Printer-Friendly
Email this Story
Post a Comment (0)
Albertella quits council race
John Albertella has withdrawn from the two-man race for the town council seat representing Ward 2. Until yesterday, the 62-year old Albertella was the only incumbent facing competition, 55-year old lawyer Powell Duggan, in the May 6 election. Albertella said his decision to withdraw was not a result of no longer wanting to continue his job on the council, but rather an issue of balancing that responsibility with a new job, in addition to a number of other activities. Albertella recently accepted a position as director of direct marketing for Judicial Watch, Inc., a conservative public-interest law firm in Washington D.C. Despite his departure from the race, he has a long list of accomplishments of which he is proud, including the restoration of town funding for the Fauquier Historical Society and Partnership for Warrenton, and the initiation of town funding for CADRE and for Fauquier Literacy Volunteers. He also helped secure two state grants for Warrenton and Fauquier tourism development and transportation studies, helped create two Rapidan/Rappahannock Regional Commission committees to address regional transportation and tourism, and provided leadership in the implementation of synchronized traffic lights on U.S. 29 Business. He helped launch the redevelopment of Eva Walker Park and provided approximately $30,000 of in-kind professional services in developing a marketing and media plan for the Warrenton Aquatic & Recreational Facility. Additionally, he spearheaded the council's adoption of a Reservoir Management and Protection Overlay District (PRMPOD) resolution. Albertella has also led the Warrenton Earth Day litter pickup for two years. In 2007, he was named Center District Citizen of the Year. Although Albertella turned in the appropriate paperwork to run, he said that the reality of his time constraints hit him earlier this month when he realized he’d taken no steps to further his campaign. “My first clue that I had miscalculated and was seriously ‘time-challenged’ was when I recently looked up at the calendar four weeks from election day and realized — in stark contrast to four years ago — that I hadn’t done one thing to advance my campaign, not one phone call, not one door knocked on, not one ad or campaign flier written,” he said. His new obligations do not allow him to give 100 percent to his council position and also succeed in his new position, on top of his other activities, Albertella said. “I try to take seriously everything I decide to do,” he added. “‘Any job worth doing is worth doing well' is just one of many pearls of wisdom my folks passed along. In accepting this new career position, I clearly underestimated my work and time load, while at the same time overestimating my ability to fit this in, plus everything else I’m involved in.”
You must be logged in to post a comment.