Gandhi once said, “You must be the change you want to see in the world.” What about when it comes to a town?
Leesburg resident of 44 years, Joseph Mydlinski, hopes to find out soon. Just two weeks ago, he wrote himself in as a candidate for the Leesburg Town Council, which will hold elections on Nov. 6.
“There are people running for Town Council that I don’t think have the best interest of the town,” Mydlinski said, who remains optimistic about his campaign. “I really like Leesburg. I’d like to keep it in good shape and keep things running well.”
Everyday, Mydlinski said he takes an hour or two to campaign door to door. You don’t always get an answer, he said, but when you do, everyone has seemed to be, “very responsive”.
During his interactions, Mydlinski has discussed a number of issues that he feels strongly about when it comes to the town. Among them, is to maintain a balanced budget, provide necessary town services efficiently, and solve transportation issues.
"Transportation will be an issue for many years," Mydlinski said. "The new Sycolin overpass is a start. The town needs to study how the new metro line will affect Leesburg and the town makes best use of it. How will the new connector road with Prince William county affect Leesburg? These are all problems that will have to be discussed before solutions can be offered."
Mydlinski also said he' d like to see lower property taxes while keeping water rates fair and equitable to all.
“I think water rates are going to be a problem,” Mydlinski said, adding that he doesn’t think the town should put tax money into them. He is also against selling water to people outside of the town. “I’m on the water rate committee and I haven’t been on it very long but from what I’ve gathered it’s going to be a very interesting problem for us to come up with a fair solution for a lot of people inside the town and out.”
Keeping the court house complex in Leesburg is also vital, Mydlinski said, in order to maintain the economic health of downtown Leesburg. If elected Mydlinski said he would work with the other council members, the Board of Supervisors, and downtown business groups to ensure that the court house stays in Leesburg.
This is Mydlinski’s first time running for public office. He will continue going door to door, he said, and can be found at the Farmer’s Market, in Leesburg, this Saturday morning.
More About Joseph Mydlinski:
Mydlinski is a retired CIA economist who has volunteered for Loudoun Interfaith Relief for over 20 years. He was the recipient of the 2012 “Adult Volunteer of the Year” award for the YMCA, has coached youth baseball and soccer in Leesburg and attends St. John’s Catholic Church, where he is a member of Knights of Columbus.
Mydlinski has also served as a board member for Loudoun Interfaith and is currently a member of the Leesburg Utility Rate Advisory Committee.
