Prince William Supervisor pushes for more public involvement in hiring process

How much of a say should Prince William County residents have when it comes to who leads individual departments inside the county government?

Coles District Supervisor Yesli Vega convinced her fellow leaders to direct County Executive Christopher Martino to create a survey to be sent to county residents asking them what qualities they want in the county’s next planning director.

Over the past eight years, the county government has been embroiled in a debate over what to do with the Rural Crescent, a tract of land between Quantico Marine Corps Base and Manassas National Battlefield that his been preserved for farming, and for single-family homes built on 10 acres of land.

The county’s former planning director Rebecca Horner was promoted to a deputy county executive in January. The promotion comes to the heels of years of recent work on Horner’s part to device multiple small-area development plans that will be used to guide future development across the county.

A year ago, she drew the ire of both those who want to preserve the Rural Crescent, and of those who want to sell their land to developers, cash out, and move away.

Though they were ultimately supportive of Vega’s desire to send the survey, many questioned the need to open up a process that, usually, is conducted internally by the county executive.

“The reason we hire a county executive is that he hires a team of people he likes and can work with,” said Prince William Board of County Supervisors Chair At-large Ann Wheeler.

It’s also difficult to place restrictions on online surveys, ensuring that only county residents complete the survey, and ensuring that one person doesn’t complete the survey multiple times, added Wheeler.

Others like Supervisors Jeanine Lawson and Peter Candland agreed, saying the Board of County Supervisors shouldn’t get into the habit of sending surveys to the public when every director position becomes vacant. The planning director is different, they argued, since this particular department chair regularly interacts with residents at community workshops and public hearings.

“I believe the whole purpose of this, Mr. Martino, is to assist you,” said Vega. “We have to remember that, ultimately, the planning director works for the taxpayer.”

Martino told the board that he plans to hire a new planning director by October and that polling residents for their opinions on the new hire would not delay the hiring process.

“We’ll just make it happen,” said Martino.

The survey for the county’s new planning director comes as the county is already asking or public feedback for its new police chief. On July 1, Chief Barry Barnard retired after 44 years of service to the county. He’s been replaced by Acting Chief Lt. Col. Jarad Phelps, who has applied to fill the role in a permanent capacity.