Robin S. Gardner is New Mayor

In a special meeting last night, the Falls Church City Council picked Robin S. Gardner to be the city's next mayor, selecting her over former mayor and four-term council member David F. Snyder by a 4 to 3 vote.

Gardner replaces Daniel E. Gardner, a Pentagon official who is retiring after three consecutive two-year terms as mayor. M.R. Lindy Hockenberry was chosen unanimously as vice mayor.

"I'm honored to serve in this position," Robin Gardner, who is not related to Daniel Gardner, said in a telephone interview. "My goal is to work with all the council to keep the city healthy and vibrant."

The choice of mayor came after three new council members were seated last night -- Harold Lippman, Daniel K. Maller and Daniel X. Sze. They were unopposed in the May 2 election.

Ultimately, it was Sze who cast the swing vote for Gardner over Snyder. The council is required to meet July 1 every two years to choose a new mayor and vice mayor. Sze, who said he was undecided until last night's meeting, said that although Gardner was less experienced than Snyder, he believed a woman would improve the council's image.

"I have a concern for diversity and proper representation in this city," he said. Gardner "is one of two women on a mostly male council, and that counts for something."

Robin Gardner, a two-term council member who was first elected in 2000, also works as a vice president at Apogen Technologies. Her husband, Michael Gardner, is chairman of the Falls Church City Democratic Committee; the couple hosted a fundraiser a year ago for Gov. Timothy M. Kaine, then a candidate.

She said party politics did not play a role in last night's vote, and that the council is much more concerned with addressing issues such as economic development and the city's public school system, which is one of the best in the region.

With 5-year-old twins entering kindergarten next year, Gardner said she's especially attuned to growing pains in the city's classrooms.

"I've always prided myself on being the voice of working moms and moms in general," she said. "I take my kids to the bus stop in the morning and talk to other parents. I love my bus stop."

In Falls Church, council members choose the mayor, a part-time job that pays $300 a month. Council members make $200. The city, with more than 10,000 residents, has a median family income estimated at $97,224, one of Virginia's highest, according to the city's Web site.

Council members for the 2.2-square-mile city pride themselves on their accessibility, listing their home phone numbers on the city's site.