Little River District Supervisor Candidates

Laura Tekrony

Laura Tekrony grew up on a farm in Hopewell, New Jersey. She graduated from Bucknell University with a BA in biology and an MBA in marketing from Fordham University. Tekrony began her career in the pharmaceutical industry in advertising. She started her own healthcare marketing and business development consulting business, and moved with her family to Aldie in 2004. Tekrony has served as a Loudoun County legislative aide for nearly 8 years, and has been actively active in her community for 20 years. She has two daughters who graduated from John Champe High School and one daughter who attends Lightridge High School.  

Blue Ridge Leader: When elected, what are your top priorities?

Laura Tekrony: My top priorities are:

• Create a County Department focused on the environment and renewable energy to bring the experts together and ensure that the environment is a priority.
• Accelerate the opening of HS-14 in Dulles North to relieve overcrowding at Independence High School. 
• Prioritize crosswalks, roundabouts, turn lanes, and traffic calming to improve safety and reduce congestion.
• Protect western Loudoun and preserve our natural and historic resources.
• Advocate for more parks, green space and multi-use trails. 
• Hire an urban planner who is experienced in realizing the vision at both of Loudoun’s Metro stations to develop a vibrant mixed use high-capacity transit area.
• Add a Homeowners Association Liaison to keep the community informed about land use and zoning issues, increase communications, and facilitate missing transportation improvements like sidewalks, crosswalks, and trail connections.
• Continue working with eastern Loudoun residents to address concerns with airplane overflights and noise. 

BRL: What areas would you change or continue from the previous Board?

LT: An area I would change is to have a regional approach to the attainable housing crisis and a land banking policy to meet present and future infrastructure needs. 

Loudoun has an attainable/affordable housing crisis. The Unmet Housing Needs Strategic Plan is a start, but the long-term solution must be at a regional level. I support working with the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments on attainable housing goals and new innovative policies especially near the Metro stations. I also support an affordable by design policy to expand housing attainability with small, diverse housing options and a wide range of housing types located near schools, amenities and public transit. 

Over the next 10 years, eastern Loudoun will likely be built out. This growing population requires schools, parks, transportation and other public facilities to maintain a high quality of life. 

My vision for the transition policy area (located in the center of the County) is a central reserve where needed infrastructure like parks, schools, linear trails, and other facilities can be located to serve both eastern and western Loudoun. I would like to enact a land banking policy to secure public facilities before our County is built out and establish a nonprofit Park Foundation for residents and businesses to contribute and help meet the need for green space and parks.

I would continue the zoning ordinance rewrite by prioritizing a package of western Loudoun zoning amendments for rural economy uses. Intensive commercial activities are impacting the quality of life of residents in rural Loudoun County. I believe regulations need to be strengthened for intensive uses to mitigate light pollution, noise, traffic and parking impacts. 

BRL: How would you protect western Loudoun?

LT: I believe that rural Loudoun is a permanent asset that benefits the entire County. During the development of the 2019 Comprehensive Plan, the residential forecast for the rural policy area is 10,000 units by 2040. This is not sustainable. The future of the rural policy area must be built on sustainable growth that focuses on agriculture, equestrian, animal husbandry, and compatible rural tourism.

I support exploring all tools to keep western Loudoun rural including:

• Restarting and funding a Purchase of Development Right (PDR) program to save farmland and historic and natural resources from development
• Studying the feasibility of a Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) program to be purchased by data centers
• Opposing any proposal to place data centers in rural areas
• Preserving prime agricultural soils in cluster subdivisions
• Encouraging conservation easements with more incentives and financial assistance for landowners
• Maintaining the historic character of our rural villages with small area plans
• Protecting our historic rural gravel road network because it contributes to our rural economy and provides recreational opportunities
• Keeping our small rural schools open to the community

BRL: How would you address the County budget and spending?

LT: Loudoun County’s population increased 35% between 2010 and 2020. During that time, the Board of Supervisors kept the tax rate at the equalized rate. This put pressure on more new development to pay for spending growth and this approach still ended up with schools being underfunded and we got behind in infrastructure and service needs.

My budget spending priorities, consequently, are to accelerate the construction of HS-14 to relieve overcrowding at Independence High School and start a land banking policy for parks, multi-use trails, schools and attainable housing.

Over the last 5 years, General Government Administration has led spending growth at 11% per year on average, higher than budgeting for services and programs.

When elected Supervisor, I will find ways to contain overhead costs and to pass the lowest possible real and personal property taxes while maintaining needed County services and adequately funding the schools. I will also call for a reduction in the vehicle personal property tax rate impacting residents and propose an increase in the business personal property tax rate for data center computer equipment to compensate. Currently, the tax rates are the same at $4.15 per $100 of assessed value.

BRL: What is your position on data centers?

LT: Data Center tax revenues have been critical in keeping residential tax rates low. But going forward there needs to be careful consideration about their location near residential neighborhoods. We need to diversify our commercial tax base to limit our single industry dependence on data center revenues.

To diversify our economy, we need to incentivize non-data center commercial business growth and protect parcels that do not allow data centers by-right for employment and tax diversification purposes.

As your Supervisor, I support working with the industry to improve data center standards and protect the quality of life for our residents such as:

• Onsite renewable energy generation
• Reduced encroachment from noise, lighting, and power infrastructure (transmission lines and substations)
• Innovative cooling technologies
• Green space preservation
• Increased screening and setback requirements near residential areas
• Reporting requirements on energy and water consumption

Ram Venkatachalam 

Ram Venkatachalam lives in Brambleton with his wife and 2 children. He is actively involved in his community and served as vice-president of his Home Owners Association. He has served as a county election officer and currently serves as Chairman for the Loudoun County Transit Advisory Board. He is a professional consultant focused on Business, Technology and Management for a top 5 firm. He has a computer science engineering degree and a master’s in computer science.

Blue Ridge Leader: When elected, what are your top priorities?

Ram Venkatachalam: We need bold, new leadership and fresh ideas in local government, and this is the year to make it happen. I firmly believe in focusing on the issues that matter most to us here in our community: lower taxes, economic opportunity, and yes, ensuring quality public education for every child. I will lead with integrity, accountability and transparency which are very much needed today more than anytime in Loudoun County.

My top priorities for the district and the county:

• Better transportation solutions
• Better management of our schools
• Sensible zoning east of 15 and preservation of our land west of 15
• Fund public safety
• And low taxes

BRL: What areas would you change or continue from the previous Board?

RV: First and foremost, the Board of Supervisors need to be accountable, responsible and execute with integrity. I will work to restore trust with our taxpayers by engaging with constituents and taking my time to not only understand but collaborate, as we are elected to do just that. Trust will need to be rebuilt over the course of time.

I was raised on my grandparents’ farm and homeschooled in my formative years, when I was younger. I bring that sense of understanding to the rural parts of the west. I also because I believe that I can best represent the diversity of our district while serving the densely populated eastern areas as well as the rural and historic parts of Middleburg and beyond.

Our public schools need better oversight to ensure our tax dollars are focused on academics, rewarding our teachers, and keeping children safe. I support more rigorous budget guidance (multiple transfers in a year) from the Board of Supervisors, greater accountability for spending, and returning any surplus funds to taxpayers. 

I also support an effective School Resource Officer program in every public school. I oppose spending taxpayer money on socially divisive policies and curriculum that replaces the wishes of parents and dictates what our children should think.

Sensible zoning is essential to allow more people to live and work nearby. We must avoid building data centers everywhere. We must preserve the beauty of rural Loudoun. 

I support more housing options and mixed-use communities near Metro stations to promote living, working, and shopping close by. I oppose data centers near residential communities, schools, and rural areas. I also oppose expanding flights at Dulles in ways that will increase noise over homes and disrupt neighborhoods.

We need better solutions than more traffic and congestion in eastern Loudoun. I support Metro’s Silver Line as part of the solution, but it’s not the only one, and it’s not suitable for everyone. I support commuter buses as part of our transportation network to give commuters choices. I support traffic lights where needed, better turn lanes at intersections, pedestrian and vehicular safety and roundabouts where they make sense.

Is our zoning and Comp plan current to meet the current residents of our county? Are the county services in tune with resident expectations? I strongly believe our county government and schools are at a crossroads and the Board’s goal is to enable residents to live, to work and to enjoy their quality of life in our county. 

I would be advocating for a citizen volunteer driven Government Reform Commission (GRC) that will study the county End-to-End and come back with recommendations on what’s working well and what’s not working well. This will enable us to fine tune the services offered for our population based on the last census data taken in 2020.

I believe in common-sense solutions to local problems, prioritizing our community’s needs over divisive social issues and national agendas. I would leverage my 20 years of business experience and community service to collaborate and accomplish this. I also have a proven track record of bringing people together and achieving common-sense results.

BRL: How would you protect western Loudoun?

RV: Western Loudoun reminds me of the small towns that I grew up in, where we literally knew each other. Where there’s one community schools, community halls, convenience stores, coffee shops, hair stylists amongst family-owned farms, cattle, horses, restaurants, places of worship and Bed and Breakfasts, all wrapped around by nature’s open space. These communities create memories of a lifetime where kids excel in schools, play with their friends, while growing up in a safe community.

Loudoun’s soil is prime agricultural soil. Conservation easements have north of 80,000 preserved and 1,000’s more to preserve. The Purchase of Development Rights should be a top priority for the first district supervisor of the Little River District.

I will work with the school board and Virginia cooperative Extension to have Ag education integrated into our schools. I would also work to expand broadband coverage in an expedited manner, which is a huge challenge for Middleburg, St. Louis and greater Aldie. I would also work with Coalition of Loudoun Towns to ensure villages and towns residents get the same level of services as people living the east.

That’s why I signed a contract for conservation, Project PIC Perfect (Promoting Innovation in Conservation) with fellow candidates and elected officials.

BRL: How would you address the County budget and spending?

RV: We can improve the quality of life in Loudoun while maintaining a responsible tax rate. I support diversifying and expanding Loudoun’s commercial and office tax base, reducing the burden on homeowners. I oppose taxing above the equalized rate when the county budget is adopted each year. I support statewide efforts to lower motor vehicle taxes and fees.

BRL: What is your position on data centers?

RV: We must avoid building data centers everywhere and yes, I will propose to adopt certain standards – 500 feet setback, lighting, security lighting, operational noise standards and minimize external sound reflection consistent with residential uses, require building height and review to amend easement access to provide additional oversight.

Apart from your data center question, for Middleburg’s Mickie Gordon Park, I believe we should:

• Honor the park’s past by creating an indoor facility with a pictorial and narrative history of the Hall family and their field.
• Restore baseball to the park by rebuilding the fields for the American Legion and our young people.
• Install a playground for our children’s enjoyment.
• Add trails, including narrative trails that tell the story of our community’s history.
• Clean up the pond for catch-and-release fishing.
• Be inclusive and maintain the community garden area.
• Keep current with the county’s progress on constructing more cricket pitches in locations closer to where the players live.
• Create a partnership between Middleburg and Loudoun County Parks and Rec for managing and programming the park.
• Use the park for daytime events and enjoy the dark skies with special sky-watching programs.

In a month’s time we have a choice to make: 

• Do we let Loudouners keep more of their hard-earned money and lower the cost of living? 
• Do we give our law enforcement the resources and the support they need to protect our communities from violent crime and fentanyl? 
• Do we empower parents in their children’s education? 
• Do we enact commonsense, unifying policies for all Loudouners?

I say yes and I ask for your support and vote on November 7. Early voting is underway.