When Herndon voters head to the polls tomorrow (Tuesday), they will have a dozen candidates to choose from for the next town council, including five incumbents and a diverse slate of challengers.
Justin Britt is hopeful that his multi-faceted connection to the town as a longtime resident and community volunteer who also owns a small business will distinguish him in a crowded field of contenders.
“I’d bring both perspectives to the Council: a practical business approach to solving problems and a genuine personal investment in the community,” Britt said in written comments to FFXnow.
A resident of Herndon for the past 25 years, Britt currently works as a marketing director for the software company Deltek, but he also owns his own digital marketing consulting firm — professional experience that he believes would be valuable on the town council at a time when Herndon is navigating budget challenges and working to update its vision for the next 25 years.
“I’ve learned the importance of setting clear goals, measuring results, managing resources responsibly, and finding ways to improve efficiency,” he said. “I believe those same principles should apply to Town Hall.”
Britt says his “firsthand appreciation for what makes Herndon special” has been deepened by his experience volunteering as a youth sports coach, Herndon Optimist Club member, and emcee and band organizer for the long-running Herndon Festival.
However, he has also wrestled with a feeling that Herndon isn’t quite living up to its full potential. In addition to losing a popular community event in the Herndon Festival, which was permanently canceled in 2023 after 43 years, the town has struggled with long-empty commercial properties and storefronts, he says, recalling driving past an abandoned gas station near Jimmy’s Old Town Tavern for more than five years.
“We have vacant properties, businesses that face unnecessary hurdles, and a downtown area that isn’t reaching its full potential,” Britt said. “I decided to run because I want to help preserve what makes Herndon special while making it easier for the town to grow, attract investment, and serve its residents.”
Britt expressed support for some steps the town has already taken to revitalize its economy, including the legal fight to recover ownership of the nearly 5-acre site where Comstock Companies’ redevelopment plans have stalled and its submission of downtown Herndon for Virginia’s Main Street program. The Town of Herndon was officially accepted into the program last Friday (Oct. 30).
If elected, Britt says he would look to build on those efforts by exploring options for temporary activities, such as pop-up businesses and markets, to enliven vacant or under-utilized properties and introducing new events, like family movie nights on the Town Green.
“I believe the events and third spaces we have help stitch us together and help create the community feel that helps make Herndon unique,” he said. “We need to protect and expand the events and gathering places that bring people together, including Friday Night Live, the Farmers Market, and the Winter Market. I’d also like to explore opportunities to expand those events.”
Britt also cites streamlining Herndon’s land use and permitting processes and addressing traffic congestion through “practical” improvements, such as better signal coordination and the addition of bus pull-offs in high-traffic areas, as priorities.
He says he’s excited about the opportunities offered by the Herndon Metro station as a draw for new housing, businesses and economic investment, but believes that potential can only be realized if the town has “clear, predictable development guidelines” that aren’t significantly more restrictive than neighboring jurisdictions.
At the same time, the experience with Comstock suggests a need for “clear public benefits, enforceable deadlines, and protections for taxpayers” in future development agreements, he added.
“I believe we can encourage responsible growth while preserving Herndon’s small-town character,” Britt wrote. “Concentrating more development near Metro and major corridors, improving connections to downtown and the [Washington & Old Dominion] Trail, and creating more places for people to gather can help us build on what already makes Herndon a great community.”
Other candidates on the ballot include incumbents Cesar del Aguila, Kelvin Garcia, Clark Hedrick, Michael Lloyd and Alex Reyes, along with community activist Josif Ezekilov, nurse Doug Mejia, Space Force veteran Sabrina Bruce, local government worker Yasmin Shafiq, Herndon Planning Commission Vice Chair Meron Yohannes and Herndon Board of Zoning Appeals Vice Chair Stevan Porter.
Polls will be open for the Nov. 3 election from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.
