Wood pushes for study of Route 1 traffic problems, more school funding

Potomac Local sent a candidate survey to Derrick Wood. Currently on the Dumfries Town Council, he’s running to represent the Potomac Magisterial District on the Prince William County Board of Supervisors.

Wood faces Andrea Bailey in a June 9, 2015 Primary Election. The winner of the Primary Election will go on to face Republican Incumbent Maureen Caddigan in the November General Election on Nov. 3, 2015.  

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PL: What are the top three major issues facing the district you wish to represent?

Wood: My top three major issues are the top three voters have told me they are, and I agree with them: our overcrowded neighborhood schools, long commute times, and the lack of commercial development on Route 1.

PL: What concrete solutions do you propose to address these issues?

Wood: This is a great question. Everyone knows the challenges we face as a community. That’s one part of the solution. You need a plan to execute on day one to solve them. Change comes with a plan of action; with communities working together.

As I’ve met people as a town councilman and during my campaign, one issue that comes up over and over again is our classrooms, which are the most crowded in the state. My three children attend Prince William County schools and my wife works in Prince William County schools, so the strength of our neighborhood schools is personally important to me.

Plus, studies show that strong schools help create a strong local economy and attract employers. Investing in our neighborhood schools and quality teachers is just smart business. I will use my experience as a Town Councilman to bring together parents, teachers, administrators and students and address this important challenge. And unlike some in our county, I won’t wait until election year to listen to concerns about our neighborhood schools.

Prince William County has some of the longest commute times in the region. As Supervisor, I’ll use my successful experience bringing together commuters, business owners, driving professionals and more to hear your ideas. And I’ll use my experience to push for a comprehensive study of potential traffic solutions, including exploring bringing Metro to Prince William County, like I pushed for Town Councilman, to get you off the road quicker and spending more time doing what you love to do.

Many have said we need to take a fresh look at our zoning laws, and I agree. As Supervisor, I’ll build on my experience by listening to residents, employers, building trades and more to review and reform our zoning laws, to allow for mixed-use developments that help create walkable communities of homes, merchants, restaurants and community centers. 

PL: From your prospective, what is the job description of the office you’re seeking?

Wood: A County Supervisor should be the voice of the people of the Potomac District. Setting the county’s tax rate, approving the budget, collaborating to cast the community’s vision for the county’s comprehensive plan, and engaging more community involvement on boards and commissions are all ways to make sure we hear from all of the people of the Potomac District. This isn’t about electing just one person to be your next Supervisor, because we are all in this together. My experience – your voice at the table.

PL: What expertise will you bring to the office?

Wood: As a U.S. Marine Fiscal Budget Tech and a Dumfries Town Councilman, I’ve managed and help oversee budgets of all sizes. As Supervisor, I will use my experience to make sure this important component is done and done right.

As a small business owner, I know firsthand not only the benefits of having a small business but the challenges, too. I’ll use this experience to help us attract more employers to Prince William County, so they can help grow our economy. As supervisor, I will work with small business to help with those challenges and to attract more to the district.

Finally, as a father of three children and a husband, I believe that every community begins with a family.

PL: Do you feel that the average citizen is well-informed and understands the workings of local government? If not, how do you intend on improving communication with your constituency?

Wood: Too often, when people contact their government, they never hear back. That’s not right – our job as elected officials is to be responsive to everyone, because we work for the people.

To me, this means we need more transparency in local government, not less. People shouldn’t have to ask for information that affects them, we should be providing it for them.

A well informed community is one that thrives. As Supervisor, I will use varied forms of outreach methods from town halls, social media and the like. I also would like to see a mentorship program in place for our youth who desire to learn more about government on a local scale to cultivate their skills.

PL: Have you ever made any mistakes in your public life? How have they effected you?

Wood: I have made mistakes, we all have. However, I don’t look at them as mistakes, I like to call them “lessons learned.” I am always aware that what I am doing in my life is not about me, but the people I represent and our needs as a community.

When I first became a Town Councilman, I wanted to do something to promote more recycling. But instead of talking to the community first about how to do it, I just introduced a bill.

It would have been hard to enforce, and I didn’t hear from people until after that they didn’t like my approach: recycling is great, but enforcement is difficult. I learned from this experience to listen to the people. It taught me as an elected representative: First you listen, then you talk.

PL: Our readers want leaders in local government. Why should they vote for you? 

Wood: I am asking for their vote so we can work together to solve the problems that face our community. I will continue to build on my experience as a USMC veteran, Dumfries Town Councilman, small business owner, husband, and father to represent the people for stronger neighborhood schools, finding real solutions on traffic, working to help build a stronger local economy, and helping develop planned growth for the future of Prince William County.