.jpg)
Like many of you, every decision in my life is made with my family in mind. I chose Arlington as my home and as the place I want to raise my children and run my business. I first moved to Arlington in 2009 and grew up just north of Boston. I did not grow up in wealth and privilege. My mother is a teacher, and my father was a police officer and together they instilled in me the importance of hard work and service to others. They taught me that every cent earned represents time, effort, and sacrifice. Understanding the value of a hard-earned dollar isn't abstract to me. That understanding shapes how I run my business and how I raise my children, and it is a belief that will shape the decisions I make on the Arlington County Board.
Julie for Arlington is a campaign that is grounded in the needs of everyday people, like my family and like yours. As a long-time resident, a single mother to two young daughters, a small business owner, and a committed community member, I am passionate about seeing Arlington thrive into the future. My vision for the county is one that values fiscal responsibility and makes decisions with your needs in mind instead of prioritizing special interests. I am committed to working with our community to implement new ideas, explore innovative solutions, and create opportunities for everyone to prosper.
Integrity. Leadership. Accountability.
Arlington deserves leadership that asks hard questions and doesn’t look the other way when something isn’t right. Julie Farnam is running to bring experience and transparency, and to challenge the status quo in Arlington. We need a change to rebuild trust in our County Board.
That starts with rebuilding the trust the people of Arlington have in our County Board by asking questions, digging into the details, and providing the oversight that is required of the County Board. Too often residents and small business owners feel like they don't have a voice in Arlington and their concerns are dismissed.
As a career public servant, having worked in the federal government with the Department of Homeland Security and the United States Capitol Police for nearly two decades, I understand the importance of being transparent and accountable to the people I serve. I also served on my civic association board, as a precinct captain, I chaired the Arlington County Democratic Committee's Women's Caucus, and I foster kittens for the Animal Welfare League of Arlington. I bring to the table a deep understanding of what it takes to govern effectively with transparency and integrity, and how to do that here in Arlington. Moreover, I fully understand the challenges facing federal workers and contractors right now and bring expert knowledge of the issues facing our immigrant community today.
Integrity
As a mother with two young daughters in Arlington’s public school system, and a longtime Arlington resident, Julie Farnam knows firsthand the challenges and opportunities facing working families in this community. She understands the importance of having the hard-working residents and business owners at the forefront of every decision the county makes. It's about putting public interest above personal gain. It's about fiscal responsibility and good governance. It's about acting with honesty and transparency. It's showing accountability and adherence to legal and ethical standards. Always.
Leadership
Having served in the federal government for nearly two decades, including in Senior Executive positions, Julie Farnam has the leadership experience needed for the Arlington County Board. She’s executed multi-million-dollar budgets, she’s written sound policies, she’s managed hundreds of people, and she understands how to build relationships with stakeholders at all levels to achieve goals.
Accountability
As a longtime public servant and Arlington resident, Julie Farnam understands the trust placed in government officials. She has served the public—clearly, consistently, and with the backbone to hold county officials accountable to the people they work for.
SOLUTIONS TO ARLINGTON'S
MOST IMPORTANT ISSUES
FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY
Arlington has become increasingly unaffordable, forcing some longtime residents out. Our taxes keep going up. Property assessments have increased despite significant growth in housing. Commercial spaces remain vacant. Because the county has not developed a strategic plan, it is unable to articulate what are need-to-haves and what are nice-to-haves and that impacts how we spend our money. At a time when the cost of living is higher than ever, Arlington has an obligation to all its citizens to spend their money responsibly.
SAFE COMMUNITIES
It was Minneapolis yesterday and it could be Arlington tomorrow. We need someone with the federal expertise—and exceptional knowledge of the immigration system—who knows how to navigate the system for not if, but when, we are targeted. More than that, Arlington needs someone who isn't afraid to stand up to power. Julie Farnam has stood up to the government, and she didn’t flinch when she was threatened with arrest, when she received threats, or when the powerful tried to shut her up. She would bring that same unwavering determination and commitment to truth and justice to anything that may be thrown at Arlington.
STRATEGIC HOUSING
Arlington County has prioritized the needs of developers over the desire to create housing affordability. Tearing down homes to build McMansions or rentals raises the cost to buy a home in Arlington, dashing the dreams of so many who want a place of their own. Arlington needs to develop expanded Auxiliary Dwelling Unit (ADU) policies, a plan to preserve older or smaller homes because they are more affordable, and must do more to convert vacant or underutilized commercial properties into housing.
GOVERNANCE
Arlington's system of government has not been updated in decades. It is time to increase the number of County Board members, elect our county manager and board chair, and adopt a system of representation that does not dilute minority voices.