3 F.C. Council Members Feted in Final Meeting Before Terms End

MONDAY, JUNE 28 2010 10:49:58 PM

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F.C. departing Council members (left to right) Dan Sze, Hal Lippman and Dan Maller. (Photo: News-Press)

Three members of the Falls Church City Council whose terms end as of July 1 were widely praised and honored both during a special reception prior to tonight’s Council meeting and during the meeting, as well. Vice Mayor Hal Lippman and Council members Dan Maller and Dan Sze will finish out their stints on the Council when three new members are sworn in this Thursday night.

Citizen discontent with the recession-driven record revenue shortfall and cutbacks required to balance the coming year’s fiscal budget led to the defeat of Lippman and Sze (in the CBC convention), and Maller chose not to seek a second term. The three new Council members will all be joining it for the first time and only one, current School Board chair Ron Peppe, had ever run for public office before winning the Council seats in May.

The praise heaped upon the three for their tireless commitment to their work, their dedication and their shared passion for serving the best interests of the City. Maller was singled out for the contribution his legal acumen brought to the Council, as well as an ability to “think outside the box.” Sze was hailed for his effectiveness promotion of environmental awareness, as well as his “words of wisdom,” and ability to “cut to the chase” on complicated issues. Lippman was praised for his tireless efforts on the Council while courageously serving his country on numerous civilian missions to Iraq and Afghanistan.

In addition to receiving these plaudits from their colleagues on the Council, they were all also praised and thanked by former mayor Dan Gardner, speaking on behalf of his wife, Deborah Gardner, the president of the Citizens for a Better City (CBC) that had nominated them all, former Vice Mayor Lindy Hockenberry, F.C. Chamber of Commerce executive director Sally Cole and local businessman Paul Quinn. Hockenberry hailed them for “caring for all our citizens” and “making the city a better place.”

Lippman also presented a plaque and words of appreciation to Mayor Robin Gardner, who will remain on the Council but will likely not be re-elected to a third term as mayor when the new Council convenes Thursday. He singled her out for her skill in growing the reputation of the Falls Church Council as a “can do, get things done group.”

Sze said he was “humbled by the outpouring of appreciation,” Maller spoke to the Council’s “unity of purpose” and said “it was an incredible privilege to serve.” and Lippman thanked his colleagues as “seven individuals united in the best interests of the city.”