LaTonsha Pridgen seeks Coles District Supervisor seat, addresses overcrowded schools

LaTonsha Pridgen is running for the Coles District Supervisor position, bringing her years of experience in project management, and her passion from founding and running a nonprofit.

Pridgen is a political newcomer to Prince William County.

Name: LaTonsha Pridgen

Party: Democrat

Town: Manassas

Running for: Coles District Supervisor

Website: pridgenforcoles.com, Twitter, Facebook

Work: Certified Project Management Professional

Education: Bachelor of Science, Management Accounting – Park University
MBA, Marketing Management – Temple University

Community Involvement: LaTonsha Pridgen is the founder of Stomp Out the Silence, a nonprofit educating the community in child sexual abuse prevention. She is also a member of the NAACP.

Questions and Answers

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

Pridgen: From my time spent talking to the residents in the Coles District, the top three major issues facing our District are underfunded and overcrowded public schools, rampant and poorly planned development, and traffic congestion.

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

Pridgen: If elected, some concrete solutions that I would immediately propose are:
1) Review and amend the current revenue-sharing agreement with the school board so that it is aligned to ensure equitable funding of schools across the District.
2) Form constituent groups with representation from each precinct within the district to assist in finalizing a constituent-informed 2040 comprehensive plan which clearly identifies what and where we develop to include green space, bike trails, and sidewalks.
3) Increase the availability of attractive and affordable public transportation options across the district through expanded bus routes and schedules, extended VRE service, and Bus Rapid Transit to reduce the volume of cars on the roads.

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

Pridgen: The role of the Coles District Supervisor is to represent the residents of the district in the areas of land use, taxation, and county services in a morally and fiscally responsible manner. To me, this means building both a comprehensive plan and a budget that prioritizes the needs of residents across the district.

Coles is an expansive district and the needs vary depending upon which area of the district you are in. I believe ensuring that all residents are provided for means establishing constituency groups and having regularly scheduled communication with these groups to assess needs and make adjustments accordingly.

PL: What expertise will you bring to the office?

Pridgen: With close to 15 years of accounting experience, I am well-versed in developing and managing budgets for both nonprofit and for-profit entities. I also understand the importance of ensuring that your budget is aligned with your mission and goals. As a professional Project Manager, I know what it means to work with a variety of different stakeholders with varying and, often, opposing needs and wishes to drive towards a solution that will bring the greatest value to the group as a whole.

Finally, as the founder of a nonprofit organization, I know both the value and power of advocacy and the difference it can make to a community.

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

Pridgen: I do not believe that the average citizen is well-informed and understands the workings of local government. I also do not believe that the average citizen understands just how critical and impactful local government is to their everyday lives. I plan on improving my communication with my constituency by forming a constituency liaison group that represents the 15 precincts of the Coles District and working with this group to establish a regular cadence of community outreach activities focused on educating residents.

Further, I believe that it is important that, as the next Coles District Supervisor, I make myself available to my constituency by going where they are instead of waiting for them to come to me with their issues and concerns.

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

Pridgen: I would not be human if I have never made any mistakes in my public life. These mistakes have taught me the danger of being reactionary. I have learned that, regardless of the situation or circumstance, it is always prudent to pause before reacting. I believe that pausing allows you to shift from a purely emotional response or decision to one that is balanced with logic.

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

Pridgen: From the very beginning, this campaign has been “of the people, by the people, and for the people.” Despite the many hurdles and obstacles that we have faced along the way, this has NEVER changed.

As the saying goes, “Charity begins at home and then is spread abroad.” Prince William County has become a home for my wife and I, which is why it didn’t take me a decade to decide to stand up for the people of the Coles District. Residents of the Coles District deserve a leader whose only motive is to bring the voice of the voter to the Board of County Supervisors to ensure that we are all okay!

I pledge to serve as I have run with honesty, transparency, integrity, accountability, and compassion. I am READY to be “The Voice We Need, for The Progress We Deserve” and to work with my constituents to ensure that their voices are echoed by the Board.