2022 Candidate Profile: Sang H. Yi Is Running For Fairfax City Mayor

FAIRFAX CITY, VA — With incumbent Fairfax City Mayor David Meyer not seeking reelection, two candidates are on the Nov. 8 ballot vying to succeed him — Catherine S. Read and Sang H. Yi, who is currently a member of the Fairfax City Council.

Patch asked each of the candidates in the mayor's race to fill out the following questionnaire. We've already published Read's responses and here are Yi's responses:

Name

Sang H. Yi

Campaign Website

www.SangYiForFairfax.com

Names, ages and any pertinent detail you wish to share.

My wife, Sarah, and I recently celebrated our 10-year anniversary, and are parents to two young children, an 8-year-old daughter and 6-year-old son, both of whom were born as City of Fairfax residents.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government? This includes any relatives who work in the government you're running for.

I am the only person in my family who works in government. No one else in my family works in government. My parents and I immigrated from South Korea when I was a young child. With very limited English abilities, my parents worked in minimum wage jobs and eventually were able to become small business owners. Their first business was a small neighborhood grocery store, and they later owned and operated a liquor store. Through their hard work in challenging environments, they instilled in me a passionate desire to use my education and abilities to serve others in a way they felt unable by their limitations. Excluding about a year while attending law school full-time (I graduated attending in the evenings), I have dedicated the entirety of my adult life, starting by attending a federal service academy for college, to government and public service. In the last two decades, I have served in government as a U.S. Navy Reserve officer, a civilian government employee, and locally as a City Councilman.

Education

U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (B.S., Logistics & Intermodal Transportation); U.S. Naval War College (M.A., National Security & Strategic Studies); George Washington University Law School (J.D.)

Occupation - Please include years of experience

I have extensive government experience. I currently serve on your City Council, and have more than 4 years of experience in elected office. I am a senior aide on Capitol Hill, where I have worked for almost 12 years. I previously served in the Defense Department at an intelligence agency for about 6 years. I also currently serve as a Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Navy Reserve, and have served in uniform for more than 19 years.

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

I was twice-elected to the City Council in 2018 and 2020, and was previously appointed by the Mayor and Council to serve as the City representative to the Fairfax Alcohol Safety Action Program Policy Board.

Why are you seeking elective office?

I love our City and the people who make it special. I have dedicated my entire adult life to service, and I view the opportunity to continue my service at City Hall as a civic duty to my fellow residents and neighbors. While many of us have busy lives with work, family or various personal challenges, I want to help people stay connected to our City as a community. I also want to help preserve the character and family-friendly environment of our City through sensible development, and promote our local economy while ensuring affordability for our residents, especially in the face of the rising cost of living.

The single most pressing issue facing the City of Fairfax is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

We have also seen a rapid amount of growth and development in our City. I am a strong advocate of sensible development and provide the most thorough review of every project before the Mayor and Council. My focus as Mayor will be on doing everything within our municipality’s power to address residents’ concerns about affordability, growing our local economy, and ensuring sensible development, and I will always look to all sides of an issue and listen to all of our stakeholders - you, the resident, our business community. Council Members, Planning Commissioners, and our City’s partners - prior to making decisions.

The direction of our City is also dependent on external factors to which we need to thoughtfully adapt and maneuver. The changing dynamics of the broader economy will dictate what types of development - commercial and residential - are most appropriate and needed in our City. As Mayor, I will keep a keen eye on trends and data to best help lead our City to success.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

Instead of talking about my opponent, I want to focus my answer on how I will help the residents and small businesses in the City of Fairfax.

As an immigrant myself, I understand the need to have a welcoming, diverse, and affordable community to call home. This is why I have worked hard over the last four years as an elected member of the City Council to ensure that people can thrive in the City of Fairfax, small businesses can grow, and our community can work together for a better future for everyone.

I am a believer in having all types of housing to bolster our residential neighborhoods. This is why I have opposed some projects that would have reduced affordable housing options while supporting others that bring younger families and working professionals into the City. At the same time, I want to have opportunities for all residents to move into the housing of their choice, especially for seniors to age in place. It is important to have a balance and that we grow and develop sensibly. Careful consideration should be provided for our existing neighbors as well as future ones.

Over the last two years, our City has undergone dramatic change as it weathered economic storms and the pandemic. I am proud to say that we have been able to maintain and enhance the City services it is so well-known for, especially its trash and recycling pick up, street services, our public safety departments, parks, and recreation programs and facilities, and of course, our award-winning public schools. These high quality services must be maintained with the goal of avoiding onerous tax burdens on our residents. Sharp rises in real estate and personal property assessments created sudden increases in tax liabilities for our residents even with a reduction in the tax rate. We have to balance our needs while ensuring that our families, seniors, and residents of all ages are not taxed out of our City.

I will use my years of professional experience in and understanding of governance, legislation, and working within City government to help lead the core functions and operations of the Mayor and City Council.

As Mayor, I promise that I will continue to support investments in our community while ensuring City Hall is accountable to each and every person who lives in the City of Fairfax

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

As Mayor, I plan to improve upon the construct of our City’s governance by ensuring residents and stakeholders have a true voice and input in the Mayor and Council's decision-making. It is important that the Mayor and Council establish clear policy objectives for City staff to execute and implement to serve our residents.

I also believe that conserving and protecting our natural environment in the City should receive priority focus. From maintaining our parks and trails to protecting our mature trees, I place high value on being a good steward of our natural resources and maintaining our City’s green spaces for the generations to come. As Councilman, one of the frequent questions I ask about any development project is about tree preservation. How we develop with improved stormwater management infrastructure in mind is also critical in mitigating water pollution from runoff.

Prioritizing our natural environment will contribute to the high quality of life the City provides its residents.

As a parent of young children, and as the son of immigrant parents who placed a premium on education, I deeply understand the importance of our students to receive quality learning. Success for kids also means success for our teachers. As Mayor, I will continue to support the strong relationship that our City schools have with the County, as well as work closely with the City School Board to ensure our students receive a top notch education.

Everyone deserves to live in a safe and healthy community and our City has some of the best police, firefighters, and first responders. Ensuring our police and fire departments have the support they need is paramount to community safety. This includes providing departments with the proper resources and training for crisis response. As Mayor, I will always prioritize the safety and health of the residents

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

Having served as an elected member of the City Council, in uniform for nearly two decades as a Navy Reserve officer, and with more than a decade of legislative branch experience, I have developed leadership and policy skills at the highest levels while working with diverse stakeholders to achieve common goals.

Additionally, as a City of Fairfax resident, I have been an active participant in numerous civic and charity organizations, and sincerely appreciate listening to and contemplating various perspectives of our fellow residents – including those who may disagree with views. I have worked collaboratively with various councilmembers and City staff even in the most challenging environments for our City during the COVID-19 pandemic. Combined with my legal education, military experience, and legislative and government oversight background, I am confident that I can serve our City well as Mayor and maintain the stability we will need during the troubling economic uncertainties we face.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

"Show up fully, begin with the end in mind, and don't make assumptions."

Listening with an open and humble mind, especially to those with whom we may disagree is one of the most important leadership traits I have learned in my experience in government and the military. As Mayor, I will be dedicated and fully show up to best represent our community with a strategic mindset incorporating the input of our residents. I will never assume to know everything and always respect that everyone has a unique perspective.

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

I pledge to be a transparent, collaborative and thorough Mayor who will lead by listening to and understanding your concerns and incorporating your input to our solutions. I will always do my best to ensure that we all enjoy a high quality of living as residents of the City of Fairfax. I am passionate about ensuring that our citizenry is represented by sincere, thoughtful, and humble leadership.

I would be honored to earn your vote on November 8th

Related:

• 2022 Candidate Profile: Catherine S. Read Runs For Fairfax City Mayor
• Fairfax City Residents Meet One-On-One With Mayor, Council Candidates