Prince William leaders optimistic: ‘I feel like we’re off to a good start’

The Prince William County Board of Supervisors convened for a two-day meeting on January 29 and 30, addressing key issues and sparking debates on proposed changes to public comment procedures.

Leading the discussions was newly elected Democrat Deshundra Jefferson, the At-large Supervisor. Jefferson emphasized the need for unity in the face of divisive issues. Jefferson acknowledged the challenges ahead but expressed optimism about the Board’s direction.

“If we could just start having conversations with one another and get to a better place with creating norms, with creating different behaviors, that’s a win,” said Jefferson. “This is not going to be an easy four years. I hope that. I feel like we’re off to a good start, and I hope it can continue.”

While little business was conducted on Monday, board members spent the day in team-building sessions, encouraged by Prince William County Executive Christopher Shorter. Despite a similar team-building workshop in 2020, the board’s previous term was rife with disagreement and partisanship, with multiple pressing decisions — from data centers and immigration policies at the county jail to an asphalt plant— resulting in party-line votes.

The current board took its seats on January 1, 2024.

One contentious topic on Monday’s agenda was the proposal to limit citizen comment time. Supervisor Victor Angry proposed reducing individual public comment time from three to two minutes and capping total comment time at three hours. This sparked a heated debate among the supervisors, leading to a decision to table any changes pending a closed-door session with police.

Jefferson advocated for allowing speakers to return to the podium near the supervisors during citizen times, a departure from the current setup where speakers address the Board from a microphone at the back of the chambers.

Jefferson and Gainesville District Supervisor Bob Weir said changing the location of the speakers could have a calming effect on them. The policy is a pandemic-era holdout left over from 2020, the same year supervisors lost control of a meeting in which Black Lives Matter supporters called for abolishing the county police department.

The debate over public comment changes revealed a split among the supervisors. Angry, Potomac Supervisor Andrea Bailey, and Occoquan Supervisor Kenny Boddye supported the limitations. Conversely, Coles Supervisor Yesli Vega and Weir opposed the changes. Woodbridge Supervisor Margaret Franklin, Brenstville Supervisor Tom Gordy, and Jefferson have yet to express their stance.

Occoquan District Supervisor Kenny Boddye states that he, too, has not decided to support limiting public comment and adds supervisors aren’t at their best when meetings run until 3 a.m. or later. “I want every resident to have a direct line to their supervisors, yet I understand the frustration of community members who find themselves waiting in Board chambers for hours to hear about – or speak to – specific agenda items,” Boddye states in an email received after this story first published.

In the original story, we incorrectly reported Boddye supported limiting comment time.

The push for modifications in public comment procedures follows a marathon meeting in December 2023, lasting nearly 28 hours. At that meeting, the controversial PW Digital Gateway data center development was approved in a party-line vote. The decision is currently facing legal challenges.

The training is in addition to training on Robert’s Rules of Procedure, the Freedom of Information Act, and other vital items incoming supervisors were afforded in December.

Community Transparency Advocate Alan Gloss contributed to this report.