McQuillen Says Fairfax City Must Manage Growth And Costs While Protecting Quality Of Life

FAIRFAX CITY, VA — Managing growth and rising costs while preserving residents’ quality of life is the biggest challenge facing Fairfax City voters, City Council member Rachel McQuillen says as she seeks reelection.

“I will pursue more efficient City operations, responsible redevelopment, stronger economic growth, and careful long-term planning so residents receive excellent services without being priced out or overwhelmed by traffic and infrastructure demands,” McQuillen wrote in responses to Patch’s candidate questionnaire.

McQuillen wants to complete a citywide efficiency audit and require long-term financial plans before committing taxpayers to major projects. She supports redevelopment that expands housing choices and strengthens the commercial tax base, while opposing projects with unresolved infrastructure or safety concerns or designs that fail to respect surrounding neighborhoods.

McQuillen is running for the Fairfax City Council in the Nov. 3 general election.

The other candidates running for City Council are Stacy A. Hall, Kelly O’Brien, Rachel M. McQuillen, Anthony T. Amos, Sandi W. Slappey Brown, Russell A. Jones, Stephen S. Kim, María José Padmore, and Jessica Lough.

Patch invited candidates to share their backgrounds, priorities and views on issues facing Fairfax City through its campaign questionnaire. McQuillen’s responses follow below.

Your Name

Rachel McQuillen

Position sought (mayor, city council, school board, etc.)

City Council

Age (as of Election Day)

45

Campaign Website

RachelforFairfax.com

City elections are traditionally non-partisan and candidates must run as independents, according to both the city charter and the Code of Virginia. No party affiliation or "mark" will appear next to any of the candidates' names on the November 2026 ballot. Have you been endorsed by a recognized political party or have you aligned yourself with a group of candidates representing themselves as independent, non-partisan candidates, including candidates running in other city races? Please check the answer that is most appropriate.

I have aligned myself with a group of candidates representing themselves as independent and nonpartisan.

Please elaborate on your answer to the previous question and explain how this will affect the way you will serve on the city council.

I have never sought or received an endorsement from any political party. My independence is more than a campaign label. It is how I govern.

I collaborate with other independent candidates when we share common goals, but no party, committee, or candidate group dictates my positions or votes. I study each issue, ask difficult questions, and make the decision I believe best serves Fairfax City.

I am accountable to residents, not a party platform. Fairfax City comes first.

How does your status as described in the two previous questions help Fairfax City voters choose a candidate that best aligns with their particular political beliefs?

Being independent means voters can judge me by my values and record, not by a party label.

My votes and actions demonstrate my priorities. I voted against raising the meals tax, and I introduced the motion for a citywide efficiency audit to identify opportunities to streamline services, reduce costs, and strengthen revenue before asking taxpayers for more.

I have supported strong schools, public-safety retention and advanced life-support pay, and an additional police position. I opposed the Davies development because I did not believe its scale, design, and impacts were appropriate for the location. I have also demanded greater scrutiny of costly trail projects affecting mature trees, natural areas, and sensitive waterways.

These decisions do not follow a national party platform. They reflect an independent council member who evaluates each issue on its merits and answers directly to Fairfax City residents.

Family

My family is the reason Fairfax City is not simply where I live. It is home. My husband and I have raised our two sons here since 2010. We took a nontraditional path, starting our family and buying our first home before returning to college while working and raising children. That experience taught me firsthand what families face when balancing childcare, education, housing, careers, and household expenses. I also grew up in a military family. My father served 21 years in the United States Marine Corps, and my mother was a public-school teacher. After moving frequently as a child, I understand the value of finally putting down roots in a community where neighbors look out for one another. That is what my family found in Fairfax City, and it is what I work to protect for every family who calls our City home.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Education

I earned an A.S. in Business Administration from Northern Virginia Community College and a B.S. in Marketing from George Mason University, where I was a Global Engagement Scholar. I completed my education as a working mother and nontraditional student, an experience that strengthened my perseverance and shaped my practical approach to public service.

Occupation

Small-business owner with more than 10 years of professional experience in accounting and finance. I own and operate a dog-training and pet-care business.

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Political Office

Previous or current elected or appointed political office Fairfax City Council member, January 2025 to present Fairfax City School Board member, prior to joining City Council Former member, Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Member, Move Fairfax City Steering Committee Member, Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments FARM Committee During my School Board service, I served as legislative chair, supported school-bond outreach and worked with colleagues on the first all-female School Board in the City’s history. Before elected office, I spent more than a decade volunteering in Fairfax City schools and community organizations.

Why are you seeking elective office?

I am seeking reelection because Fairfax City needs leaders who are willing to look beyond the easy answer and fight for the right one.

I began serving this community as a parent and PTA volunteer, continued on the School Board, and now serve on City Council. I have learned that the decisions made at City Hall are deeply personal. They determine whether families can afford to stay, whether children receive an excellent education, whether businesses can thrive, and whether residents feel heard.

Experience has made me more effective, but it has not made me comfortable with business as usual. I still ask the questions others may overlook, challenge assumptions, and speak up when a proposal does not serve our residents. I am running to protect what people love about Fairfax City while helping build a future that remains affordable, welcoming, and worthy of their trust.

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

The single most pressing issue is managing growth and rising costs without losing the quality of life that makes Fairfax City home. I will pursue more efficient City operations, responsible redevelopment, stronger economic growth, and careful long-term planning so residents receive excellent services without being priced out or overwhelmed by traffic and infrastructure demands.

What approach should Fairfax City take to new development and redevelopment? What types of projects would you support or oppose, and how would you balance housing needs and economic growth with concerns about traffic, infrastructure and neighborhood character?

Fairfax City should welcome development that creates more housing choices, revitalizes aging or underused properties and strengthens our commercial tax base. I support adaptive reuse, rehabilitation, well-designed mixed-use projects, and creative housing options that help first-time buyers, working families and older residents remain in our community.

We should also strengthen the Fairfax Renaissance Housing Program and make permitting faster, clearer and more predictable for homeowners and businesses.

Growth must be supported by safe streets, adequate utilities and realistic transportation planning. I will oppose projects when serious infrastructure or safety concerns remain unresolved or when the scale and design fail to respect the surrounding community. The answer is not to stop growth, but to manage it well: listen to residents early, establish clear expectations for developers and ensure every approved project contributes lasting value to Fairfax City.

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

The critical difference is the perspective I bring to every decision. I have served on both the School Board and City Council, spent more than a decade in accounting and finance, and built a small business from the ground up. I understand how one Council vote can affect taxpayers, schools, neighborhoods, and local businesses at the same time.

I also have a record voters can evaluate. I have challenged costly projects, defended resident participation, advocated for stronger ethical standards, and supported essential investments when the evidence justified them.

I am collaborative, but I am not afraid to stand alone. I do the homework, follow the facts, and answer to Fairfax City residents rather than a political party or predetermined agenda.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)?

As an incumbent, I welcome scrutiny of my record and believe voters should evaluate whether my decisions demonstrate independent judgment, preparation, accessibility and responsible stewardship of City resources.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

• My campaign focuses on practical steps that protect Fairfax City’s quality of life:
  
  Responsible spending: Complete the citywide efficiency audit, improve cost transparency, and require long-term financial plans before committing taxpayers to major projects.
  
  Housing and home reinvestment: Strengthen the Neighborhood Renaissance Program offered through the Fairfax Renaissance Housing Corporation, helping residents update aging homes and remain in the community. Pursue down-payment assistance, workforce housing, supportive housing, and other solutions designed for Fairfax City.
  
  Economic vitality and efficient permitting: Make permitting faster, clearer, and more predictable for homeowners and businesses without compromising safety. Support local businesses, strengthen our commercial tax base, and involve economic-development experts early in major projects.
  
  Thoughtful growth: Encourage rehabilitation, adaptive reuse, and well-designed redevelopment while requiring credible analysis of traffic, infrastructure, environmental effects, and long-term public costs.
  
  Traffic and mobility: Improve dangerous intersections, road conditions, sidewalks, crossings, and traffic flow through the Move Fairfax City safety and mobility plans.
  
  Schools and safe communities: Protect strong schools and maintain competitive police, fire, and emergency services while demanding greater transparency regarding rising school costs.
  
  Environmental stewardship: Protect parks, waterways, tree canopy, and sensitive natural areas while pursuing practical climate and energy measures residents can afford.
  
  Childcare:Streamline permitting for family day homes while maintaining strong safety standards and supporting the childcare workforce.
  
  Resident trust: Share information early, clearly explain costs and tradeoffs, uphold strong ethical standards, and involve residents while proposals can still be changed.

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

I am prepared for this job because I have already delivered results in it.

My service on both the School Board and City Council gives me firsthand experience with two of Fairfax City’s greatest responsibilities: educating our children and managing our City. As the School Board’s legislative chair, I advocated for our schools and helped build public support for critical facility investments.

On Council, I advanced a citywide efficiency audit to identify savings without reducing essential services. I supported the Willard-Sherwood Community Center only after stronger financial planning helped reduce its projected real-estate-tax impact from 9.7 cents to 4.33 cents. I voted against the meals-tax increase, supported competitive emergency-services compensation, and helped establish stronger ethical standards for Council and appointed boards.

My record shows more than experience. It shows that I study the details, improve proposals, protect taxpayers, and remain publicly accountable for every vote.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

[No response provided]

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

I know exactly how much one vote matters. I won my first Council election by just four.

I did not take a traditional path to City Hall. I am a Marine and public-school teacher's daughter, city school parent, small-business owner and nontraditional college graduate. I learned public service through real life: working, raising a family, completing my education and building a home and business in Fairfax City.

I will work with anyone who has a good idea, but I will never mistake cooperation for automatic agreement. I prepare, listen, ask tough questions and speak up when the facts, costs or consequences do not serve our residents.

Those four votes remain with me every day. They remind me that no voice is too small to matter, no concern should be dismissed and no elected official is entitled to your trust. It must be earned, one decision and one resident at a time.

Also See ...

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