Seeking Prince William Board of County Supervisors seat, Sheikh calls for improved education

Raheel Sheikh is seeking a seat on the Board of County Supervisors for the Coles District. He is a local business owner with plans to improve education and transportation.

Name: Raheel Sheikh

Party: Democrat

Town: Manassas (near)

Running for: Board of County Supervisors, Coles District

Website: raheel4supervisor.com, Facebook, Twitter

Work: Local Business Owner

Education: Graduated from college in Pakistan. Microsoft Certified Professional. Dale Carnegie Leadership Program Graduate, and various other programs.

Community Involvement: Raheel Sheikh currently serves on the Virginia Workforce Development Board. He is a member of Virginians Organized for Interfaith Community Engagement (VOICE) and Public Affairs Civic Engagement (PACE) for Dar Alnoor Islamic Community Center.

He is a member of Virginia Gasoline Marketers Council (VGMC) and Virginia Automotive Association. He also volunteers for the Prince William County Public Schools robotics teams. In addition, he sponsors and donates to Girl Scout and Boy Scout fundraisers, youth sports teams, and PWCPS athletic events. He is the Homeowners Association President for the Reserve at Hunters Mill.

Questions and Answers

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

Sheikh: Education & Schools, Transportation, and Economic Development

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

Sheikh: We need to develop a long term comprehensive plan establishing smarter growth which includes schools, improved transportation and infrastructure, and business attraction and growth. As an appointed member to the Virginia Workforce Development Board establishing vocational training programs to create a seamless pathway from school to apprenticeship and internships to career.

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

Sheikh: From my perspective, the Supervisor serves as an advocate for all constituents within their district. Supervisor must make decisions on funding prioritization, setting local tax policy, and approving land use plans for the county while ensuring they are keeping the best interest of their constituents and the county. Also, the Supervisor should have a vision for the present as well as the future for the good of the county now and 20 years down the road.

PL: What expertise will you bring to the office?

Sheikh: My expertise comes from a few aspects; a parent, a commuter and, a business owner. As a parent, all three of our children attend or have graduated from PWCPS and have had a class or two in unsafe trailers. As a commuter, I’ve sat in traffic for 45 minutes to travel two miles. As a business owner, I see the impacts of traffic congestion as my businesses are along highly occupied roads.

I also understand how difficult starting a business within the county can be, which has an impact on the abundance of vacant properties and the reluctance of business growth within the county also resulting in revenue shortages falling into the laps of county residents in the form of higher property and personal property taxes.

PL: Do you feel that the average citizen is well-informed and understands the workings of local government?

Sheikh: The local government is involved in more aspects of our daily lives than the state or federal government, and unfortunately the average citizen is not well-informed or doesn’t pay as much attention to local government as they should.

There are various ways I intend to improve communication. Hosting informative town halls to provide an understanding of our constituency on vast issues while also creating a forum for questions and input or solutions. I would like to further establish better lines of communication through phone, text, email, and social media outlets.

I’m also always open to suggestions, but if knocking on people’s doors or having an open door policy is important to stay connected to the community then I’m for it. Getting a better understanding of the local concerns to the people will always be valuable while improving our methods of communication.

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

Sheikh: I should have gotten involved earlier especially since over-development, over-crowded schools, increased traffic congestion, and poor economic development have increasingly plagued our county. This has led to me becoming an advocate for all and has also encouraged me to run to bring change, a different perspective, and solutions that make sense to everyone for a better Prince William County.

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

Sheikh: I’m a leader who will lead by example, a 16-year resident, local advocate, and a local business owner who has created jobs within the county and will continue to invest.

Invest in every student by pushing to lower the ratio of students to counselors in our public schools, and eliminate the use of unsafe trailers, because our kids’ safety comes first.

Invest in every family as we sit in traffic congestion entirely too long. I’ll fight for better transit and telecommuting options to alleviate road delays and work with lawmakers to reduce the time spent on local routes and highways as family time is valuable.

Invest every resident with smart economic development and create vocational training programs building the workforce to attract businesses. Promote small business startup to include veterans. Increasing tax revenue because as residents, our tax dollars shouldn’t be the only dollars funding the county. Invest in first responders and teachers by promoting incentives to allow these public servants the ability to afford to live within the county.

Lastly, invest in Prince William County with the unique voice I will offer to the Board of County Supervisors while guiding the county to a more prosperous future. I believe I am the best candidate in this race, and I hope you will vote for me.