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].

Press release: “On Tuesday, [June 27, 2023] Brentsville Supervisor Jeanine Lawson introduced a resolution at the Board meeting. This will commit the Board to abstain from scheduling certain land use public hearings during the period from Election Day, November 7, 2023, through the conclusion of the current Board’s term on December 31, 2023.”

“In the recent primary, voters expressed their strong opposition to reckless data center development pushed by Chair Wheeler and her Democrat colleagues, Supervisor Angry, Bailey, Boddye, and Franklin. The message conveyed by voters was clear that expediting development approvals without transparency and disregarding citizen input will bear consequences at the voting booth. In response, Supervisor Lawson’s resolution seeks to address public anxiety about the conduct of a lame duck Board.”

“‘I strongly believe this resolution acknowledges that citizens are demanding transparent and accountable decision-making,’ said Supervisor Lawson. ‘By refraining from scheduling high-profile land use public hearings during this short designated period, I believe this reprieve could help rebuild trust with citizens to ensure a fair and inclusive decision-making process. If candidates feel so strongly about these cases, then they should run on them.”

“The resolution is scheduled for an afternoon vote at the July 11, 2023, Board of County Supervisors meeting. Residents are encouraged to attend and share their thoughts on the resolution.”

Rules already on the books in neighboring Stafford County prevent its Board of Supervisors from hearing land-use cases during lame-duck sessions.

Lawson won the Republican nomination to run for the Prince William Board of County Supervisors Chair At-large seat. She’ll face Democrat Deshundra Jefferson, who won her party’s Primary Election on June 20, beating incumbent At-large Chair Ann Wheeler.

Republican Tom Gordy and Democrat Jim Gehlsen is running to replace Lawson in the Brentsville seat.

Voters will decide the next At-large Chair on Tuesday, November 7, 2023.

VPAP: Democrat Andrea Bailey defeated her opponent in today’s Primary Election for the Potomac District seat on the Prince William Board of County Supervisors.

Bailey won the race by 44 points.

Bailey is seeking a second term on the board. As of today, she has no Republican challenger. Republican Verndell Charlotte Robinson will run the Potomac District (Dumfries area) in an attempt to unseat Bailey.

VPAP: Democrat Victor Angry has narrowly defeated his primary opponent challenger Nate Murphy by two points.

Angry seeks a second term on the Prince William Board of County Supervisors, representing the Neabsco District. As of today, he has no Republican opponents.

Angry has served on the Board of County Supervisors since 2019, when he won a special election to replace John D. Jenkins, the longest-serving supervisor in county history, after his death in February of that year.

A total of 3,740 ballots were cast in today’s primary.

Insidenova.com: “Deshundra Jefferson on Tuesday night was heading toward upsetting incumbent Prince William Board of County Supervisors Chair Ann Wheeler in the Democratic primary.”

“Jefferson’s apparent narrow victory marked voters’ rejection of Wheeler and her backing of the growing data center industry in the county.”

“Jefferson, a single mom who lives in Montclair and is a communications professional and former journalist, had 52% of the vote with 96% of the precincts reporting, according to preliminary results from the Virginia Department of Elections. She held a lead of over 1,000 votes out of nearly 25,000 cast.”

Updated 8 a.m. June 21, 2023

Virginia Department of Elections: Republican Jeanine Lawson won her race against challenger Ken Knarr by 62 points.

Lawson’s statement: “We’re very grateful for the huge win. The support has been incredible over the last few months, and tonight’s win proves it once again. I’ve always campaigned to be the voice of Prince William residents, and for that reason, they resoundingly chose the candidate in this race that focuses on what’s important to them. We’re looking forward to keeping this momentum going for a strong campaign through November and making sure the Prince William Board of County Supervisors works for the people of Prince William again.”

Lawson is running to be Prince William Board of County Supervisors Chair At-large. Since 2014, she’s served as the Brentsville District Supervisor.

The proliferation of data centers in Prince William County was at the heart of the primary campaign against Knarr. Lawson says she opposes building more data centers. At the same time, Knarr has agreed to sell his property to data center developers, saying the server farms will provide more cash for county tax coffers.

In the night’s upset, Democrat Deshundra Jefferson beat the incumbent Prince William Board of County Supervisors Chair At-large Ann Wheeler by 1,142 votes. Jefferson will face Lawson in the November General Election.

Editor’s note: Meeting reporter Natalie Villalobos documented this meeting. Her notes were used to produce this story. Click here and learn more about becoming a meeting reporter and covering our local news.

The Prince William County Government is working to reduce the total number of pollutants and sediment that winds up in the Chesapeake Bay.

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Prince William County Government: “Prince William County is closer to constructing the one-mile segment of the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail through the Featherstone National Wildlife Refuge in North Woodbridge, connecting the Rippon VRE station to Veteran Memorial Park.

“On Tuesday, the Board of County Supervisors authorized the transfer, budget and appropriation of $1.3 million from general-use proffer funding, $825,000 in Transient Occupancy Tax Fund [hotel taxes] (dedicated for transportation), and $500,000 from the COVID-19 American Rescue Plan Act. The new funding will supplement a Federal Land Access Program grant already awarded to the county for the project.”

“The Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail, or PHNST, is an 800-mile-long National Park Service-designated trail corridor that will connect various trails and historic sites in Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Washington, D.C. Approximately 20 miles of the PHNST is planned for Prince William County.”

Prince William County Government: “During their meeting on Tuesday, June 6, the Prince William Board of County Supervisors voted to budget and appropriate funding for several transportation projects across Prince William County.”

“University Boulevard Extension: The Board budgeted and allocated $40.7 million in state, regional and local funding to extend University Boulevard between Devlin and Wellington roads.”

“North Woodbridge Pedestrian Bridge and Rollins Ford Roundabouts: The Board budgeted and appropriated $1 million in match from NVTA local transportation funding to the North Woodbridge Pedestrian Bridge Project, a recommendation of the North Woodbridge Small Area Plan. The bridge will cross over U.S. 1 to connect the Woodbridge Virginia Railway Express Station, or VRE, to the future North Woodbridge Town Center.”

“The Board budgeted another $145,000 in match from NVTA local transportation funding to the Rollins Ford Roundabout Project to build roundabouts at the intersections of Rollins Ford Road and Estate Manor Drive and Rollins Ford Road and Song Sparrow/Yellow Hammer Drive. The roundabouts will reduce speeds and improve safety at the intersections.”

“Summit School and Telegraph Roads: The Prince William Board of County Supervisors also authorized staff to enter an agreement with NVTA for the Summit School Road Extension and Telegraph Road Widening project in the Occoquan Magisterial District. The Board budgeted and appropriated $11 million for the 1.2-mile project that will extend Summit School Road from Kinnicutt Drive to Telegraph Road as a four-lane divided roadway.”

Dear Editor,

I am writing to encourage my friends and neighbors in Prince William County residents to elect Jeanine Lawson for Chair of the Board of Supervisors.

I was fortunate to serve with Jeanine on the Board of Supervisors when our terms overlapped from late 2014 to early 2016. During our brief service together, I was able to observe Jeanine’s leadership firsthand. I was always impressed with her preparation and passion for the citizens of our county.

She always did her homework and worked to protect the quality of life that we in Prince William County enjoy. That quality of life, however, is not guaranteed. It takes leadership and the right vision to protect our community.

Unfortunately, on issues like taxes, public safety, and development, we are headed in the wrong direction. That’s why we need Jeanine.

Over the last few years, we have seen increases in our property taxes and the imposition of a new meals tax. This has given the board lots of new revenue. Yet despite all this new money, the board has not added police officers quickly enough to meet demand as per the county’s police staffing plan. And the countywide crime rate has risen each of the last two years.

In the area of development, we have seen the proliferation of data center approvals. While these may bring the county more revenue, they will obliterate the beauty and tranquility of our rural area, damage our environmental resources, and impact the quality of life of our neighbors. We have also seen new residential development that will increase the costs of infrastructure and government services. Yet we have not seen a commitment to preserving open spaces and natural resources as we grow.

We need a new vision. We need a new leader to address the issues affecting us all. That leader is Jeanine Lawson.

We need Jeanine because she’s proven she can tackle divisive issues and stand up for the majority of Prince William County residents. We want someone that will fight to protect our quality of life. We want someone to preserve open space and protect our watersheds.

We want a leader who will be smart about spending and make investments that will keep our community safe. Jeanine Lawson will get it done for us. She will stand up for our community–not political donors and special interests.

I encourage you to vote for Jeanine Lawson for Chairman. Please vote Jeanine
Lawson in the Republican Primary on Tuesday, June 20, between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m. at your regular polling location.

Michael C. May
Former Prince William County Occoquan District Supervisor

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