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The 434 Newsletter
Keeping You Informed
Highlighting April 2021
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The Rundown
Brief Updates
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- Budget Updates
- Vote on a Zoning Petition in Cornerstone
- Who has my vote in the May 8th Convention
- Discussing a DEI position for the City
- Why I am hesitant to support a 5% General Wage Increase
- Dismissing Personal Jabs
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Fiscal Year 2022 Budget Update
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Council continues to spend your Tax Dollars.
Over the course of the past month, as I have shared with you before in other emails, the majority continues to reject options for shrinking the size of government in our City. They also reject debate on lower a Personal Property Tax Rate, let alone an actual vote.
Here is one interesting note. When Council works through the budget, there are items put on "The List." This "List" is a group of budget items that a Councilmember would like further debate on, a specific vote for/against or to remove from the budget entirely. Would you believe not one member of the liberal majority has yet to add a single item to the List? Not one item.
I have put supported off-setting costs/flat-funding for the School Division, delaying infrastructure projects, rejecting the addition of more Administrative Staff, and not taking your tax dollars and putting it into a savings account for the government.
Seemingly, those on the other side of the aisle are lock-step with the City Administration in dramatically increasing your taxes and spending every cent of it. There has not been one single line-item amendment or push for discussion by the majority.
Is this the kind of Council you, as a taxpayer in Lynchburg, want?
Council seems to be in the final stages of our budget work, and as I have previously stated, I cannot support such a product when it is built on a $4.1 million property tax increase.
On the bright side, more and more folks just like you are paying greater attention to their local government operations, like never before. Conservatives are beginning to fully see the tax and spend policies of those in the majority and are having enough. Let's keep this momentum, and continue to push back on policies that are the antithesis of small-government, fiscally sound, representative democracy.
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Listening To Constituents, Protecting Neighborhoods
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It is important to remember who we, as Councilmembers, are responsible to. In April, Council was presented with a development that meets the needs of many in our community - affordable, owner-occupied housing. This proposed project was located in the heart of Cornerstone. But was it good for the community in the location presented?
The neighbors of Wyndsor Hills and Cornerstone came out with one, unified message on this proposed development. Thankfully, Council listened.
"Ward IV Councilman Chris Faraldi said though he would love to support a project that promises 12 new condos at a reasonable price, the resident opposition sent a clear message.
'I've heard nothing but opposition from residents,' he said, 'I've heard nothing but concerns from the neighbors ... that's who we report to, that's who we hear from and act accordingly to.'" - Lynchburg City Council denies 12-unit growth in Cornerstone neighborhood
I hope Council continues to listen to those who we represent on all issues, not just for zoning.
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How Can I Get Involved?
Will you sign-up to automatically contribute just $5 a month to assist with promoting and advancing the conservative platform (continuing this newsletter, digital marketing for issues before Council etc.) within the City? A commitment of $5 a month over the course of a four-year term comes out to over $250, putting the conservative platform in a strong position to be successful.
Join us, today.
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Republican Party of Virginia - May 8th Convention
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Lynchburg Republicans, I ask you join me in supporting Pete Snyder in the May 8th Convention. #TeamPete
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Follow me on my Facebook and Twitter Page
to continue to stay informed.
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Discussing A Proposed "Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Strategist" for the City
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After asking why this position is proposed in the City Manager's office and not in Human Resources; the $100k allocated for the role; seeking an understanding of specific day-to-day operations for the job; asking how similar initiatives are already being addressed by the HR Department/policies; inquiring about third-party vendors doing similar work; uncovering if this position will embrace any aspect of Critical Race Theory; and, how the role will balance individual liberties while seeking to accomplish the goals of the position, I offered these final comments and my chief concern on the proposal for a new Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion strategist for the City.
Historically, from my lens, I see this type of position have a certain abhorration for conservative thinking, and conservatives themselves. I have also seen government bureaucrats stepping in and dictating what speech, way of thinking, or expression of those 1st Amendment Rights, are appropriate - antithetical to the entire notion of the position itself (tolerance and inclusion).
I wanted to ensure that this position in the proposed budget is truly doing what I am being told it is doing, and nothing to the contrary. I'm not convinced at this time that the proposal has been made to a point where these concerns and questions of mine are quelled.
Council voted to include this position in the Fiscal Year 2022 Budget by a vote of 4-2.
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Listen to my final argument on the matter.
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Right Now, A 5% General Wage Increase Is Not Good Policy
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A 5% General Wage Increase will only further exacerbate the compression issue in the City Workforce with those at the top of the pay scale taking a large portion of those funds and those at the bottom (the ones who need it most) getting very little.
That is why I pushed for a delay in implementing the 5% increase for some time so Council can further understand this "Third Option" presented by the City Administration Tuesday night. I am pleased a majority of Council agreed with me (Mayor Dolan, Councilmember Jeff Helgeson and Randy Nelson).
As I stated in this interview with WSLS 10 / WSLS.com, if the primary opposing argument is there would not enough time in the next couple of weeks to create an implementation plan to address compression, then Council should at least put a lock-box on these funds until said compression plan is ready. Let's do right by the City workforce.
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If Council insists on spending these Tax Dollars, let's get a strategic, creative plan to fix a major issue in the City Workforce.
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I will not allow other Councilmembers to publically question my integrity and get away with it.
It is unfortunate we live in a time where a well-intentioned motion, policy, or priority is immediately chalked up or construed to be nothing more than "political gamesmanship." Seemingly, every time when I have made such proposals, these personal jabs continue to come my way from some of my colleagues, and I will not abide such inflammatory rhetoric or tactics.
Advocating for our constituents and voting on sound, well-researched, deliberated policies, on the merits, should be the main priority for any elected official. That always has been and will continue to be my focus.
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I had the privilege of sitting in with the folks at Lynchburg Department of Emergency Services and watching them work this past weekend. Our dispatchers are top-notch! It is an environment that goes from 0-100 in milliseconds. Truthfully, dispatchers are the unseen backbone of the public safety network.
Thank you for all that you do, mostly behind the scenes, for our community! Looking forward to coming back.
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Thank you for the opportunity to serve you on Lynchburg City Council as the representative from Ward IV.
Best,
Chris Faraldi, M.A.
Ward IV Representative
Lynchburg City Council
www.ChrisFaraldi.com
(434) 544-1774
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