Herndon Town Council

Published September 17, 2026 at 2:45PM

"I voted" logos on a voting booth (Staff photo by Mary Stachyra Lopez)

As Democrats attempt to flip control of Congress from the current Republican majority, all eyes will be on national races, but the Nov. 3 election will also give Fairfax County voters a number of questions with local and state implications to consider.

Early in-person voting will kick off countywide tomorrow (Sept. 18) for seats in the House and Senate as well as local issues regarding funding for parks and health and human services projects. In addition, voters will be asked to vote on three constitutional amendments addressing abortion, gay marriage, and voting rights.

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Del Aguila: Experience needed on Herndon Town Council to tackle upcoming challenges

By Angela Woolsey

Published September 17, 2026 at 9:15AM

Herndon Town Councilmember Cesar del Aguila (courtesy Cesar del Aguila)

Herndon Town Council member Cesar del Aguila has become a campaigning veteran with four terms under his belt, but his bid for a fifth might be the most competitive race yet.

Twelve people are vying for the council’s six seats in the upcoming Nov. 3 election, including five incumbents and a slate of young, progressive-minded newcomers seeking to shake up the town’s status quo.

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Herndon planning commissioner builds on public service past for town council bid

By Angela Woolsey

Published September 10, 2026 at 3:45PM | Updated September 10, 2026 at 4:42PM

Meron Yohannes (courtesy Friends of Meron)

The vice chair of the Herndon Planning Commission wants to make the jump to the Herndon Town Council this November.

A Herndon native, Meron Yohannes is hopeful that her lifelong personal connection to the town and past public service experience at both the local and federal level will distinguish her in a crowded field with 12 candidates vying for six seats.

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Herndon Town Council candidate hopes to help community realize full potential

By Angela Woolsey

Published August 27, 2026 at 3:45PM

Yasmin Shafiq in front of Herndon's caboose (courtesy Yasmin for Herndon)

Community service has been central to Yasmin Shafiq’s life for as long as she can remember, from her high school stint as a teen representative on the Reston Community Center’s Board of Governors to her current commitments as a county government worker and an election officer.

A resident of the Herndon area now since 2004, she hopes to apply her varied past experiences to a new role as a candidate for the Herndon Town Council, whose six seats will all be on the ballot for the upcoming Nov. 3 general election.

News

Herndon Town Council authorizes collective bargaining for police officers

By Mary Stachyra Lopez

Published August 13, 2026 at 9:15AM | Updated August 13, 2026 at 5:54PM

Herndon Police Department Detective John Wallace speaks in support of an ordinance authorizing collective bargaining for his department (Screenshot via Town of Herndon)

The Herndon Town Council voted this week to authorize collective bargaining with officers in the town’s police department.

Unanimously passed on Tuesday (Aug. 11) with the exception of one absent member, the ordinance permits police employees to negotiate hourly wages and annual base salaries, and an advance pay program through a union.

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Military veteran forced out by Trump policies seeks Herndon Town Council seat

By Angela Woolsey

Published July 9, 2026 at 3:45PM | Updated July 13, 2026 at 2:30PM

Sabrina Bruce (courtesy Sabrina Bruce for Herndon Town Council)

More than a decade of military service came to an unwelcome end last year for Sabrina Bruce, but rather than retreating from government work, she hopes to continue serving, shifting her focus to the local community that embraced her as soon as she arrived.

Bruce officially obtained enough signatures last month to qualify for the ballot in the upcoming Herndon Town Council elections. If she wins one of six open seats on Nov. 3, she would become the first openly transgender person elected to any office in Fairfax County.

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Herndon clears the way for Van Buren Office Park redevelopment

By Acacia James

Published July 9, 2026 at 8:30AM

The planned Van Buren Office Park redevelopment along Herndon Parkway (via MV+A Architects/Town of Herndon)

The Herndon Town Council has cleared the way for a redevelopment of the Van Buren Office Park.

The council voted unanimously last month (June 23) to approve a zoning map amendment allowing the office park at 250 Exchange Place to be converted from office and light-industrial uses to a mixed-use community with residential and commercial space.

News

Herndon adopts sign standards for new development near Metro station

By Angela Woolsey

Published June 2, 2026 at 2:45PM

Nell at 555 apartments under construction along Herndon Parkway in June 2026 (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

As construction progresses on the first mixed-use development to emerge north of the Herndon Metro station, the town has finalized guidelines for signage to identify that project and those that follow.

The Herndon Town Council voted unanimously and without discussion on May 26 to adopt a zoning ordinance amendment with a sign plan for the Herndon Transit-Oriented Core (HTOC), an approximately 38-acre area on the north side of the Metro station, bounded by Van Buren Street, Herndon Parkway and the Dulles Toll Road.

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Nurse campaigning for Herndon Town Council wants to give all residents a voice

By Angela Woolsey

Published May 28, 2026 at 9:15AM

Douglas Mejia (courtesy Doug Mejia for Herndon Town Council)

Though headlined by the Congressional midterms, this year’s election cycle will also feature critical local races in the Town of Herndon.

Douglas Isaac Mejia, a Herndon native and registered nurse, appears to be the first candidate to officially launch a bid for the Herndon Town Council, which will have all six seats on the ballot in November.

News

Herndon leaders plan to withdraw casino zoning proposal

By Angela Woolsey

Published May 6, 2026 at 1:45PM

Herndon Municipal Center (staff photo by James Jarvis)

A proposal that would’ve established zoning rules for casinos is expected to be withdrawn when it goes before the Herndon Town Council later this month.

The Herndon Planning Commission indicated at a work session on Monday (May 4) that it will recommend denial of the zoning ordinance amendment, which defined a casino and set parameters for how one could be approved, Mayor Keven LeBlanc confirmed to FFXnow and other outlets, including Patch.