Chairman Corey A. Stewart
State of the County Address
January 11, 2011
They met here, in Prince William County, on July 21, 1861, to engage in battle. It was supposed to be a quick battlefield victory for the Union and bring about an early end to the civil war.
But Union forces were routed in this first major battle of the war. The North was shocked. There was little celebration in the South, however, as both sides realized the war would be longer and more brutal than they had imagined.
This year, we will commemorate that battle. We will give thanks that the war ended the scourge of slavery and preserved our nation. The war was not so long ago. We may meet living children of those who fought. And perhaps, most importantly, we will come to understand our own place in history.
When you elected this board in 2007, the county—and the nation—was entering the longest and deepest economic downturn since the end of World War II. The housing market had gone from boom to bust, and county tax revenues were plummeting.
But while other localities across the country increased taxes to make up for the shortfalls, this Board committed to reducing, refocusing and reforming government, and restoring it to its proper limited scope and its limited role in our lives. The reductions were deep and often painful, but a better government has emerged. Average tax bills in Prince William are 34 percent lower than Fairfax and 30 percent lower than Loudoun. The average tax bill in Prince William County in 2010 is now, incredibly, less than it was in 2007.
The percentage of citizens satisfied with the value received for their tax dollar has risen to more than 81 percent, and those who believe the County provides effective and efficient services has risen to an unprecedented 92 percent. You also expressed 70 percent satisfaction rating for growth in the county, which is up from 44 percent in 2007, when this Board first took office.
But we did not just reduce, we reformed, and committed ourselves to the proposition that what government does do, it must do well.
In 2008, this Board created an internal audit function and set it loose. Our auditors went to work and exposed waste and fraud, some going back almost two decades. Our auditors recommended reforms, and this Board adopted them.
Later that year, the Board examined our fire and rescue system, which had remained essentially unchanged for 40 years. Reforms have been difficult, but the result is a system that is more efficient, safer for personnel and better able to provide fast emergency medical and fire services to more residents.
In 2009, as the recession deepened, the Board turned its focus toward economic development. It is not the job of government to create jobs. The job of government, rather, is limited to building the legal framework and public infrastructure upon which the private sector can flourish. In short, it is our job to get out of the way of business as business creates jobs.
With that end in mind, this Board streamlined county inspection and permitting processes for new and expanding businesses. We improved the ease of doing business in Prince William. The Department of Development Services is now a model which other jurisdictions seek to replicate.
The Board then created the economic development task force, constituted of some of the top business leaders from around the region, to advise the Board on further reforms to make it still easier to establish and grow a business in the county. After months of hard work, the task force proposed a slate of reforms, which were adopted by the Board last fall.
Now, today, four years after our work to reduce, refocus and reform our government, the results are in. In 2010, the Department of Economic Development was able to work with companies who announced their intent to invest over $412 million and add nearly 650 new jobs. This is the highest announced investment by the Department in seven years. In April, The American Wartime Museum announced its intent to locate a world-class museum in Dale City. In May, the Hylton Performing Arts Center celebrated its grand opening in Innovation. In the fall, The Marine Corps Museum opened a new gallery at their site, which continues to garner international acclaim for its honoring of the history of the Marine Corps.
CNN and Money Magazine have rated Prince William as Number 1 in job growth in the Washington region, number 1 in the Commonwealth of Virginia and number 2 on the East Coast. In the middle of the recession, Moody’s and Fitch upgraded Prince William to AAA bond rating status, which less than 1 percent of localities are able to earn.
This bond rating allows us to secure debt at significantly reduced rates, which provides substantial savings on your tax dollars. This upgrade, together with the substantial cost reductions in the county, means that our County will be able, incredibly, to restart more than $200 million in road and other capital improvement projects while keeping your tax bills below 2007 levels.
After the battle here, and as the war casualties mounted, President Lincoln struggled for the words to give meaning to the bloodshed and sacrifice. Two years later, he found his voice: “…Our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation, so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure.”
My fellow citizens, history continues to test our nation. Our nation is deeply in debt. A nation which borrows so heavily against its future cannot long endure. But we in Prince William are a model. We have shown that a government can reduce, and through reform, can persevere.
We still have a great deal of work to do, and we have a number of goals still to achieve, but in the past four years alone, the vision of Prince William County has begun to come into focus, and the nation is taking note.
What IS HE SMOKING? Has Corey totally overlooked the concept of segue? How did the Gettysburg address get involved in Manassas? What does Gettysburg have to do with the state of Prince William County? I wouldn’t be any more offended if he had said “”There stands Stewart like a Stone wall. Rally behind the Minnesotans.” Gettysburg has nothing to do with Manassas and to say that the South didn’t celebrate winning First Manassas is about as dumb of a statement as I have heard. 4th grade students know better.
Much of what he says will be challenged. I am sure our readers will do exactly that.
Nice try Corey. Read your history. Head straight to the Stone House. There’s lots of it just lying on the table.
BARF.
Perhaps Mr. Stewart is just trying to divert our attention from the more important issues envolving PWC that he is trying unsuccessfully to come to grips with.
State of the County address….Really? Ya’ll got one of those?
I’m not sure if Henrico does one, but I do know that we have no where near the same amount of drama…..
Whew!
Oh yes, want a laugh? Read ours. re: state of the county address
81 per cent…92 per cent… 70 per cent — all with regard to popular satisfaction ratings in PWC. Anybody have a link to that polling data? It ought to be a part of post-speech discussion. I don’t recall having such polls in Loudoun.
Pinko – DITTOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
We have an expensive survey conducted by UVA annually.
The survey is on the website. http://www.pwcgov.org
Frankly, I have never been asked to fill out a county survey and no one has ever called.
Okay, this has been bugging me since I read it in the local newspaper. I suppose if we smoke enough dope or consume enough beer, we might think we’ve met the living children of Civil War vets? Vets’ relatives perhaps, but not likely children.
Too bad the BOCS isn’t required to footnote this grand spiel. I’d like to see some facts to back up much of it.
I smell a new campaign slogan!
We too. I suppose that if a 75 year old vet married a 15 year old, it might be possible. Hold on. Alright….probably the youngest person in the Civil War was what? 14 or 15? Let’s say 15. Then in 1865 at 15, they would have been born in 1850. (my Great grandfather who was a teenager during the Civil War was born in 1850) Let’s say that soldier married a 15 year old bride at age 75 and conceived a child. This would have happened in 1925. The bride would have been born in 1910. The child in 1925 or 26. So possible but the scenario is fairly improbable.
The last Civil War widow received a Civil War pension some time in the 80’s. Child bride marrying old goat. During the Carter administration there were about 3 dozen. (complements or Mr. Howler)
The reality is, I feel certain Corey didn’t do the math and was blowing smoke…as usual.
He needs to just not mention the Civil War. He knows little and it shows.
So Corey is going to teach us the 3 R’s? Too bad our classrooms are so overcrowded.
I always thought Disney’s Historyland would be of great benefit to the masses….
That was sure a hit and a miss around here. We got miles of housing development instead.
Maybe he used one of those questionable history books when he wrote his speech?
@Raymond
Snicker! That’s the ticket.
Great grandfathers were in the Civil War but don’t know a living “child” of any Civil War veteran. This is just one more thing Stewart has conjured up–Smoke and Mirrors Stewart they called him in the old days. Loved Raymond’s comment about the history book!
P.S. The “children” of Civil War veterans that were in my family have all been in the ground for 50+ years. The oldest veteran I ever met was an old man from the Spanish-American War. I delivered his newspaper. Thought he was older than dirt, when in reality he was probably about the age I am now 😎
Too funny George. Ask Bear sometime about ‘Old Lady Howler.’ I was 25. His son thought I was an old lady.
Well, I read the survey results. I have no way of judging the accuracy of the UVa methods or totals; but, on surface, those numbers look pretty good for a politician running for re-election. Throw in that Moody bond rating, and the incumbent gets another boost. This blog is certainly not a lovefest in favor of Mr. Stewart. How far does the “opposition” here think it can get with a focus on such things as a “gaffe” about the Civil War? Seems to me you would have to come up with something stronger than that to run a viable campaign. Not easy to oust an incumbent with those kinds of citizen satisfaction numbers backing him up.
Actually Wolverine, those surveys aren’t about him. He, of course, will flaunt them. I believe the moody AAA bond rating was there before he hit the scenes. I will check. Perhaps the other supervisors will use them also. Stewart’s is but one vote. His is not stronger than the others.
Actually the Civil War is as good a place as any to start. He treated it absurdly. We have been discussing Mr. Stewart for at least 3 years: his immigration policy, his sneaking tricks with his colleagues, his war chest, his pledge breaking, his continual selling out to developers, driving off specific businesses after green lighting them….it just goes on and on.
His strongest opposition on this blog is from within his own party. Mainly those opposing him want better, more accountable governance. Our work with Mr. Stewart is a work in progress. If he does something good, he gets praise. If he does something bad, he gets reprimanded. To date, there just hasn’t been enough to praise, I am sorry to say.
There are people out there with much more to lose than I have. I am just getting back on my feet and Elena is flat on her back with chicken pox. Those who care will pick up the baton.
Moody boosted the PWC bond rating to AAA in June 2010. Gotta tell ya — that’s really playable for an incumbent. There may be people here on the blog who are seeking better governance; but the Moody action can be taken by many, in my opinion, as a sign that the pros think PWC is on a sound financial footing. Our BOS always makes a big thing about that ball of wax, and I would guess yours will as well.
As for the developer issue, maybe and maybe not. Seems to me that PWC is almost developed out already. Every time I drive down U.S. 15, the “Rural Crescent” out Haymarket way at least looks a lot less rural. We fought this kind of battle in Loudoun. Even threw out almost an entire BOS. Democrat or Republican — seems to make no diff. Our green spaces between Fairfax and Leesburg are almost gone — paved over. The only thing which has saved some of it is the financial failure of the BIG ONE on Route 7 — They called it “Loudoun One.” I’m still not sure if it’s really dead or waiting to rise again like a zombie. In any case, our western rural area is starting to get swallowed up bit by bit, in my view. Looks to me like about all we have left is to move to Fauquier where the fight may still be viable.
@Wolverine, we had a AAA bond rating as far back as 2007. I am trying to get an exact as we speak.
PWC has a long ways to go before being developed out, thanks goodness. The eastern end of the county went on steroids 25-30 years ago while the western end remained relatively untouched until the past decade. Even with the huge growth in the western end, we still have the Rural Crescent which some of our supervisors keep trading off for favors from developers. (no names mentioned of course)
Disney’s America would have been much better than the vinyl villages that got thrown up in the area. I still have many items from their “bid” to bring Disney to PWC. EPIC FAILURE on the part of PWC. Did you know Disney has been considering Busch Gardens for Disney America?
It comes in the mail in a brown envelope. I wonder how many people actually open the thing. It looks like junk mail at a glance. I’ve been returning mine ever since 2005.
@Lafayette
Have only found the press release about the survey. Could you be a little more specific as to where on PWC website we could find the survey? Thanx
Wolverine, considering the amount of publicity and the funds raised for the Sesquicentennial, Stewart shouldn’t make such an obvious head-scratching gaffe. Besides there are plenty of valid reasons to oppose him for Chair. Even his supporters have got to wonder just where he wants to be in two years – and that isn’t at the McCoart Building but in Richmond or DC.
George,
Here’s the link to the 2010 Survey(It’s the presentation that was given at BoS meeting)
http://www.pwcgov.org/docLibrary/PDF/12906.pdf
Here’s the full 2010 Survey Report-all 314 pages of it.
The survey itself is mailed to residents. However, there are several county offices/departments that have their own survey, some are on line and some available on paper at the counters. I hope this is what you are looking for.
Full report for 2010
http://www.pwcgov.org/docLibrary/PDF/13078.pdf
Moon, I am a land preservation nut and probably one of the few members of PEC left in my neck of the woods. I’ve been through this battle, and we mostly lost it. I am not saying to give up, but there are some factors which were key here and probably are key out your way.
Working connections betweeen politicians and developers were, in my opinion, only a part of the entire equation. None of those connections would have worked as well without the bigger elephant in the room: we preservationists were outnumbered by the bulk of the population, particularly the newcomers and relatively newcomers, who either wanted development or couldn’t give a crap about the issue. Most of them were not willing, as we were, to trade convenience for Mother Nature’s viewshed. I am not putting down my neighbors here but simply saying that the people moving into exurbia now often have a different mentality than many of the rest us. Many don’t care so much about lakes and ponds and fields and woodlands. They want new schools all over the place, bigger and better roads, more shopping areas, and everything else that goes with full-blown suburbia.
I think Elena said it best in a post in which she described an encounter with the parents and others involved with the Grizzlies football program. In essence their response was that they didn’t care how they got the football fields — just that they did get them. We had a similar problem right here in Sterling. Years ago we went after the developers and the county over a large tract of land in Sterling Park which had been donated in the belief that it would be preserved forever as a natural area. That plan was under threat, and we beat off the threat at that time. How does that tract look today? A big chunk of it is now covered with athletic fields and a large community and swimming center. The deer which had a refuge there now show up in my front yard. But that is what the “people” have wanted in recent years.
I am beginning to think that we will get trumped by the desire for “convenience” just about every time in places like Loudoun and PWC. There was a time when we in Loudoun had to do our serious shopping by going to Fair Oaks or Tyson’s Corner. No more. Most of Eastern and Central Loudoun is now awash in shopping malls large and small. The current crowd simply wants it that way and does not seem as inclined to make tradeoffs of convenience for Mother Nature as we were. The same goes for long commutes versus having more employers right here in situ.
In short, what is left of Mother Nature around here does not seem to have the numbers in terms of population support. Unless PWC is getting an influx different than what we have gotten in Loudoun, I don’t see how you can fight back successfully — short of turning the Rural Crescent into land protected by the state park system or some such device. Obviously PEC, while go headlong into protecting the Piedmont through voluntary easements, is concentrating on Fauquier, inter alia, and not much on your Rural Crescent. Me, I just don’t know anymore. Even some places I thought would never see the waves of development are starting to lose their rural nature. Clark County, for instance, is now caught in the pincers between Loudoun and the develoment spreading east out of Frederick County. Not even the mountains seem capable of stopping it. It’s a damned shame.
@Censored bybvbl
Moon – There are living sons of civil war veterans. there are not many but they are some.
Thanks Clueless. I never said impossible, just improbable. The likelihood I would meet one is …even less probable.
Do you know how many and their ages? They would have to be in their 80’s I would think.
Clueless, do you know if there are any in Virginia? When I was a child in the 50s there were still a few veterans left.
@Censored–there are over 50. I am speechless.
http://suvcw.org/kids/CWkids.pdf
That’s an interesting site, M-h. A lot of long-lived people and some May-December marriages as well.
@Censored bybvbl
I think there are a few that live in Virginia from the Confederate side.