Patch Profile: Peter Fallon

Peter Fallon isn’t afraid to lay his cards on the table. In fact, he encourages people to do that.

Life is short and time is valuable, he says. In a county where there’s always time for one more meeting, why spend that precious time drawing out someone’s position? A leader, he said, should welcome newcomers to Arlington (and the Arlington Way), to public speaking and, generally, to civic engagement.

When people feel comfortable, when they have the time or technology to participate despite their busy schedules, and when they feel like their concerns are being heard, then they are more likely to contribute.

That’s an underlying theme in Fallon’s bid for the Arlington County Board. Fallon is one of five Democrats seeking their party’s nomination this week.

“I don’t believe you find a solution simply by the people who are yelling at you and screaming in your ear, making demands,” Fallon said. “Ultimately, this is about governing. And governing is about compromise, doing the right thing for the most people.

"So, you’ve got to bring in different points of view – even if they’re not the dominant points of view in the room at that time. So, ultimately I see myself as the good government candidate.”

Fallon, 47, who has lived in the Donaldson Run community for more than two decades, serves on the county’s Planning Commission. If elected, he’d be voting on many of the things he’s already been involved with in an advisory capacity.

He talks about the need for the county to be more proactive in attracting small businesses – businesses that would be unique to Clarendon, or Crystal City or Westover, and become a part of the community fabric.

As the only Democratic candidate with a daughter about to enter the public school system, he also talks about the need for the county to work better with the school board and the added perspective he would bring as a parent of a young child.

Fallon describes himself first and foremost as a community advocate. He lists his top three issues as education, transportation – from transit to traffic calming – and community sustainability, which he believes includes keeping the county’s fiscal house in order, taking care of those less fortunate and the environment.

More people need to be involved in decision-making, Fallon said. And that’s difficult given the way the Arlington Way has evolved over the years.

That process of civic engagement requires such an “extraordinary” commitment of time that it isn’t possible for many people to get involved, he said.

“It’s hard to get into the process unless someone brings you along or you force your way into it,” Fallon said. “You have to have a certain personality. You have to be able to persevere and be assertive. You have to elbow your way in in many cases. And that’s not everyone’s style.”

Fallon believes there’s “an undercurrent of arrogance” tainting the process, where people who get involved for the first time feel like decisions have already been made and elected officials are hearing them just for show.

The anti-county board sentiment felt by residents of the Woodbury Heights Condominium Association is fairly common, he said, particularly in the neighborhoods.

“The community cares about the details, so you have to care about the details. Otherwise, you appear aloof, and you get dragged down. But we often don’t, in Arlington, sort of piece it all together,” Fallon said.

“We’re not real good with second opinions. And one thing we do with the Arlington Way, we use it for political cover more than we should.”

That cover can come in the form of task forces, Fallon said – which can play an important role in the decision-making process, but too often are simply a way for elected officials to put off making a decision for two years, or three, in hopes that opposition gets frustrated or dies out.

“There’s definitely this thinking at high levels of ‘we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.’ That’s not healthy. That’s not sustainable. That’s not long-term. If you can see something coming down the road, you should pay attention, and be talking about it and thinking about it,” Fallon said.

“Our planning tends to … focus more on visions in terms of buildings, I think, and less in terms of the people in the community. That’s the challenge. And I’m the big mouth at the table who argues these points – versus a lot of times when these things come forward you’re just supposed to smile and say 'rah-rah-rah.' ”

The county needs to spend more time doing outreach to communities affected by the decisions it will make, and make information about projects less technical and easier to digest, he said.

“Being on the county board … You are a decision-maker,” Fallon said. “And you need to make a timely, thoughtful decision as a group. So, you don’t ignore problems and hope they go away. And you really need to make the move – which requires bravery or courage – to get to the underlying issue. And I think if you are straight with the voters, and they know you’re not trying to yank them one way or another … most people will respond in kind.”

Fallon and his wife have lived in Arlington since 1986. They have one daughter.

Besides being a father and community advocate, Fallon enjoys gardening – flowers and vegetables.