Earnie Porta, a financial executive and former mayor of Occoquan, has announced his candidacy for the Prince William County Board of Supervisors.
Porta plans to run for the Occoquan seat, currently held by Supervisor Michael May. May plans to run for the Prince William Commonwealth Attorney, and will be vacating his board seat.
He served as Occoquan’s mayor for eight years, during which time he worked on several large projects for the community. The projects include the purchase of the Oaks III property, a sightseeing shuttle service, and a conservation easement to create public park space in Occoquan.
Porta has been working as a senior financial executive for almost fifteen years, and he feels that this equips him with the necessary experience to help with county budgeting.
“[Porta] has been responsible for the compilation and oversight of budgets in excess of $500 million, capital programs in excess of $400 million, and the issuance of taxable and tax-exempt debt in excess of $600 million – expertise that he feels is directly relevant to the financial challenges the county faces today,” according to release.
In addition to his work as former Occoquan Mayor, and as a financial executive, Porta has worked with several organizations over the years. He has served on Patriots for Disabled Divers, the Prince William Trails and Streams Coalition, the Occoquan Historical Society, the Prince William Library Foundation, the Prince William Historic Preservation Foundation, the Turning Point Suffragist Memorial Association, and the Occoquan/Woodbridge/Neabsco Optimist Club, said a release.
During his campaign, Porta is looking to address business growth, overcrowding in schools, and transportation improvements.
“Better jobs in the county from an improved commercial sector will help, as will telecommute initiatives…but we have to look aggressively at potential transit alternatives that will help alleviate some of the pressure,” said Porta in a release.
Porta and his wife have lived in the Northern Virginia region for almost 30 years and have been Occoquan residents for 13 years.
