We in Prince William get the representation we deserve

Opinion

As I’ve knocked on doors and talked on the phone with fellow residents this spring, I’ve learned just how much the people of Prince William County truly care about our community. They recognize our strengths and our weaknesses. They celebrate our successes, but they also clearly feel the impacts of the challenges we face together.

Whether it’s over-crowded classrooms in our schools, stifling traffic on our roads or slow economic development and job growth in our County, these are the issues that hit closest to home for Prince William families. They are also the issues that we have the greatest opportunity to address right here at the local level.

With our proximity to Washington and elections every year in Virginia, it’s easy to forget how important local elections are to providing the quality of life our families deserve. The Board of County Supervisors, School Board and our constitutional officers such as Commonwealth’s Attorney, Sheriff and Clerk of the Court direct most of the services our community depends on every day. And yet, every four years, when the time comes to elect the representatives who serve us right here in our community, participation in the process is staggeringly low. While 3 out 4 registered voters turn out to elect our President, often only 1 in 4 helps choose our local government officials.

It’s often said that we in America get the representation we deserve. That’s true to the extent that each of us has a voice and can cast a ballot on election day. And how we vote, as well as whether or not we choose to participate, indeed has consequences. I believe that our local government, more than any level, should most reflect who we are as a community. It should reflect our values. It should reflect the hopes and dreams that we have for ourselves and our children.

Based on my 36 years as a member of this community, I understand those values. I share those hopes and dreams. I want a local government that puts openness, honesty and transparency above all else. A government that focuses less on political grandstanding and prioritizes finding real, long-term solutions to everyday problems. A government that supports everyone who has made the choice to make Prince William County their home. These are values that I Iearned growing up here, and they are the values I’ve taught my children.

This November, we have the opportunity to reshape our local government by electing representatives that will fight to preserve those values. We have the chance to work as an entire community of motivated and forward- thinking citizens toward a brighter future. No matter which candidates you support or to which political party you belong, please participate in this critical election. Only in doing so can you help ensure that all of us get the government we deserve.

*Rick Smith is a candidate for Chairman of the county board of supervisors.