Prince William losing out to Fairfax, Stafford on local jobs

Opinion 

If you live in Prince William County, the unfortunate reality is that, like the vast majority of us, you probably don’t also work in Prince William County.  

Sadly, we simply don’t have nearly enough high-paying jobs in our community to provide our residents with competitive salaries as compared to Washington and our neighboring counties. The average annual salary for jobs in Prince William County is $46,000 per year.  

Just across the Occoquan River in Fairfax County, the average salary is $82,000. Now, some may argue that the disparity between Prince William and Fairfax is natural considering the latter’s closer proximity to Washington. But we’ve also been passed by Stafford and Fauquier Counties in average wages — and they aren’t closer.  

In fact, our local government’s most recent economic report states “Prince William County has outpaced regional, state and national economies in business and job growth over the last five years but has lagged behind the state and region for at-place average weekly wage growth since 2009.” Simply put, we’re not only behind our neighbors — we continue to lose ground.

Much of the problem is due to the jobs we currently have in Prince William County and continue to attract. Other than local government, the sectors with the largest number of jobs in our community are Construction, Retails Sales and Accommodation and Food Services. Jobs in these areas tend to offer lower salaries than many others, and yet these sectors were the three with the most new jobs in Prince William County last year.  

Make no mistake, these industries offer honorable work. But they don’t pay enough to keep our residents from leaving the County for jobs. Our local companies lose daytime business to other jurisdictions. Our local government loses sales tax receipts. And, most importantly, those of us who commute outside of Prince William lose precious time that we could spend with our loved ones.

What seems to be forgotten at times is the fact that we’re in the midst of stiff competition with our localities to bring businesses to our community. To win, we have to offer a better value proposition than neighboring counties. And right now, that’s a tough sell. Ask yourself this: What major business would choose to relocate to a community with the most overcrowded classrooms in the Commonwealth of Virginia?  

And make no mistake, the quality of schools is one of the most important criteria businesses consider when determining where to locate. This is the case for two reasons: First, businesses look for a built-in, ready-made workforce with the knowledge and skills to do the job. Second, they want to ensure that their workers’ children have access to high-quality education as an added benefit.  

Beyond the school system, there are many other important considerations. Transportation infrastructure, particularly public transportation, is vital. And yet, we’re looking at a huge shortfall for PRTC funding that may mean elimination of local bus service, and the current Board refuses to even study bringing Metro to our County. Finally, the local government has to have earned a reputation for being both business-friendly and welcoming of a diverse population. Unfortunately, neither of these are the case in Prince William.

As I talk to business leaders both in and out of our County, the recurring theme is that it takes too long to get things done. Be it permits, inspections or other needed services, our efficiency simply doesn’t measure up to that of other local governments.  

Sadly, the anti-immigrant demagoguery by the current Chairman that consumed our community back in 2007 hasn’t been forgotten and continues to reflect badly on our community.

We can’t change this dynamic overnight. But we can send a message to our region that we’re ready as a community to change it. Solving our problems with education and transportation will take time and effort.  

Rebuilding our reputation can start with some changes in policies, procedures and, most importantly, leadership. I believe that leading the charge on economic development and high-wage job growth is the Chairman of the Board of County Supervisors’ most important responsibility.

Democrat Rick Smith is running against Republican Corey Stewart for Prince William County Board of Supervisors Chairman, At-large.