel for the Virginia Commission for the Arts. I work with high school students on art projects about parkland and historical sites.

Especially in tough economic times I will plan so that people with low-income have enough for themselves and their children. This means fostering affordable housing, and supporting workforce training. This means including Adult education and English as a second language in our workforce initiativess.

I support the living wage. Any full-time job should pay enough for the essentials of health and living, and I intend to track social services to find out which low-paying jobs we are supplementing.

I believe in serving Charlottesville's children. I support expanding the preschool program, and forming public/private partnerships to supplement the schools' budget.

I believe in protecting the environment. I want to maintain the health of our watershed through simple water conservation measures. I want to open McIntire Park to greater pedestrian access so that more people will know its beauties and its possibilities. I want to protect the Rivanna Trails as they circle around the city.

I promise to continue the long legacy of Jefferson School. I will implement the vision of the community for continuing Jefferson School as an educational institution, its roots in Reconstruction and its future in our hands. I helped begin Citizens for Jefferson School, and I will not rest until the future of the school looks as solid as its past.

The free flow of information between people and their government must increase. I want to extend more neighborhood information to renters. I want to rework the public comment period so that people are aware of the necessity for action while there is still time to change the results.

My vision of Charlottesville is a place where people of all economic levels can live happily. My vision of Charlottesville is a place where local businesses thrive, and where nature and culture are close at hand. On city council I can make that vision happen.

Together we can keep Charlottesville the city we love. Together we can plan for a great future. Today I need your vote, so that tomorrow you can have my vote on the future that is important to you. Please choose me for city council. Thank you.

Alexandria Searls (electronic mail, February 24, 2002)