Ann Mallek is running for her fifth and final term on the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors.
Mallek, a Democrat who represents the White District, was first elected to the board in 2007, beating Republican David Wyant.
“It was a hard decision to make,” Mallek told The Daily Progress after her campaign launch on Saturday.
Mallek is running unopposed.
“I was hoping to find somebody, but also there are issues that I really care about,” Mallek said. “I’m giving notice now so people will be ready to go next time.”
Still, Mallek said there was much she wanted to achieve in another four years on the Board of Supervisors.
“There are many tasks that are unfinished, one of which is implementing a better program to get affordable housing processes done better,” Mallek said.
She pointed to 300 units of affordable housing that were supposed to be built in Crozet as an example. Only 43 units of affordable housing were actually constructed because the developers were given some leeway.
She also wanted to ensure that the services the county offers keep pace with the population growth. Albemarle’s population grew from nearly 99,000 in 2010 to a little more than 112,000 in 2020, according to census data.
“We have around Crozet neighborhoods that come with sidewalks and bike lanes,” Mallek said. “Then, right next to that, is an older neighborhood built 20 years ago, when none of those were required.”
Mallek emphasized the need for citizen participation, saying that constituents elected her so she could hear what they want and need. One of the first things she did after being elected to her first term was hold a town hall.
“Over 100 people came, and they all had issues that have been building up for years and years. They hadn’t had an opportunity to be able to share them adequately,” Mallek said.
Many of those problems, like speeding and education, have persisted, she said.
Mallek currently works as an educator and program coordinator for central Virginia for the Virginia Museum of Natural History. She is also a farmer and owns Currituck Farm Grass Fed Beef in Earlysville. She is on the board of the Local Energy Alliance Program, a renewable energy nonprofit, and Jefferson Elder Care. She is a member of the League of Women Voters, the Southern Environmental Law Center and the Rivanna Conservation Alliance, among other groups.
Only three of the board’s six seats are up for grabs this November: the White Hall, Scottsville and Rivanna seats. Current board Chair Donna Price, a Democrat who represents Scottsville, is retiring; Navy veteran Mike Pruitt is running to fill her seat. Democratic Rivanna District supervisor Bea LaPisto-Kirtley is running against the independent candidate David Rhodes for that position.
Source: www.dailyprogress.com
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