Abdel Elnoubi
This spring, Alexandria Living Magazine sent the following questions to every person running for City Council as of May 2024. The answers from Abdel Elnoubi are below. See links to all other candidate questionnaires here.
Elnoubi currently serves on the school board for Alexandria City Public Schools. His campaign website is at www.abdelforalexandria.com.
Have the current efforts to improve affordable housing been sufficient? Why or why not?
Improving the affordable housing situation is still work in progress, current efforts are good steps in the right direction, but there is no silver bullet here, and we have to continue to tackle this issue from all angles using all the tools available to us while also advocating at the state level for more tools to localities given the limit the Dillon Rule places on localities powers. We have to also learn form previous mistakes where we allowed our city to lose committed affordable housing units. We need to improve boost assistance programs such as housing vouchers and subsidies as well as homeowner assistance programs. We also need to continue to work towards the affordable housing targets in our housing master plan.
What can be done to make sure the increasing population density in Alexandria doesn’t hurt quality of life?
Proactive planning as we develop more to ensure the infrastructure in place to accommodate the growth while prioritizing density around transit hubs (transit oriented development).
How can the city make public transportation a more viable and attractive option for residents?
The free DASH bus and expanded DASH network were great steps in the right direction. The more transit is reliable, frequent, multimodal, and accessible the more it becomes a more attractive option, the more residents use transit, the better for our streets and environment. Also a stronger transportation system is more equitable since not all residents can afford cars.
What do you think is the most important factor in making the roads safer and more efficient for everyone?
Accurate use of data to make decisions and the continuous use of data after changes are implemented to asses the impact the changes.
What are the biggest challenges facing Alexandria’s smallest businesses and how can the city better support them?
I believe COVID hurt so many businesses and many didn't survive post COVID. Today, work from home is impacting many businesses due to drop in workers coming to Alexandria and spending in Alexandria. We need to promote the need for Alexadnrians to spend locally as much as possible to support Alexandria businesses as well as support organizations like Visit Alexandria who promote Alexandria as destination nationwide to get tourism numbers back up and bring more external spending.
Do you think Alexandria should return to ward representation? Why or why not?
Ward system has many down sides in my opinion, such as it makes more difficult to get a majority of Council to support an issue if it is localized. Another down side is having one person represent a single ward or district makes harder to bring in new voices or perspectives since incumbents have a much higher chance of winning reelection and are able to raise a lot more money and usually have a much higher name recognition, it is only in very rare occasion does an incumbent lose to a challenger especially with the current campaign finance laws, therefore unless the seat becomes vacant, it would be extremely difficult for anew voice from that district to get elected. An at large system allows new candidates a higher possibility of winning given they just have to be in the top six especially if there is vacant spot. I would be open to considering some sort of a hybrid system with both wards and at-large.
What is something you don’t like about Alexandria that you want to change?
There are significant disparities between the east and west ends of Alexandria in terms of environmental quality, walkability, and economic opportunities.
How do you feel about the fate of the Potomac Yard Arena development proposal and how do you think the city should go about developing that location?
I opposed the arena deal for several reasons, including the financial structuring of the deal, its potential impact on traffic, inadequate labor protections, insufficient funding for public transportation enhancements to mitigate traffic concerns, and the composition of the overseeing Authority, which included only three Alexandria appointees out of fifteen.
Do you think the current city staff is able to effectively serve all the development that is happening or do you think the city needs to hire more people?
I would like to have that conversation with the City Manager if I am elected and get his perspective on his staffing levels and needs.
What would you tell a resident who doesn’t feel safe living in Alexandria?
Everyone deserves to feel safe in an Alexandria where our approach to law enforcement is best-suited to meet our city’s needs, including by making sure our public safety departments are well-equipped, accountable, and closely connected to the community it serves. I will work to improve public safety with accountability and transparency at the forefront.
If you had to convince someone to vote for you in one sentence, what would that sentence be?
As an elected official with firsthand experience of a dictatorship, I have been and will continue delivering for the community while championing accountability and transparency, understanding deeply how crucial a functioning government is to improving quality of life and opportunities.
