Thomas S. Dunn Seeks Change in Upcoming Election

For the first time ever, the Leesburg Town Council elections will be held on Nov. 6. The change comes after  passed a referendum to change town elections from May to November, in even-numbered years.

 on the ballot this year, four of whom will be returning members. 

Among them is Thomas S. Dunn who has been serving on the Town Council since 2008.

Dunn said he has decided to run for another term because there is still a lot of work that needs to be done for the town.

“There are many areas that are good but could be so much better,” Dunn said. “Frankly, I don't feel I can leave it to the current council to make real additional positive impacts for the town. Things are good but we should have outstanding.”

Dunn said that if everyone in the town could see what he has seen over the last four years they would be amazed at how little the council is doing and how much more could be done.

“I am often the dissenting vote on council. I often challenge council to do more, to do better by the citizens,” Dunn said. “The majority of council wants the status quo. I am just one vote of four needed to pass anything. I am always looking for areas where we can improve.”

Dunn said the town needs a council that is going to put the concerns of citizens first over the concerns of government. He hopes to work with new council members to remove wasteful spending, add more jobs resulting from better regulation management that helps citizens and business, and create utility policies that can lower everyone's rate.

“I want an open and free political process for the people of Leesburg, unlike the current council which showed it's true colors when it went so far as to deny public input on the election date change to November because they all oppose the change at one time or another,” Dunn said.

Currently, Dunn serves on, or is council's liaison to the Virginia Municipal League's Human Development and Education Committee. He has been on the Planning Commission for two years and has been a member of the Leesburg Economic Development Commission for seven. He also served as the council liaison to the Leesburg Thomas Balch Library Commission and the Board of Architectural Review. 

Dunn holds a B.S. degree in Social Studies from Mary Washington College in Fredricksburg and has 16 years experience in Mortgage Banking.

Dunn said he is looking forward to the number of candidates in this year’s race. What it shows is that other people in town are willing to step into leadership roles they see lacking within the current council, he said.

“Citizens will soon see the line drawn between those candidates who bring new and better ideas, and those candidates that claim all is good now and no better job can be done,” Dunn said. “Some new candidates are going to fall in line with the "let's do it the same old way crowd" and I can not support them. However, I look forward to running a campaign with two other candidates that can bring the best out of Leesburg. I am not just running for council, I am running to change council.”