welcome to FAIRFAX COMMITTEE FOR PEACE AND CIVILITY

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** STATEMENT FROM MAYOR BLASH AND VICE MAYOR HELLMAN**  

The verification process has confirmed the required number of valid signatures for both petitions.  The certifications and calling for a special election (likely in November) will be presented to the Council on Wednesday, August 6, 2025.    

We are deeply saddened that so many residents were led to sign the recall petitions—many under false or misleading pretenses. A recall will not exempt Fairfax from state housing mandates, stop the development of School Street Plaza, or resolve the federal lawsuit over the homeless encampment. Yet these are the promises many people were led to believe.  

This recall effort has become a microcosm of broader national trends: a flood of misinformation, tactics pulled from the MAGA playbook, and a growing reliance on fear-based, low-information appeals. These tactics don't just threaten good governance—they erode trust and distract from the real work of improving people’s lives.  Fighting false narratives and enduring constant hostility leaves little space for the thoughtful, steady progress our community deserves. 

The loudest voices are not always the most representative—but too often, they dominate the conversation. It’s time for those who have stayed silent, out of fear of “taking sides,” to speak up. When fear overwhelms truth, the balance of power shifts—and not in the direction of fairness or facts.  If we can't stop this destructive dynamic here in small-town Fairfax, what hope do we have for healing and rebuilding trust across the country?

Now is the time to resist the recall. Please help Fairfax fight disinformation, volunteer, and donate.

Here's What is Going On

Mayor Blash and Vice Mayor Hellman were served with Intention to Circulate Recall Petition on March 5. Proponents had until June 30 to gather ~ 1,500 valid signatures to put this on the ballot. 

The petition campaign for both candidates was successful by just a few votes, the Town will have to call a special election in late 2025 to allow voters to decide if they want to recall the council members. 

Why is a recall a bad idea?

1. It's expensive.

The special election for the recall is likely to cost the Town estimated $60,000 or more in taxpayer money for the recall election alone, and then potentially another $60,000 for an election to replace one or both council members.

2. It's not as democratic as you might think.

Both council members were elected by the people of Fairfax in a regular election. Special elections like a recall election have notoriously low voter turnout. This means a minority of Fairfax residents could remove two democratically elected representatives.

New candidates cannot be selected in the same election as the recall. If any council member is recalled, the remaining council members will need to decide whether to appoint new council members or hold another costly special election in Spring of 2026.  There is a regularly scheduled election in November 2026 when the terms expire for Blash and Hellman - Do we really need extra elections?  

3. It's a distraction from the necessary work of local government. 

Defending their seats over a 9-month campaign makes it harder for the Mayor and Vice Mayor to concentrate on the important work they need to do on the council.

4. It eats up community resources and time.

Extra elections require a huge amount of resources, including paper mailings, plastic yard signs, and extensive energy and money from volunteers and donors. With all that is happening in our state and nation, do we really want to put our time and money into fighting one another?

5. It causes unnecessary polarization and hostility.

Most importantly, recall elections are acrimonious and create polarization rather than encouraging community members to work together across ideological differences. 

Signing the petition is not ensuring democratic process. It just ensures that this madness continues to eat up time and create more division.