Prince Willam County faces some very serious challenges

Opinion

Each year in Virginia, we are tasked as citizens of our Commonwealth to exercise a tremendously important obligation: voting for leaders who will help shape our future. We’re inundated with issues, slammed with slogans. Our mailboxes fill up with glossy campaign literature, and television and radio ads fill the airwaves, all in an effort to convince us what matters in elections. Putting aside the rhetoric, I believe that one consideration rises above all others in determining who to support in any election: Commitment.

Issues come and go. Today’s challenges become tomorrow’s opportunities. And with the speed of change in almost every facet of our lives in the 21st century, we owe it to ourselves, as well as our families and friends, to elect leaders at all levels who are driven to serve for the right reasons and are firmly committed to placing the needs of our community above all else.

Prince William County has never been a weigh station or temporary stop for me. It’s far more to me than a spot on a map. The people of this community helped raise me as child and have been instrumental in helping me raise my five children. For almost four decades, we’ve attended the same schools, played in the same parks and travelled the same roads together. It hasn’t always been an easy journey, but it’s one that we, as a community, have taken together. And it’s one that we’ll continue to take together.

Our county faces some very serious challenges. Some of these are the result of factors beyond our control, such as the housing crisis and stock market meltdown. Others, unfortunately, have been selfinflicted. But no matter how or why we got here, our next Board Chairman has to be committed to addressing issues like overcrowded classrooms, unacceptable gridlock on our roads and restoring our reputation as a welcoming community that attracts high-paying jobs in a manner that ensures real, lasting solutions. Our Chairman has to be willing to make tough decisions based solely on what will truly work, not simply those that will play well in the media or reward political allies.

I’m committed to serving you as your Chairman based strictly on these values. Prince William County has been my home for over 36 years. And I intend for it to be my home for another 36 years. Let’s work together, as members of a community with such incredible potential, to rise above our challenges, take advantage of our opportunities, and give our children the bright future they so richly deserve.

*Rick Smith is a candidate for the Chairman of the Prince William County Board of Supervisors.