The Dumfries Town Council seeks to amend the town’s charter, which dates back to 1749, making Dumfries the oldest continuously chartered town in Virginia. The proposed changes were discussed during the council’s July 3 meeting.
According to a town spokeswoman, the amendments, which must be approved by the Virginia General Assembly in Richmond, are primarily administrative and aimed at promoting greater clarity concerning the existing text. One substantive proposal would empower the Mayor to declare a local emergency if neither the director of emergency management nor the town council is available.
The council’s agenda packet for the July 2 meeting did not include supporting documentation to provide residents with more information about the proposed changes.
The proposed charter amendments came after recent criticism of Mayor Derrick Wood. Last month, a fallen tree onto a power line trapped residents of the Prince William Estates neighborhood for 14 hours. During this time, Wood visited the neighborhood before attending a gala at the White House.
“The Town Council, as part of its unwavering commitment to a well-managed government, has pledged to make periodic reviews of the Town’s Charter and ordinances,” the town spokeswoman said. “This ensures that these sources accurately reflect the powers given to the Town by the state and remain transparent and effective for Town residents. This is the Council’s first review of the Town Charter to further its strategic plan goals and provide a clear direction for the changes.”
The town’s state representatives, State Senator Jeremy McPike and Delegate Candi Mundon King were informed of the council’s intent to propose amendments during a legislative meeting on July 9. Each representative may sponsor duplicate bills in their respective legislative bodies.
Vice Mayor Nickerson commented on the proposed changes during the town council meeting, stating that the council had worked on them during a working session and continued to do so towards the end of the meeting. She emphasized the importance of the changes in reflecting the community’s needs and values.
The proposed changes also include:
- The Town Clerk will be supervised by the Town Manager while assisting the council with administrative tasks.
- A civil penalty of up to $5,000 for civil or criminal misdemeanors will be enforceable.
Nickerson raised the issue of recourse if a council member fails to attend meetings but continues to collect their stipend, which the Town Attorney suggested should be addressed in the Code of Conflict rather than the charter.
Sarah Romero contributed to this report.
“[We wanted to allow] those kids who grew up and had a dream to be a police officer,” State Senator Jeremy McPike (D) WFTF Radio. “And what happened was the governor just crushed those kids’ dreams.”
“Peter Newsham, Chief of Police for Prince William County, also advocated for McPike’s bill. He said his jurisdiction is the most diverse part of the state and having Spanish speakers, let alone DACA recipients, on staff can help reach communities that are afraid to speak to cops.”
"The Superintendent and School Board provided tangible ways to improve student outcomes, urging legislators to provide Stafford County with increased funding necessary to support high expectations for student performance, provide a safe, positive learning environment, and provide better conditions to recruit, retain and develop staff. Additional discussion focused on the need for a reduction in the burden of unfunded mandates and inefficient government practices."
"Stafford Schools urged legislators to consider Virginia’s K-12 funding formula to provide a more accurate cost of education in the local area, and to provide for additional local sales and use taxes for school construction or renovation. The School Board encouraged elimination of support position caps to allow an increase in Basic Aid funding. To support the advocation of increased funding, school administrators laid out changes to Standards of Quality caps that would provide for an increase in counselors. psychologists, social workers, assistant principals, English Language Learner teachers, and Work Based Learning coordinators.
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Stafford County leaders support new legislation allowing them to hike the county sales tax to pay for school construction.
Virginia State Senator Jeremy McPike (D-29, Prince William, Stafford) has introduced legislation (SB14) in the upcoming January 2024 General Assembly session that would allow any county or city to let voters decide to hike the sales tax by 1%, a fee paid at retail shops and restaurants. Delegate-Elect Joshua Cole (D-65, Fredericksburg, Stafford) said he'll introduce similar legislation in the House of Delegates when he takes office in January.
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The General Election in Virginia on Tuesday, November 7, saw changes in representation for the State Senate.
This was the first election held under newly drawn political districts by the Virginia State Supreme Court in 2021.
Here is the list of winners in Prince William County:
Virginia State Senate — Elections every four years
District 29 (Central Prince William County, Woodbridge, North Stafford)
Winner: Jeremy McPike (D)
McPike has served in the state senate since 2016. He defeated Republican Nikki Rattray Baldwin by 12 points.
District 30 (Manassas, Manassas Park, Gainesville)
Winner Danica Roem (D)
Roem will become the first to serve this newly drawn district. Roem beat Bill Woolf (R) by three and a half points.
District 33 (Lorton, Woodbridge)
Winner: Jennifer Carrol Foy (D)
Jennifer Carroll Foy will return to the state legislature after serving nearly two full terms. Carroll Foy resigned to make an unsuccessful bid for governor in 2021.
Carroll Foy beat Republican challenger Mike Van Meter by 25 points.
We’ll have more election recap information regarding the House of Delegates and Board of County Supervisors soon.
The General Election in Virginia on Tuesday, November 7, saw changes in representation for the State Senate.
This was the first election held under newly drawn political districts by the Virginia State Supreme Court in 2021.
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Nikki Rattray Baldwin declared victory in the run for the Republican nomination in the June 20, 2023, Primary Election.
Baldwin beat her opponent Maria Martin by two votes. Martin has called for a recount.
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The Center Square: "Clear winners and losers emerged from Tuesday’s state Senate primaries, except for Virginia Senate District 29, where Democratic and Republican candidates are locked in races too close to call."
"With more than 95% of votes in and only provisional and mail-in ballots left to be tallied, the races of Democrats Sen. Jeremy McPike and challenger Del. Elizabeth Guzman, and Republicans Maria Martin and Nikki Baldwin are headed toward a recount."
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Prince William County Republican Committee: “As Chairman of the Prince William Republican Committee, I would like to offer my most enthusiastic congratulations to the winners in the June 20 Republican primaries, including Jeanine Lawson for County Chair, Bill Woolf in the 30th State Senate District, and John Stirrup in the 21st District of the House of Delegates.”
“I also would like to commend those Republican candidates that did not prevail, including Josh Quill and Robert Ruffolo; they demonstrated their courage and commitment to the principles of the Republican Party by undertaking all the ardors and difficulties of a political campaign.”
“We still do not know who has won in the 29th Senate District but the close race between Nikki Rattray Baldwin and Maria Martin demonstrates that the qualities of the candidates made it a difficult decision for Republican voters.”
“It is now time for Republican voters to rally behind their Prince William County candidates in the general elections this November. If the candidates are willing to lay their time, their effort, and their money on the line to save this county, can we do less?”
The primary race for Republicans and Democrats in Virginia’s 29th Senate District (portions of Prince William and Stafford counties) remains too close to call.
Incumbent Democrat Jeremy McPike is trying to hold on to his seat but faces tough competition from challenger and current House of Delegates member Elizabeth Guzman.
A total of 46 votes separates McPike and Guzman in the party’s primary challenge. McPike has held the seat since 2016. Guzman was elected to the House of Delegates in 2017.
Incumbent Democrat Jeremy McPike is trying to hold on to his seat but faces tough competition from challenger and current House of Delegates member Elizabeth Guzman.
A total of 46 votes separates McPike and Guzman in the party’s primary challenge. McPike has held the seat since 2016. Guzman was elected to the House of Delegates in 2017.
For Republicans, Maria Martin is challenging Nikki Rattray Baldwin for the party’s nomination. Only 10 votes separates the two candidates.
Martin has sought state-level office since 2019, first in the House of Delegates and now in the Senate.
Martin and Baldwin live in Prince William County. Martin is a Bolivian immigrant and Marine Corps wife and homemaker. Baldwin is a Navy veteran, a wife of a U.S. Marine of 13 years, and the mother of a 9-year-old boy.
