Dear friends and colleagues:

I write to inform you of my intention not to seek the Democratic nomination to serve a fourth term on the Charlottesville City Council. I have enjoyed greatly my service to this great city, and am proud of what we have accomplished over the last 12 years. But twelve years is a long time and, independent of the energy and dedication an elected official may bring to this job, there is a time to provide others an opportunity to serve, to bring a new face with some different perspectives to the position. I believe that time is now.

Four years ago, I faced a similar decision. But reversion was still under discussion, the Meadowcreek Parkway demanded a decision, and the Union Station redevelopment required substantial attention. Despite personal and professional demands, I chose to seek a third term to help address these issues. Reversion has now been resolved as the city has adopted a set of policies that should preserve our independence and vitality for years into the future; a compromise was struck on the parkway that may or may not stand the test of time; and Union Station was improved as much as we could, given that the city never owned the land and were therefore dependent on others to make a larger project happen. There are serious challenges that still exist, but if the Council follows the mission statement and guiding principles which it worked so hard to develop last fall, our citizens and city will be well served for many years.

The city is much stronger now than it was a decade ago. We have taken a number of initiatives and made a series of strategic investments in our city that are bearing fruit in this new century. We funded major renovations at all of our elementary schools totaling almost $10 million. We implemented major improvements to parks like Tonsler, Washington, and Belmont, and invested in infrastructure through the improvements to the University corner, and construction of the east end mall amphitheater, the Water Street Parking garage and its expansion, the Drewary Brown bridge, streetscape improvements in the 9th-10th street corridor, and the Rivanna Greenbelt. We created totally new programs in the city, including curbside recycling and the McIntire recycling center, the Monticello Ave Internet initiative, the Connected Community project, our tax abatement program targeted to middle income homeowners, and the fare-free trolley. And we embraced new initiatives designed to help our youngsters, from more child-care funding to midnight basketball to a reenergized Commission on Children and Families.

During this period, we have also recognized the importance of strategic partnerships and alliances to create economic activity. We have supported the University, the largest engine of progressive economic activity in the region, while planning to protect adjoining neighborhoods against some of the unintended consequences of university expansion. We have worked with PVCC and others to build a new workforce so necessary to a changing economy. We were successful in convincing the federal government to transfer control of the former NGIC building downtown to the city at no cost. We have worked with the private sector to encourage the investment of private sector capital, especially in the downtown and along W. Main Street. And we have partnered with nonprofits like the Piedmont Housing Alliance, to create a wider range of owner-occupied housing in the city.

During the last decade, we have also embraced plans that will serve us well into the next decade. Our Comprehensive Plan is a model for other communities who seek to increase public participation in the planning process. The Economic Corridors study charts a direction for future economic revitalization. Our Court Square initiative will bring more tourism to our city. We have plans for expansion of our courts downtown that will speak to the need for the next twenty years. And we are now in the midst of another new initiative to provide specific and buildable plans to expand the success of our downtown mall in the context of a major transit center at its east end.

These initiatives have improved our city, enhanced its fiscal stability, and brought a higher quality of life for our residents. This fiscal stability is found in the city's AAA bond rating from two independent rating agencies--the smallest city in the country with such a rating -- and perhaps the longest continuously held rating by any city in the United States. In contrast to many of our neighboring jurisdictions, we have not raised the real estate tax rate in over 16 years. The city reported economic surpluses in the last several years and we chose to reinvest those surpluses strategically for the long term health of the city rather than squander them on some ill-conceived tax cut gimmick. We are consistently ranked as one of the best places in the country to live.

I would like to think that much of the city's success has to do with a series of progressive councils, a topnotch city staff that implements our policies, and an engaged and committed citizenry who supports us when we do well, and gently prods us to do better.

If I learned anything during the reversion debate, it was that the long-term health of the city is linked to several important factors, which I hope future councils will continue to embrace. First, we must creatively redevelop our city to enhance its economic vitality. Second, we must remain disciplined in our budgetary decisions. And third, we must create more middle income housing opportunities so that our citizens will stay in the city as their families grow in size and their incomes increase.

In closing, I would like to thank all who have supported my efforts and the efforts of my colleagues to make this a better place. And I plan to continue my involvement-in both private and public arenas -- to provide whatever insights and energy I can to help make Charlottesville a world class city.

David Toscano (electronic mail, January 7, 2001).