Prince William leaders are about to go on a ‘retreat’

The Prince William County Board of Supervisors will go next door to hold a retreat.

Supervisors will meet Monday and Tuesday, January 29 and 30, at Old Hickory Golf Club, less than a mile from the county government center in Woodbridge.

A meeting agenda will be published Thursday, Jan. 25, 2024, said county spokeswoman Nicole Brown. Public bodies use retreats to get to know the body’s members and have broad discussions on policy.

Prince William supervisors last attended a team-building workshop in July 2020, as members of the previous board, helmed by former At-large Chair Ann Wheeler, struggled to get along. Notably, it faced controversy for approving multiple land rezonings for data centers, including the PW Digital Gateway next to Manassas National Battlefield, which is now being challenged in court.

DeShundra Jefferson, the newly elected chair at-large of Prince William County’s Board of Supervisors, delivered her first remarks on the State of the County. She expressed hope for collaboration and positive change, emphasizing the need for the Board to work together to address responsible growth, diversify the tax base, and invest in affordable housing and public safety. Jefferson, who represents a change in the Board controlled by Democrats since 2020, aims to bring a collaborative approach.

In a bipartisan move, Jefferson appointed Yesli Vega, a Republican, as the board’s pro-tempore chair. Vega will preside over meetings in Jefferson’s and another member’s absence. Jefferson expressed a desire to celebrate the diversity within the county and emphasized the importance of working together to leave a legacy of progress for future generations.

One of the first actions of the new board came this week when supervisors signed off on a collective bargaining agreement that sees police and fire and rescue employees get pay increases and new benefits in the coming year.

The presentation covered various aspects, including the historical context, negotiation process, and fiscal impacts of the tentative agreements with the Prince William County Police Association (PWCPA) and the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF). The Board voted seven to one in favor of the collective bargaining agreements, with Coles District Supervisor Yesli Vega casting the lone dissenting vote.

The agreements address pay, maternal leave, and other benefits, aligning the county with contemporary workforce considerations. While some supervisors initially had reservations about collective bargaining, they recognized the importance of addressing retention issues and remaining competitive in wages to retain trained personnel.

The agreements include provisions such as a pay scale committee, a lump sum payment, on-call pay, shift differential pay increase, paid family leave, and adjustments to comp leave caps. For firefighters, there is a transition from a 56-hour work week to a 50-hour work week, requiring the hiring of additional firefighters.

The total cost for fiscal year 2025 is estimated at $16 million.