Thomas Peterson

Thomas's 227 votes by the kind of item, read from the agenda titles.

The 22 no votes

Grouped by what was before the council. The tally is the whole body's; “with” names who voted no alongside Thomas.

The matters Thomas has voted on most

Every motion links to the topic it was about. Several motions on one night count separately.

On the record

What the minutes and transcripts record Thomas saying, by topic. 37 topics.

• Personnel Matters

  At the November 18, 2025 regular meeting, Peterson acknowledged the conclusion of a long City Manager search process, welcoming Dan Alexander, and noted the inherent tension between confidentiality requirements in personnel matters and the public's desire for transparency, stating: 'this was a long process the council has worked very very hard and I know it is frustrating to the public not to be able to have the transparency that they would like to have on personnel matters — it's one of those areas of confidentiality that we accept in our duties as elected officials.'

• Urban Agriculture

  in progress

  Councilmember Peterson was noted in a February 3, 2026 ESC discussion as having been the committee chair when urban agriculture first became a concern of the Environmental Sustainability Committee.

• George Snyder Trail

  denied

  Peterson attended the VDOT meeting in March 2025 alongside Councilmember Bates and noted the Council was working toward a permanent resolution. Peterson was the sole vote in favor of outright cancellation in June 2025, voted no on reaffirming the full project (R-25-20), voted no on the December 2025 supplemental appropriation introduction, and voted no at the January 2026 public hearing. Peterson also voted yes on the final 4-2 cancellation vote in January 2026.

• Urban Forest Master Plan

  approved

  Councilmember Peterson voted yes on the substitute motion (requiring a July 2026 progress report on targets and timelines) on February 10, 2026, as well as yes on the main motion to adopt the UFMP.

• Stafford Park

  In an April 8, 2025 budget discussion, Peterson was seeking clarity on whether the $1.6 million FY22 CIP balance associated with Stafford Park should be reappropriated (e.g., toward a school renovation) or instead applied to the tax rate, indicating the disposition of those funds was not yet settled.

• Fairfax City Parks Foundation

  in progress

  At the September 9, 2025 meeting, Council Member Peterson asked about the term length of the director appointments, confirming they are three-year terms. Peterson also seconded the motion to appoint Emilio Alonso on September 30, 2025.

• Small Area Plans

  in progress

  At the October 6, 2026 work session, Peterson raised the question of total development benchmarks, noting his understanding that the small area plans currently call for approximately 4,700 additional high-density housing units, and signaled concern about the material impact any changes to those benchmarks would have on the proposed amendments.

• 4131 Chain Bridge Road

  Voted no on all three motions at the July 22, 2025 City Council meeting.

• Appointments to boards and commissions

  On June 24, 2025, Peterson moved adoption of the consent agenda that included consideration of appointments to boards and commissions (agenda item 6D), indicating a role in shepherding routine appointment actions through the consent process.

• Appointments to boards and commissions

  Peterson voted yes on both the August 18, 2026 motions to convene and certify the closed session for board and commission interviews.

• Willard-Sherwood Community Center

  in progress

  Voted against the Special Use Permit, two special exceptions, and the Certificate of Appropriateness on October 14, 2025. Had previously supported deferring the community center expansion to the FY 2027 budget (May 6, 2025). Voted yes on R-26-13 on April 28, 2026.

• 10201 Fairfax Boulevard

  As of the September 9, 2025 session, Peterson had asked a question (referenced by staff but not quoted) related to the city's comprehensive plan guidance on mixed-use development outside of activity centers, in the context of the Gatewood proposal.

• Comprehensive Plan Amendment

  approved

  Council Member Peterson seconded the motion for the Comprehensive Plan Amendment at the September 22, 2026 meeting and voted yes on all three items. Peterson asked a clarifying question during discussion of the original motion for the Comprehensive Plan Amendment.

• 10300 Willard Way

  in progress

  Councilmember Peterson voted in favor of deferral at the July 22, 2025 meeting, then voted against approving the special exceptions and in favor of both denial motions at the October 28, 2025 meeting.

• Stormwater Utility

  Voted aye on the May 5, 2026 ordinance setting the stormwater utility rate at $36.02 per billable unit.

• Ordinance Amending Chapter 90 Article VI Section 90-262 (Meals Tax)

  proposed

  Voted against introduction of the ordinance on April 8, 2025.

• FY 2026 Budget

  approved

  On May 6, 2025, Peterson voted in favor of the motion to defer and all three failed amendments, and against incorporating the Budget Change Document; Peterson ultimately voted yes on final budget adoption.

• Old Town Fairfax Transition Overlay District (TOD)

  Voted against all three approvals at the July 22, 2025 City Council meeting: opposed the Davies Property rezoning to CU with TOD overlay retained, the special exceptions, and the Certificate of Appropriateness.

• NVTA Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Action Plan

  On June 24, 2025, Councilmember Peterson briefed the Council that the NVTA Planning Coordination Advisory Committee was scheduled to vote on endorsing the BRT Action Plan on June 25, 2025, and noted that the proposed plan includes the City of Fairfax.

• Conflict of Interest

  Voted yes on January 13, 2026 to enact the ordinance updating Chapter 2 conflict of interest financial disclosure requirements. At the September 8, 2026 meeting, Peterson expressed surprise and concern that the city does not already have a local code of ethics, arguing that state conflict of interest law sets only a 'bare minimum legal floor' defining what is criminal rather than best practice, and that the council should hold itself to a higher standard given its role in approving land use, development projects, and contracts.

• Scout on the Circle

  Voted no on July 22, 2025 to reverse the April 8, 2025 pause on the Pickett Road Trail project, though voted yes on the motion to set up a public outreach meeting for Scout on the Circle and Foxcroft Colony residents.

• Stacy Sherwood Community Center

  in progress

  Voted against all three land-use motions (SUP, special exceptions, and Certificate of Appropriateness) on October 14, 2025. Voted yes on R-26-13 on April 28, 2026.

• FY 2027 Financial Policies and Council Budget Guidelines

  approved

  On November 18, 2025, Councilmember Peterson pulled the item from the consent agenda to allow for separate discussion before the Council voted on it.

• Budget Open House

  completed

  At the March 24, 2026 City Council meeting, Peterson asked whether the council had decided not to hold a Budget Open House during the current (FY 2027) budget cycle, indicating she had not heard anything about one and was seeking clarification.

• Transform 66 Outside the Beltway Concession Funding

  Voted no on both the December 9, 2025 introduction and the January 13, 2026 final appropriation vote, consistently opposing the $4.6 million supplemental appropriation.

• Pickett Road

  In the 2026-10-06 transcript, a speaker (contextually consistent with a council member asking about the safety audit) raised the question of whether the Pickett Road Safety Audit scenarios would include the potential build-out of the Walmart distribution center and its additional truck traffic, noting significant community interest in that question up and down Main Street.

• Northern Virginia Transportation Authority

  Councilmember Peterson briefed the Council on June 24, 2025 about the upcoming NVTA Planning Coordination Advisory Committee vote on the BRT Action Plan endorsement, noting the plan includes the City of Fairfax. Peterson serves on the NVTA policy committee and reported on July 8, 2025 that the committee approved the action plan framework but placed conclusions and recommendations in draft due to broad member concerns about technical and policy issues. Peterson voted 'no' on the January 13, 2026 George Snyder Trail supplemental appropriation motion.

• Meals Tax

  Peterson seconded Hardy-Chandler's motion on May 5, 2026 to approve the meals tax increase ordinance.

• FY 2027 Budget

  approved

  Council Member Peterson seconded the main motion to adopt the FY 2027 Budget at the May 5, 2026 Special Meeting, and voted yes on all four budget-related votes.

• Special Use Permit

  deferred

  Peterson voted yes on the substitute motion to defer the Detached ADU ordinance but then voted yes on final approval of the ordinance on July 28, 2026, supporting passage despite having initially favored a delay.

• Courthouse Plaza

  in progress

  Peterson voted yes on the July 22, 2025 deferral and voted in favor of denying both the special exceptions and the Certificate of Appropriateness on October 28, 2025.

• Warwick Ave /Fairfax Blvd /McLean Ave Intersection Improvements

  approved

  Voted yes on April 22, 2025 to award the construction contract to Sagres Construction Corporation. No recorded verbal comments.

• Capital Improvement Program FY2026 to FY2030

  approved

  On May 6, 2025, Peterson voted in favor of deferring the budget, reducing the tax rate to $1.75, deferring the Willard-Sherwood expansion, and phasing the pay study — all failed motions. Peterson voted against the Budget Change Document amendment but voted yes on final unanimous budget and CIP adoption.

• Pickett Road Connector Trail

  in progress

  Peterson voted yes on the April 8, 2025 pause. On July 22, 2025, Peterson was noted as a source of information about resident safety concerns on the western side of Pickett Road (sidewalk, bike lane, bus barrier). Peterson voted no on reversing the April 8 pause on July 22, 2025.

• Small Area Plan Zoning Ordinance Amendments

  in progress

  At a June 2, 2026 session, Peterson raised a question about how the small area plan zoning ordinance amendments (item 3 on the agenda) relate to the June 23 discussion on reviewing and updating small area plans, seeking clarity on the relationship between the two efforts.

• Blenheim Boulevard Multimodal Improvements

  in progress

  Councilmember Peterson seconded the April 28, 2026 motion to award the construction contract to Fort Myer Construction Corporation.

• Future Meeting Topics

  Peterson raised questions during the September 22, 2026 discussion of future meeting topics, and was also acknowledged during the October 6, 2026 work session discussion, where the presiding officer noted a potential comment from Peterson regarding the taping of a mayoral debate.

Positions as recorded in meeting minutes; votes without recorded comment aren't summarized.

Voting record