You can tell it’s election season.  Our elected officials are busily covering over the misdeeds of their tenures and re-packaging themselves as faithful servants of the people.

Look at the creative ways they try to exploit your inattention.  Did you know that our board of county supervisors has authorized a water study of the Occoquan watershed, a Sustainability Commission Report, development of a revised noise ordinance, and considering enhanced building code standards for data centers?

The results are due back about the same time as they finish pouring cement for the millions of square feet of data centers they already rushed to approve.

You’d think if they were really interested in what they claim, they might have looked into these issues before sealing our fates with their pre-determined decisions.  After all, there were certainly enough informed citizens lining up at Public Comment time pleading for them to do so.  They finally got the message after the damage was done.  Better late than never.

For the next few months of election season, you will hear nothing but accomplishments from this board. Just don’t look too closely out your car window, and for some neighborhoods, don’t even look out your back door, or you will see the reality of their “accomplishments.”

Chair Ann Wheeler is the chief practitioner of the drive-by photo op and the innocuous “proclamation.”  Throw in buttering-up a few select community members with appointments to commissions (our equivalent of ambassadorship), and you’ve built a superficial following.

How’s that working for us?

Paula Daly
Gainesville

PLN accepts letters to the editor on issues of local importance. Submit your letters to [email protected].

Updated 1 p.m. April 19 — Former Gainesville District Supervisor John Stirrup collapsed at tonight’s Prince William Board of County Supervisors meeting on April 18, 2023.

According to sources, Stirrup, who is running for the House of Delegates District 21 seat in Haymarket, was rushed to Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center, where he’s lying in intensive care.

His condition has improved, according to a post on his Facebook page.

John is now feeling much better, resting and even telling a few dad jokes to the hospital staff. He and Heidi are incredibly grateful for the first responders, medical team, and all those who have reached out and offered prayers and support.

Fire and rescue crews resuscitated Stirrup at the board meeting before loading him by stretcher onto an ambulance. Stirrup was speaking during public comment time, talking about the county’s violent crime rate, which has increased 70% since 2019, and the jail board’s abolishment of the 287(g) program, which had county jail officers partner with federal immigration and customs authorities to hand over jail inmates suspected of being in the U.S. illegally.

Prince William Board of County Supervisors Chair At-large Ann Wheeler called a meeting recess until 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 20, 2023. Supervisors were in the public comment portion o the meeting and then were to engage in budget markup when leaders were to decide what to cut from the fiscal year 2024 budget.

After returning from recess, County Executive Christopher Shorter said, “What we witnessed here tonight was a medical emergency. The response from our first responders here was amazing.”

Stirrup, a conservative, served on the Board of County Supervisors for two terms from 2004 until 2011. Stirrup left the county government and later lobbied on its behalf.

Stirrup has a Republican challenger in Josh Quill, who is also seeking the party’s nomination in a June 20 Primary.

Here’s a transcript of Stirrup’s speech, delivered just before he collapsed:

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Tomorrow, Tuesday, April 18, 2023, we’ll see what Prince William County Supervisors leave in and what they cut out.

Elected leaders will hold a public meeting at 7:30 p.m. at the county government complex, 1 County Complex Court in Woodbridge, for budget markup. During a series of back-and-forth discussions and straw polls, supervisors will decide what programs to fund in the upcoming Fiscal 2024 budget, which takes effect July 1, 2024. You can watch the meeting online here.

A few residents spoke about the proposed budget during a public hearing on Tuesday, April 11, 2023. Some wanted more investments into the public schools for robotics programs, while others cried rising taxes are displacing seniors on fixed incomes from their homes. Others said they want more police after the county’s violent crime rate increased by 70% since the current Board of Supervisors was elected in 2019.

According to the agenda for tomorrow’s meeting, no public comment time is scheduled.

Supervisors are mulling the budget that would increase the average homeowner’s Real Estate tax bill to $4,905 Real Estate tax bill, up $72 from last year.

County Executive Christopher Shorter dropped the proposed tax rate by one cent, to .966 cents on every $100 of assessed home value, from when he first proposed his 2024 budget on February 28. While the proposed rate is lower than the current $1.03 rate, increased property values mean homeowners will pay more.

One of the budget drivers is a new crisis receiving center, which will take in mental patients when it opens in what was a Gander Mountain store next to Potomac Mills mall in Woodbridge. It’ll cost about $3.8 million a year to operate, with $2.1 million coming from the state.

Other budget priorities supervisors told Shorter they would like to see in the budget is $500,000 for landscaping projects across the county. There’s another half-million dollars to fund a new community events department to continue to help organize events like a Christmastime lights show at the Neabsco Boardwalk in Woodbridge and a series of Friday evening community parties at the government center.

The boardwalk lights event began last year and was funded with $150,000 in coronavirus relief funding given to the county by the state government, said county parks and recreation director Seth Handler Voss.

The county schools will benefit from the higher tax bills, adding about $13.4 million to its $1.5 billion annual budget. Prince William is one of at least two jurisdictions in the state that automatically gives more than half of its local government budget to its public schools.

The higher rate will also create a $10.4 million budget surplus. Meanwhile, the county is flush with cash after introducing a new meals tax last year that generated about $35 million, about $11 million more than anticipated.

County Budget Director Michelle Atreed said overall tax revenues are up $34 million, with a 19% increase in industrial tax revenue and a 15% data center tax revenue increase. However, most of the increases came from personal property taxes, as used cars appreciated in value over the last year — a stark change from when used cars typically lost value.

If the budget is approved without significant changes, it’ll be the third year in a row Real Estate tax bills have increased for county residents.

The Prince William Board of County Supervisors held its public hearing on a proposed tax increase, where the average homeowner could pay a $4,905 Real Estate tax bill, up $72 from last year, starting July 1.

County Executive Christopher Shorter dropped the proposed tax rate by one cent, to .966 cents on every $100 of assessed home value, from when he first proposed his 2024 budget on February 28. While the proposed rate is lower than the current $1.03 rate, increased property values mean homeowners will pay more.

“I’m glad to see the tax rate is going down. I hope people are paying attention,” said Woodbridge District Supervisor Margaret Franklin.

The public hearing started at 9:02 p.m. on Tuesday, April 11, and lasted 20 minutes. Those who spoke said the county should do more to fund robotics programs in the public schools, hire more police officers, and lower taxes to help make a living in Prince William County more affordable for seniors.

“The only way my parents can afford to live here in this county is in my home,” said one resident.

“We’re 363 officers short of where our comprehensive plan says we should be, and you’re not planning to hire any new officers,” said Barbra Dodge. While the county’s comprehensive plan does call for more, Prince William County has 707 police officer positions on its rolls, and is short about 75, said Chief Peter Newsham on March 31.

Violent crime has been up 70% in Prince William County since 2019.

The 2024 budget, which takes effect July 1, aims to fund salary increases for public safety personnel in the sheriff’s office, fire and rescue, and jail. Last year, supervisors gave police officers a 17% pay hike, bringing the annual starting pay for a new police officer to $62,000.

One of the budget drivers is a new crisis receiving center, which will take in mental patients when it opens in what was a Gander Mountain store next to Potomac Mills mall in Woodbridge. It’ll cost about $3.8 million a year to operate, with $2.1 million coming from the state.

Other budget priorities supervisors told Shorter they would like to see in the budget is $500,000 for landscaping projects across the county. There’s another half-million dollars to fund a new community events department to continue to help organize events like a Christmastime lights show at the Neabsco Boardwalk in Woodbridge and a series of Friday evening community parties at the government center.

The boardwalk lights event began last year and was funded with $150,000 in coronavirus relief funding given to the county by the state government, said county parks and recreation director Seth Handler Voss.

Tuesday marked the first time supervisors heard of the new county events department, which Shorter would fire one full-time and one part-time employee to staff. Supervisor Victor Angry suggested the county develop a protocol for how many events could be held in the county’s seven magisterial districts and suggested limiting the events to two each.

Supervisor Jeanine Lawson cautioned, saying she doesn’t want to compete with private businesses the county could hire to produce community. Shorter told PLN he was open to working with any business. However, the county government has yet to enter talks with any private business to produce its community events.

Supervisor Yesli Vega accused Shorter of wanting to grow the local government. “In the past, if we’ve had an event in our district, we’ve paid for it out of our office budgets. I’d rather see this extra money [for the events department] go to public safety,” said Vega.

Board Chair At-large Ann Wheeler said the boardwalk lights event attracted tourists. Potomac District Supervisor Andrea Bailey wants to spend $150,000 on a new tourism master plan to target would-be visitors, supplementing the work of the county’s tourism office.

There’s also a $2.5 million plan to dredge Quantico Creek in Dumfries. Four years ago, the county spent $750,000 to dredge nearby Neabsco Creek, popular with boaters and home to a county fire and rescue boat. Private marinas that operated on the creek matched the spending with $250,000, funding the $1 million project.

Public defenders would also get a raise, which could cost taxpayers about $360,000.

The county schools will benefit from the higher tax bills, adding about $13.4 million to its $1.5 billion annual budget. Prince William is one of at least two jurisdictions in the state that automatically gives more than half of its local government budget to its public schools.

The higher rate will also create a $10.4 million budget surplus. Meanwhile, the county is flush with cash after introducing a new meals tax last year that generated about $35 million, about $11 million more than anticipated.

County Budget Director Michelle Atreed said overall tax revenues are up $34 million, with a 19% increase in industrial tax revenue and a 15% data center tax revenue increase. However, most of the increases came from personal property taxes, as used cars appreciated in value over the last year — a stark change from when used cars typically lost value.

On April 18, supervisors will hold an annual budget markup session to decide what to leave in the funding plan and what to remove. The board is expected to approve the budget on April 25.

If the budget is approved without significant changes, it’ll be the third year in a row Real Estate tax bills have increased for county residents.

A group of leading Prince William County Republican Party voices is denouncing Republican candidate for Board of County Supervisors chair Kenn Knarr as a “Democrat masquerading as a Republican.”

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The Prince William County circus is never short on sideshows.

In eastern Prince William, we’re gambling on “The Rose.”  In western Prince William, we’ve bet the house on data centers.

The latest Prince William County Police Department report shows our violent crime rate has skyrocketed since 2019.  Good luck getting those winnings home from the casino.

Our Absence-of-Planning Office is absolutely melting down after a series of controversial decisions that prioritized developer exploitation over prudent land use.  Senior planning staff runs for their professional lives without a word of explanation.  Are even the exiles muzzled by non-disclosure agreements?

Just when you think you need a breath of fresh air, there isn’t any.  Despite our sustainability goals, Prince William County is one of two Northern Virginia counties increasing its greenhouse gas emissions.  As if no one’s paying attention, our earth-moving and clear-cutting Chair At-large Ann Wheeler dons environmental lipstick to gloss over her abysmal record before a Green Business Council invented by her husband.

And when you’re drowning, you can always count on our self-serving friends along Pageland Lane to throw you an anchor.  Ken Knarr has generously stepped forward to claim Pete Candland’s financially-conflicted “what’s-in-it-for-me?” role in the Republican primary.  This stunt is most likely designed to dilute the burgeoning opposition to our beleaguered Chair.

For all these “services,” you got a tax increase.  In the alternate universe of Ann Wheeler, this bedlam is supposed to merit her re-election.  She has inexplicably chosen to run on a record most would be running from.

Pulling off this con requires an awful lot of voter disengagement.  Don’t fall for it.  Vote for Deshundra Jefferson in the June 20 Democratic primary.

Bill Wright
Gainesville

Prince William County Police Chief Peter Newsham will be front and center during the Board of County Supervisors meeting at 2 p.m. Tuesday, April 4, 2023, to update elected leaders about crime in the county.

According to Newsham’s 2o22 executive summary, the violent crime rate jumped an eye-popping 70% from 2019 to 2022, which includes murder, manslaughter, rape, sodomy, and robbery (outlined on page 48 of the department’s 2021 report).

The overall crime rate rose 23% in the past year, with 38 crimes per every 1,000 county residents reported, up from 32 in 2021. Even more alarming, the murder rate doubled in a year, with 20 homicides in 15 incidents in 2022.

All but two of the 2022 murder cases have been solved.

Last week, we reported Newsham said the crime report would be released soon and that it “doesn’t look good.” Newsham’s executive summary was found in Tuesday’s meeting agenda as a precursor to a more detailed crime report for 2022 that will be released at a to-be-determined date.

The crime rate has skyrocketed under the leadership of the current Board of County Supervisors, controlled by Democrats, and Commonwealth Attorney Amy Ashworth (D), who took office in 2020.

Under Ashworth, grand jury indictments have fallen from more than 200 to about 70 per month, despite supervisors providing additional funding to the commonwealth attorney to hire more staff.

In a January 2023 interview with this news organization, Ashworth denied the rising crime rate and stated it was a “Republican narrative repeated only by people who watch Fox News.” Ashworth also explained that indicting more people, as was done under her predecessor, Paul Ebert, a Democrat, was just a means to put numbers in a board to increase state funding.

“That incentive is completely contrary to what you do as a prosecutor,” Ashworth told PLN, who added those caught with cocaine for the first time should not face felony charges. Republican Matt Lowery is challenging Ashworth in the November 2023 General Election.

Also, on Tuesday, we expect an update from the county’s transportation department, which is constructing new interchanges on Prince William Parkway near Manassas at Balls Ford and Brentsville roads.

During the 7:30 p.m. session, School Board Chairman Dr. Babur Lateef will present the school division’s $2.4 billion budget. The school division’s budget is tied to supervisors’ set real estate tax rate set to be approved later this month.

The county is slated to give the school system $192 million, its largest funding share, when combined with state and federal money.

Later, supervisors will be asked to rezone 51 acres from Planned Business District to Planned Mixed Residential for 334 age-restricted homes.

The meeting is held at 1 County Complex Court in Woodbridge. The afternoon session begins at 2 p.m., and the evening session at 7:30 p.m.

Can’t go? You can watch live and archived meeting videos here.

Police Chief Peter Newsham says Prince William County's crime report is due next week, and it's "not good news."

Crime in Virginia's second-largest jurisdiction is up over last year, with a crime rate of about 37 crimes to every 1,000 people, approaching a high not seen since 2009, Newsham told PLN. Police investigated 20 homicides in the county in 2022, double the number of murders in 2021.

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