Prince William County’s Board of Supervisors easily approved the fiscal year 2025 budget with a few changes on Tuesday, April 23, 2024, to take effect on July 1.
Following the April 16 budget markup meeting, the supervisors unanimously approved almost everything on the docket. Notably, the board set the real estate tax rate at 92 cents per $100 assessed value. Multiple supervisors stated that this decision was made to balance the tax burden on residents with data centers.
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DeShundra Jefferson, chair of the Prince William County Board of Supervisors, answered resident and media questions about housing, data centers, and the future of the county at the Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024, town hall event.
Hosted by InsideNoVa, Jefferson took questions from members of the media and residents during the nearly hourlong virtual town hall event. Jefferson was sworn in as chair in January.
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“Jefferson, D-At Large, shared her vision for the county’s future during the supervisors’ first meeting of the new year. In the new term, Jefferson said she’s hopeful the board can come together and collaborate with respect for one another to “better govern,” reports Shannon Clark at the Prince William Times.
“During last year’s campaign, Deshundra Jefferson was characterized by some as a “newcomer” to politics. But she rejects that tag,” reports Ben Peters, at Insidenova.com.
The Prince William Chamber of Commerce will hold a debate between Jeanine Lawson, the Republican, and Deshundra Jefferson, the Democrat. Both seek the Prince William County Board of Supervisors Chairman At-large seat.
The chamber is requiring attendees to register for the event before they may attend. Registration for the event is closed, according to the chamber’s website.
Election Day is Tuesday, November 7, 2023.
Prince William Times: “Deshundra Jefferson, the Democratic nominee for chair of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors, envisions a county with more affordable housing, that attracts more businesses to reduce residential tax bills and offers programs to keep youth on the right track.”
“Jeanine Lawson, the Republican nominee, envisions a county that restores former protections to the “rural crescent,” repeals the 4% meals tax and provides more funding to hire police officers to crack down on rising crime.”
Press release: “Former Congressman Frank Wolf, who successfully protected the Manassas Battlefield from over-development in the late 1980s, will be joining Supervisor Jeanine Lawson, candidates Bill Woolf and John Stirrup, for a press conference to support Supervisor Lawson’s Resolution 23 [Monday July 10, 10 AM, Manassas National Battlefield].”
“The resolution would prohibit contentious land-use votes during the lame duck period of November 7th through December 31st. The intent of the resolution is to ensure that decision-makers are held accountable to voters, creating confidence and trust in our Board, while also guaranteeing decisions regarding data center development are in line with the will of Prince William County’s residents.”
“Ahead of Monday’s press conference, Congressman Frank Wolf said, “The fight to preserve our battlefields and open spaces is not a new one, but it is an important one. I’m coming to speak on Monday because our leaders need to step up and do more to preserve Prince William County’s beautiful landscape.”
“Lame duck resolutions are common policies among counties within this region. Both Fairfax and Stafford counties have a long-standing practice of implementing this policy during election years. In previous years, Supervisor Lawson has brought forth similar resolutions, and many previous Boards have taken up these resolutions.”
Lawson, a Republican, is running against Democrat Deshundra Jefferson for Prince William Board of County Supervisors At-large chair. Lawson is part of the current Republican minority which, in the past year, has opposed the proliferation of server farms in the county.
The Prince William Board of County Supervisors meets at 2 p.m. Tuesday, July 11, 2023, to vote on Lawson’s resolution. Here’s the meeting agenda.
In November 2022, the Prince William County Supervisors voted to amend its comprehensive plan to allow up to 27 million square feet of data centers to be built next to Manassas National Battlefield Park. Lawson, and Coles District Supervisor Yesli Vega opposed the vote. Former Gainesville District Supervisor Peter Candland abstained from the vote before stepping down from the Board of Supervisors the next month.
Prince William Times: “Deshundra Jefferson, whose upset win in the Democratic primary unseated incumbent Prince William County Board Chair Ann Wheeler, was propelled to victory by big leads in the western parts of the county most impacted by data center development. Wheeler, meanwhile, won by slimmer margins in eastern Prince William precincts.”
“The Gainesville and Brentsville districts both showed a higher turnout in the June 20 primary and voted for Jefferson, 47, by wider margins, according to updated county election results that track the more than 14,000 absentee ballots cast in the Democratic and Republican primaries back to the voters’ precincts.”
Karl Greten, of Gainesville, speech at the June 27 Prince William Board of County Supervisors meeting: “I am Karl Greten, and I live in the Gainesville District. We are against the Digital Gateway CPA on Pageland Lane and its associated rezoning.”
“Chair Wheeler’s statement about the next Chair making statements about MAGA is completely accurate. Wheeler has not listened to the statements from PWC citizens that the underlying issue is to make PWC great, make VA great, and Make America Great. Wheeler, what do you want? Make Russia or China, or Iran great? This is what Wheeler has not understood. Perhaps you were trying to make another locale, state, or country great. PWC citizens are working to make PWC great and to not bulldoze it.”
“For the rest of the Democrat BOCS members, we are watching your comments, voting stance, and your financial gains.
“Prince William County has made amazing progress over the last three and a half years, and all Democrats and independents must all come together to ensure that continues,” Wheeler has said. This statement is true because Republicans, Democrats, and Independents came together to vote Wheeler out.”
“We will follow the developer and data center bulldozer money as Wheeler passes funds on to other Democrat destroyers.”
“Supervisor Angry: you narrowly won your primary election contest. Congratulations on winning with just over 100 votes. Your opponent is a newcomer to the PWC election process so this shows you may not be on the firmest ground.”
“Kenny Boddye: you have said, ‘This is an opportunity to say, Hey, we hear that there needs to be more care and caution when it comes to data centers and where we put them.’ Where have you been for the last two years? This is what the citizens have been pounding on you.”
“’You’re going to have a whole host of Democratic activists, advocates, and volunteers who may have sat out of the primary who are definitely going to be energized in the fall,” Boddye said.”
“Kenny, you got this wrong. Republicans, Democrats, and Independents came together to vote in the primary to oust Wheeler. Now county-wide issues such as the economy, violence, transgenderism, schools and grades that have declined during Democrat rule, abortion term limits, affordable housing, and the socialist agenda will be the issues between the Republican and Democratic position of the BOCS Chair in the election voting in September. Republican and Independents will now vote on multiple issues other than just data centers.”
“The citizens have spoken, and the county has heard us. Even though there was apprehension during the primary, the citizens of PWC knew what the outcome would be. There is no surprise.”
“The largest surprise is how far-reaching the results have resounded. Associated Press reports are coming in from Canada, Illinois, Oregon, Florida, Alaska, Georgia, Oklahoma, and Texas, and these are just a few.”
“Vote against the Digital Gateway CPA on Pageland Lane and its associated rezoning.”
Editors note: Potomac Local News aims to share opinions on issues of local importance from a diverse range of residents across all our communities. If you’ve recently spoken at a Board of County Supervisors meeting, send us a typed copy of your remarks for publication to [email protected].
