League Concerned Over Change of Government Document

Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Nancy Tate 6/22/2010 202-263-1303 http://lwv-arlingtonva.org ntate@lwv.org

The League of Women Voters of Arlington, Virginia

League Concerned Over Change of Government Dialogue

The League of Women Voters of Arlington today expressed concerns about the depth of the public dialogue regarding proposed changes to Arlington's form of government. League president Nancy Tate called for an open discussion focusing on the practical implications of the proposed structural, managerial, and electoral changes that could greatly affect County residents should the issue be brought before the voters.

"The League has no position about what form of government or electoral system is best. We do, however, have a long-standing commitment to providing a forum for discussion when key aspects of life in the county are impacted," said Tate. "This proposal has the potential to impact everything from access to affordable housing and critical community services to land use and the quality of our schools. That is why we have asked the two organizations formed around this issue to answer key questions about how the proposed changes to the County Board would impact our community."

The League sent a letter to the Committee for a Better Arlington (CBA), which supports the proposed change of creating a County Board form, and the Coalition for Arlington Good Government (CAGG), which supports maintaining the current County Manager Plan. Despite an initial agreement to respond within the one week deadline, CBA did not do so and has not responded to further inquiries. CAGG did. The questions, and the CAGG responses, are pasted below and available online at http://lwv-arlingtonva.org. If responses are received later from CBA, the League will publish those as well.

"Arlington voters have the right to be informed on issues of such importance to our community," Tate concluded. "Any proposed changes to our government should be discussed in a concrete and practical manner. We look forward to that conversation."

For further information, contact Arlington League President Nancy Tate at ntate@lwv.org.

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