Redella S. Pepper

Candidate for City Council

Age: 68

Residence: West End.

Education: BA, philosophy, Grinnell College.

Occupation: Vice mayor, City of Alexandria.

Elected offices/civic activities: Member, Alexandria City Council, 1985-present; chairman, Alexandria Facilities Naming Committee; co-chairman, Mirant Community Monitoring Group; vice president and board member, Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments; board member, Metropolitan Washington Air Quality Committee, Northern Virginia Regional Commission, Alexandria Commission on Aging, Alexandria Commission on Information Technology, YMCA, T.C. Williams High School PTSA, Friendship Firehouse, Retired Senior Volunteer Program and Bienvenidos; former vice president, Alexandria Branch, NAACP.

What do you think is the most urgent problem facing your jurisdiction? "Real estate taxes. With residential assessments up again this year, I am concerned that even with the city manager's proposed 6.8-cent real estate tax rate reduction, the average residential property tax bill would increase $427. I want to cut the tax rate even further. We must diversify our tax base; however, efforts to obtain relief from the state have mostly failed. We must continue to pressure the state to restructure Virginia's tax system, so as to return a greater portion of income taxes to localities and assure that jurisdictions like Alexandria receive their fair share of state revenues."

Why should voters elect you? "I have served on the council since 1985 and bring the experience, energy, expertise and commitment needed for moving Alexandria forward."

Web site: www.delpepper.com

E-mail address: delpepper@aol.com