Julie Farnam Running For Arlington Board In Democratic Primary: Candidate Questionnaire

ARLINGTON, VA — Julie Farnam says that a lack of affordability is the biggest challenge facing Arlington County voters.

"This year, our board did not put in the work to find alternatives to raising taxes and that is disappointing," she said. "For some, it is devastating. The unaffordability of the county is pushing people out. Raising taxes — again — should have been the option of last resort, but it was largely the only option considered this year."

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Farnam is one of three candidates running in the Aug. 4 Democratic Party primary in the Arlington County Board race. She faces incumbent Board Member Matthew D. “Matt” de Ferranti, and fellow challenger James DeVita. Early voting begins on Thursday, June 18.

As part of its coverage of the 2026 election, Patch asked each of the candidates in the county board race to fill out a questionnaire to describe why they think they're the best person to represent their party on the Nov. 4 ballot. The following are Farnam's responses.

Your Name

Julie Farnam

Position sought

Arlington County Board

Age as of Election Day

47

Campaign Website

www.julieforarlington.com

Family

Lina Pepe, age 12; Natalia Pepe, age 10 (will be 11 in July)

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

My father is retired Massachusetts State Police

Education

Master of Art (MA) Degree in Intercultural Relations | LESLEY UNIVERSITY - Cambridge, MA Bachelor of Art (BA) Degree in Sociology – cum laude | SIMMONS COLLEGE - Boston, MA

Occupation

Investigative Intelligence, 21 years

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

Vice President, Arlington Ridge Civic Association

Why are you seeking elective office?

I’m running because I worry about whether this county will be affordable when my children grow up. Like many in Arlington, I can barely afford to live here now. As I tell my children, when they see something they don’t like in their community, when they have ideas on how to make things better, it takes someone to step up and make the changes they want to see. So that’s what I’m doing.

The fundamental job of any government, especially a local government, is to care for its people. I feel that our local government has lost sight of that. When I look at things like the budget, I don’t see numbers on a page because I know behind every figure and calculation there is a person, there is a life that will be impacted by the decisions we make on the County Board.

I’m concerned that some members of the County Board do not possess the professional experience to lead the county on the complex issues we face. The board needs someone who knows how to manage, who understands budgeting, who will provide the appropriate oversight, and who knows how to execute a vision. More importantly, we need someone who does their homework. We can no longer have board members attending meetings without having read the briefing materials provided to them ahead of time. This is a serious job, and the Arlington County Board needs someone with serious experience to effectively navigate the challenges facing us.

The single most pressing issue facing Arlington County is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

The single most pressing issue facing Arlington County is affordability and this is what I intend to do about it:

This year, our board did not put in the work to find alternatives to raising taxes and that is disappointing. For some, it is devastating. The unaffordability of the county is pushing people out. Raising taxes—again—should have been the option of last resort, but it was largely the only option considered this year.

The practical and implementable solutions that I would propose to address affordability in Arlington include:

• I will look for new sources of revenue instead of raising our property taxes. One possible option is raising our parking ticket rates. This will generate millions of dollars in additional revenue. I will have speed cameras operating all the time, not just part of the day. This will also generate additional revenue.
• I will eliminate the programs that are discretionary, and maybe we don’t need them in our current fiscal situation. One example is the food scrap collection program. While I recognize the environmental benefits of this program, I don’t think we need to be spending over $300,000 a year on this right now.
• I will lead an effort to develop a strategic plan so we know how to prioritize our spending for the long-term.
• I will leverage more community-based organizations to provide some of the services the county currently provides because they can often deliver services to those who need them faster and at a lower cost, like some behavioral healthcare services.
• I will review our housing policy to find solutions that create affordability, equity, and housing diversity in actuality, not just hypothetically, because what we’ve got now is increasing the cost of housing, not reducing it.
• I will advocate that new homes maintain the footprint of the home that was razed. Keeping homes smaller will keep prices lower.
• I will expand our policy on Auxiliary Dwelling Units (ADUs) to allow for more to be built. This is win-win for both homeowners, who will generate rental income, and renters because housing units rented by private individuals tend to be cheaper than those managed by large conglomerates.
• I will look for efficiencies in the county manager’s office including the consolidation of some offices and the elimination of long-vacant positions.

What makes you the candidate who best represents the Democratic Party on the Nov. 3 ballot?

I am the best candidate for the job because my personal and professional experiences are a tremendous asset in this role on the County Board. I am a mother to two children who attend Arlington public schools, I am a small business owner here in Arlington, and I have extensive executive-level public service experience. I bring all those perspectives to the table.

The average Democratic voter here in Arlington, and nationally, are fed up with the establishment because the party has stopped being responsive to people’s needs, and we’ve stopped using common sense. As a party, we are out of touch with the average, hardworking American—and the same is very much true here in Arlington.

We have a choice this election—vote for what we value or vote for loyalty to the party elite.

The role of our government, especially at the local level, is to care for its people, and that will be at the forefront of everything I do if I were to be elected to the County Board.

Right now, we are failing to care for the residents and businesses of Arlington.

So many are financially strained. Arlington’s unemployment rate has increased by 50% over the past two years. Housing prices have increased in Arlington by 39% over the past ten years according to MLS data. But instead of cutting elective programs, like our spending over $300,000 to collect food scraps, instead of seeking out alternative sources of revenue like increasing parking ticket rates, which would generate millions of dollars in additional revenue, we are telling residents to cough up even more money at a time when they just don’t have it.

Our County Board has not demonstrated that they understand or can relate to the impact the decisions they make have on people who are struggling to pay their bills, people who have lost their jobs, people who are busting their butts to put food on the table. It’s about spending taxpayer money responsibly. It’s about acknowledging the contributions those mom-and-pop shops make to this community. It’s about recognizing the impact the decisions we make have on our educators, our public safety officials, our restaurant staff, our gig workers, and all the others who form the backbone of this community.

It is time for a change with our County Board. I am someone who has the leadership experience, who will dig into the data, who will listen to the community, and who has the fortitude to challenge the status quo to get to solutions that make the lives of those who live in Arlington easier, not harder.

That is why I am the best person for this job.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current officeholder failed the community?

The incumbent consistently has not demonstrated that he fully appreciates the intricacies of the job or how the decisions he makes on the County Board impact the people of Arlington. Here are some examples:

• The incumbent serves as the Board liaison to the Human Rights Commission, a role he has held for several years. In August 2024, this Commission was disbanded after they requested an independent investigation from the Department of Justice regarding deaths in the Arlington County jail. First, the County Board should have proactively requested an independent investigation. After they failed to do that, the Commission did. The Commission was seeking answers to very real concerns and disbanding the Commission rather than working with them was a failure. The job of a County Board member isn’t easy. It sometimes requires talking about difficult and contentious topics. Leaders don’t shy away from that. Leadership is stepping up and having those critical conversations.
• • On June 3, 2026, at a Capital Improvement Plan work session with the Arlington County School Board, the incumbent and current chair of the County Board stated of the briefing materials provided to him before the work session, “[other County Board members] have all looked at it, maybe, but I have not gone into detail and it will get iterated again and again.” This is his full-time job, and he came to a meeting unprepared. This impacts his understanding of the subject matter, the questions he asks during these work sessions, and that leads to decisions and positions that are not fully informed.
• At the candidate forum, also on June 3, 2026, the incumbent said the county had passed a ban on leaf blowers, but the county has not. As the chair of the Board, this is something he should know better than anyone else because he set the agenda for Board meetings and, at the time he answered this question, he had not yet put that on the agenda for a vote (a Request to Advertise on this topic is expected to be on the agenda for the June County Board meeting).
• With the Missing Middle/Expanded Housing Options debate, I firmly believe there was opportunity to find common ground, but Board members, including the incumbent, failed to listen to the community and instead put personal preferences over community needs. We are now spending millions of dollars on legal fees and the housing that has been built under that policy is exceptionally unaffordable. Leadership is being brave enough to acknowledge when something isn’t working and then going back to fix the deficiencies in the policy.
• Several businesses have closed along Columbia Pike in part because of how the county handled the years-long construction along that road. Business owners cite extremely poor communication from the county, which made it difficult for them to be able to implement strategies to ensure their customers could access their establishments. Columbia Pike represents a working-class and strong immigrant community in Arlington and failure to properly consider their needs damages the vibrancy of that community and creates resentment towards county leadership. We could and should have done better in managing and planning this project to lessen the impact to businesses and residents in the area.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

There are three other issues my campaign is focused on. They include:

• Strategic housing options. Arlington’s current posture on housing has not created the desired results, namely affordability, equity, and housing diversity. We are also spending millions of dollars of taxpayer money on legal fees rather than reexam a flawed policy. I firmly believe we can speak to those on both sides of this issue and find solutions that meet the needs of neighbors and the whole community and I am committed to doing just that. 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, work to preserve the footprint of homes when a home is torn down and rebuilt, and must do more to convert vacant or underutilized commercial properties into housing.
• Good governance. I am interested in getting community feedback on how our governmental structure is working for the people of Arlington today and what may improve representation and engagement. I am interested in considering a hybrid model of both at-large representation and district representation. I would also like to see the county manager position be an elected position. The county manager has an immense responsibility, and the people should be able to hold the county manager accountable directly with their vote.
• Safety for everyone in the community. Safe communities means creating conditions where everyone can live with stability, dignity, and access to support. This includes protecting immigrant residents so they can report concerns and take part in daily life without fear of unfair treatment or barriers. It is also important to me that we build trust with public safety officials, so they have the training and resources needed to respond effectively in emergencies and keep us all safe. Community programs, fair enforcement of laws, and access to basic services all play a role in keeping neighborhoods secure.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

I am running for the Arlington County Board because my career has been rooted in public service and delivering results in moments that demand focus and accountability. At the United States Capitol Police, I warned of the risk of violence ahead of January 6th and later took on the responsibility of rebuilding the intelligence division. I grew the team by 94 percent, established its first formal training program, and led the development of a system that allowed analysts to vet approximately 10,000 threat cases in a single year.

Earlier in my career at the Department of Homeland Security, I recruited a diverse group of well-qualified, highly motivated employees, the majority of whom were also veterans. I reinvigorated organizational development initiatives, including addressing low morale related to previous inattentive management, inadequate promotion opportunities, and performance concerns. When I served as chief of a division within the Department of Homeland Security, I also established a strategic plan to address the deficiencies in training and knowledge, resulting in developing three guidance documents and 120+ hours of training opportunities, including technical training, leadership development, and soft skills training. I have led large teams, managed complex operations, and made decisions where the outcome had real consequences.

My work in Arlington is just as important to me. As a civic association board member and a homeowners association president, I have worked directly with neighbors to address local issues and improve our community. I have managed budgets, guided decisions, and helped resolve concerns that affect daily life. I understand how county decisions shape public safety, housing, and infrastructure, and I approach each issue with careful attention and a commitment to follow through. I am ready to bring my experience, discipline, and focus on results to serve Arlington residents.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

My grandmother helped raise me and shaped much of how I understand people and responsibility. It wasn’t advice in the sense of ‘you should do this,’ but rather she gave advice through example. She grew up in poverty as one of eleven children, with immigrant parents who did not speak English. Those early conditions of having to go to food banks to have something to eat or getting clothes from a local church formed her outlook and her approach to others. She learned to value perseverance and compassion through lived experience and carried those values into her adult life. She passed those same principles onto me and our whole family through daily example and steady guidance. I carry her influence into how I treat people and into the way I raise my daughters, with attention to dignity and compassion in every interaction.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

My campaign is focused on changing how Arlington County makes decisions so residents have more direct influence over outcomes. I want to see increased accountability and oversight with county operations and a more responsive staff to both the Board and the community at large. On a personal note, I grew up knowing the value of a dollar. My mom is a teacher, and my dad was a cop. And as a small business owner myself, every dollar I earn is one that I’ve had to work really hard for. I’m a blue-collar gal originally from Boston and that scrappy, fight for what’s right attitude that comes from the culture of a city that was forged in revolution is what we need here in Arlington today. So, a lot of these issues that are central to my campaign are issues I’m living. These aren’t just talking points for me. It’s a perspective that comes from the experience of living, working, and raising a family here in Arlington.