Local Politics Matter
The quality of life in Loudoun is good. Very good. That doesn't discount traffic congestion. That doesn't discount ever-growing real estate property taxes. That doesn't discount school boundary changes.
Congestion is symptomatic of a high quality of life: People choose to move to Loudoun for many reasons. People in Loudoun are employed at a higher rate than most of the nation.
While property taxes keep rising, they rise along with the value of homes in Loudoun. A residence often represents a family’s largest single investment, and the average home in Loudoun is building wealth for families at a rate unmatched by any savings plans or stock portfolio.
School boundary changes anger parents seeking stability of schools for their children. But Loudoun fulfills its responsibility for burgeoning student enrollments by building at a rate of five schools a year — on time, on budget. That trumps hundreds of trailers sprouting over playground blacktops or school fields. New schools require new boundaries.
Could congestion, taxes and school boundaries be better addressed?
Doubtlessly in the ideal. After all, everything can be improved. However, just as easily, everything can be degraded.
Next Tuesday's election will decide if Loudoun's quality of life improves or suffers. Either incumbents have led the county in the right direction or they have not. As for challengers, in reality, they can't do more than make promises. If voters don't like their quality of life, as shaped by the current leaders in county government, then they have no choice but trust the challengers won't make things worse.
IN THE RACE FOR CHAIRMAN of the Board of Supervisors, incumbent Scott York, Republican turned independent, is running for re-election based on the fulfilled promise he made four years ago to control growth in Loudoun. His leadership, supported by the majority of the current Board of Supervisors, started and completed a massive process to rewrite the county's Comprehensive Plan and its zoning ordinances, thereby wiping off 80,000 housing units from the county's previous plan.
The public hearings were raucous; lowering density in parts of the county resulted in some 200 lawsuits by landowners claiming the value of their property was diminished. The county will have to defend against those lawsuits in the coming months and years. The work of creating detailed local master plans that map out need public facilities remains. So-called "foot-free" wetlands areas need to be reconsidered for use by parks and schools for ballfields.
Much tinkering still needs to be done, but York and the board deserve credit for a body of work unmatched by other jurisdictions — both in scope and in celerity.
With that said, let's acknowledge that Republican Bob Gordon and Democrat Al Van Huyck probably would make exceptional chairmen as well. Intelligent, focused and articulate, both have qualifications and experience that suggest they would be highly effective leaders for the county.
But York has proven he deserves an encore.
THE SHERIFF'S RACE is incumbent Republican Steve Simpson's to lose. Faced with five challengers, he should be able to watch his opponents divide up the votes of residents concerned about the operations of the Sheriff's Office while safely maintaining his base of supporters. Simpson justifiably points with pride at how well he has managed the growth of the Sheriff's Office — in terms of manpower, equipment and scope of duties due to homeland security.
But Chris Jones, Phillip Daughenbaugh, Mark Davis, Chris Harmison and Peter Kalitka collectively make the point that the Sheriff's Office also has its share of problems in jail operations, such as the recent suicides and inmate/staff behavior; growing gang activity in eastern Loudoun; and the ongoing friction between the Sheriff and the Commonwealth's Attorney.
The candidate most qualified to challenge Simpson is Mark Davis who gave up 22 years in the Sheriff's Office to wage this campaign. He has worked in all areas of the Sheriff's Office including as supervisor in charge of court security and civil process during the new court construction process. He argues persuasively in favor of new leadership that will not only acknowledge the issues but address them through policy, training and staffing adjustments.
COMMONWEALTH'S ATTORNEY Office doesn't appear to carry some of the same baggage as the Sheriff's Office. While incumbent Bob Anderson, another Republican turned independent, can't seem to play well with the Sheriff, and vice versa, his opponent Republican Jim Plowman fails to convince that Anderson's prosecutorial strategies are detrimental to the office and, more importantly, to the cases he chooses to pursue. The harshest criticism seems to be that Anderson thinks like a defense attorney, which doesn't seem like a necessarily bad quality in evaluating the merits of a case. Nonetheless, Anderson is certainly prickly and unlikely to win Miss Congeniality.
Plowman served from August 1998 to December 2001 as Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney in Fairfax County before joining the Staff Counsel's Office for Allstate Insurance Company. Anderson's experience — and perhaps because he is such an iconoclast — merits his re-election.
COMMISSIONER OF REVENUE race pits Republican Bob Wertz against Democrat Franco Luz. Wertz has the advantage since he has hands-on experience from working in the office during the last 11 years.
IN THE FIVE DISTRICT SUPERVISORS' RACES in eastern Loudoun, voters generally have very clear choices. Three of the five districts have incumbents who have their own individual records to run on; two of them supported the Comprehensive Plan and concomitant efforts to respond to the demands of double-digit rates in population growth.
In the Broad Run District, incumbent Chuck Harris, Democrat, understands that there is no free lunch. As new residents flocked to Loudoun in the last four years, average staffing increased 29 percent for fire and rescue, 19 percent for Sheriff's deputies and 15 percent for school staff. Focusing just on the deputies, even with this increased staffing, the Sheriff's Office still falls below the national standard of one deputy per 1,000 residents. This is the true price of growth and, while there are some budget items that each person may argue over, Harris takes the "politically incorrect" stance that quality of life in Loudoun also extends to the environment and doesn't renege on a pledge of preservation for today and for generations to come. Republican challenger Lori Waters, executive director of Eagle Forum in Washington, is an articulate voice for those calling for tighter fiscal policy. Her call for zero-based budgeting would force needed analysis to a $800 million county budget. However, one can't minimize Harris' longer community ties and hands-on experience grappling with county issues.
In the Dulles District for supervisor, Democrat John P. Murphy Jr. brings four years of experience on the Planning Commission and eight years on the Parks and Recreation Board, including its chairmanship. By comparison, Republican challenger Stephen J. Snow's background lacks this depth of public service commitment. Murphy supported the new General Plan, noting that its reduced housing density will save $1.8 billion in infrastructure costs and eliminate the need for 61 additional schools compared to the previous General Plan. This is not the time to turn back.
In the Potomac District, Republican Bruce E. Tulloch, self-described activist since 1991, battled the Lerner Corp. over the development of Dulles Town Center as part of his service on the CountrySide homeowners association board. In the process, he learned the intricacies of land use and skills in negotiation. Both of which will serve him well on this board. Democrat Afeefa Syeed, involved in human services issues, through the Sterling Coalition and Reston Interfaith, reveals a deep intellectual grasp of land-use and growth issues but without the pragmatic experience in those areas. The county would be well served by her increased involvement in such issues.
In the Sterling District, incumbent Republican Eugene Delgaudio displays a sharply honed sense of political theater, suitable for a maverick but not for the political art of compromise and coalition building. The district needs a supervisor who will address the specific needs of the community and work with other members of the board to make change happen. As his HOA's president at Woodstone of Loudoun, Democrat Douglas Reimel understands the importance of responding to residents' concerns — quickly and decisively. The Sterling District, comprising some of the oldest suburban neighborhoods in the county, requires no less.
In the Sugarland Run District, incumbent Independent William D. Bogard is running on his record of working to improve his district's — and the county's — quality of life. Locally, he cites bringing community policing to the Sugarland Run District as his top accomplishment. County-wide, he supports the General Plan and the board's related efforts to control growth. Republican Mick Staton adheres to a campaign message of controlling spending without the context of public service. Bogard's experience is reflected in his no-easy-answers pragmatism; problem-solving can't be done in a vacuum.
IN THE FIVE DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD RACES in eastern Loudoun, only four seats are contested. The Dulles District has Robert Dupree Jr., 19-year resident, School Board member, former planning commissioner and former coach unopposed; Dupree filled a vacancy on the School Board nine months ago.
All School Board candidates run as independents in this officially non-partisan office.
In the Broad Run District, three candidates seek the same seat: Phyllis Randall, Bob Ohneiser and Chalice Radakovich. All three present creative solutions as well as a sense of commitment and would serve the schools well. Randall, as room mother, has seen first hand how much teachers spend on supplies for students and recommends a minimal payment of $100 for such out-of-pocket expenses. Ohneiser questions why there can't be a permanent opt-in zone for those families within walking distance of a public school. And Radakovich, with her eight years of service on PTAs-PTOs, the Loudoun Education Alliance for Parents and the Loudoun County Public School Technology Steering Committee, has the broadest local experience of the three and an energy level that would assure her presence in the district's seven schools.
In the Potomac District, incumbent John Andrews II, who has served as vice chairman for the last two years, brings needed experienced leadership especially in light of chairman Joseph Vogric's decision to leave the School Board. Challenger Kathy Lague, with an apparently unending source of energy, epitomizes "children's advocate" with her 10 years of involvement in the schools. Potomac District would be well served by both of them, but Andrews' depth of knowledge of the operations and costs that make the school system succeed merits re-election.
In the Sterling District, while challenger Marlene Barney rightfully criticizes incumbent J. Warren Geurin for the reprimand he received from his School Board colleagues, she has limited experience in Sterling District schools. Geurin may have many shortcomings — communication and attitude being chief among them — but his priority is the children in the schools in his district. It's easy to see how his enthusiasm might trip him up and he seems to have learned from his experience.
In the Sugarland Run District, incumbent Candyce Cassell, seeking re-election for her fourth term, has thrived under pressure of rapid growth in student enrollment and, subsequently, school buildings. And she's augmented her knowledge in dealing with all this change by involving herself in state and national associations, learning how other systems cope with their challenges. Challenger Joseph Guzman emphasizes expanding enrichment programs among other positive proposals, but has the disadvantage of no record compared to the accomplishments of Cassell and the incumbent board, which improved teacher salaries and reversed the drain of talent into formerly better-compensated nearby school systems.
In addition to the district races, there is a county-wide at-large School Board race between incumbent Tom Reed and Chris Simmons. Due to work demands, according to Simmons, he has had to limit his campaigning. This has left Reed to run basically without a challenge. Reed describes an excellent teacher as having a passion to educate children; Reed seems to have a similar passion for Loudoun County public schools whether working through the emotions inherent in boundary changes or reducing square-foot costs on school construction.
TWO REFERENDUM QUESTIONS require voters' support. Approval will allow the county to issue bonds for $27 million for two new elementary schools in the Belmont and Leesburg areas and $14.5 million for two combined fire and sheriff substations in Brambleton and Lansdowne.
State Politics Matter — Maybe More
For eastern Loudoun voters, it should be easier to focus on the key races for state delegate in the 32nd and 86th districts. State Sen. Bill Mims is unopposed, state Del. Joe May in the 33rd district is unopposed, and state Del. Gary Reese in the 67th district is unoppsed.
But what a race they have in the 32nd district. Incumbent Republican Dick Black is challenged by Republican-turned-independent Dave McWatters and Republican-turned-Democrat Patti Morrissey. Black has stayed true to his philosophy of limited government, but at a cost to Loudoun through deteriorating state support. Morrissey’s work as a defense analyst at the Pentagon gives her a experience in regional planning and issues, especially in homeland security. She understands that the most populated district in Loudoun must be represented by someone who will advocate for local control of revenue and land use. The economic engine of Virginia needs maintenance that can't be delayed any further and the state must invest accordingly — requiring someone with the ability and willingness to negotiate over the use of state dollars. The frustration over the state's irresponsibility is not lost on MacWaters, either, who has served on the Board of Supervisors.
For having finished his first term in the General Assembly representing the 86th district, Republican Tom Rust is both the voice of experience and a breath of fresh air. More former mayors should be sent to Richmond. Rust understands the risks of being overly dependent on a single source of revenue. He understands the risks of artificial caps and gimmicks. He knows first hand the struggles of local government to be responsive to its constituents. Virginia should set its top priorities, Rust said, and then find a way to fund them, "adequately but efficiently." He proposes that an overall tax restructuring would allow for the elimination of the car tax, food tax and estate tax. Democratic challenger Jim Kelly is at a distinct disadvantage against Rust's 20-plus years as Herndon mayor and council member and now delegate.