By E. Bruce Davis
July 22, 2022
A group of area residents wasted little time beginning to gather signatures on a petition to recall Pete Candland, Gainesville District Supervisor, after the group announced at the June 21 Board of County Supervisors meeting that it intended to do so.
Elena Schlossberg, Executive Director of the Coalition to Protect Prince William County, said the petition was available for signatures at Catharpin Park on Friday, July 1, at Catharpin Park on Friday, July 1, during the first annual PWC Patriots Day honoring County public safety personnel presented by Supervisor Candland. She said there were very few Gainesville residents in attendance.
Schlossberg added, “This is citizen-driven, so I know that people are taking them to their block parties, churches, and children’s sports events. There will also be a door-to-door effort.”
The petition, the first step in the recall process, was explained in a press conference on June 28 prior to the Board of County Supervisors evening session, when it was presented during public comment time.
Before presenting the petition to the Circuit Court of Prince William County, signatures of 1,796 Gainesville District residents must be obtained.
The petition attempts to demonstrate that Candland’s actions caused harm to the community, another recall requirement. A judge would rule on the legitimacy of the petition’s claims.
The petition maintains that Candland failed to adhere to the guidelines that Amy Ashworth, Commonwealth Attorney for Prince William County established on May 20, regarding his activities concerning the PWC Digital Gateway Comprehensive Plan Amendment (CPA) and the Data Center Opportunity Zone Overlay District.
During the June 28 BOCS public comment time, 14 people either spoke in favor of his recall or wore shirts calling for his resignation as they spoke against the proposed PW Digital Gateway for data centers on Pageland Lane. Seven others spoke in opposition to the project.
Eighteen spoke in favor of it, with one praising Candland for his concerns and workds that he said went beyond the duties of a county supervisor.
Calls for Candland’s resignation began after he and his wife signed an execution of “Both a Comprehensive Plan Amendment Initiation Form and Special Power of Attorney and Interest Disclosure,” for their Pageland Lane property on Oct. 25, 2021.
Candland recused himself from matters and voting on issues regarding the PW Digital Gateway. The petition calls for his disqualification, which Schlossberg said has a higher standard than his recusal.
One provision states, “This petition seeks the judicial recall of Peter K. Candland pursuant to 24.2-233 of the Code of Virginia (1950) as amended for neglect of duty and misuse of office where that neglect of duty and misuse of office has had a material adverse effect upon the conduct of the office and has been signed by at least 10 per cent, or at least 1,796 of qualified registered voters living in the Gainesville Magisterial District of Prince William County.”
Those calling for Candland’s recall at the BOCS meeting cited several of what they called “Facts” and “Neglect of Duty and Misuse of Office” that they maintained supported that Candland had failed to adhere to the opinion he had sought from the PWC Commonwealth’s Attorney.
The petition states, “On May 20, 2022, Amy Ashworth, Commonwealth’s Attorney for Prince William County, in response to a request by Supervisor Candland, rendered a written opinion under the State and Local Government Conflict of Interests Act (see Exhibit H). Said opinion included the following:”
“Supervisor Candland may not participate in the discussion, consideration and/or vote on any rezoning application that involves coordination with the rezoning application involving data center(s) in the PW Digital Gateway area.”
“Supervisor Candland may not participate in the discussion, consideration and/or vote on any matter involving data center(s) in the PW Digital Gateway CPA area.”
“Supervisor Candland may not participate in the discussion, consideration and/or vote on any matter involving data center(s) in the vicinity of the PW Digital Gateway CPA area.”
“Supervisor Candland may participate in the discussion, consideration and/or vote involving a data center in the Rural Area, so long as it is not in the vicinity of the PW Digital Gateway CPA area.”
“Supervisor Candland may not participate in the discussion, consideration, and/or vote on an amendment to the text of and/or map for the Data Center Opportunity Zone Overlay District, County Code Sec. 32-509.01 et. seq., while the PW Digital Gateway CPA and/or the rezoning application including his property is pending.”
As of July 8, ten days after the BOCS meeting, Schlossberg said, “There have been several hundred signatures to date, and we know people continue to email and ask where they can get the petition. We hope to collect enough signatures in the next several weeks, or sooner.”
Prior to the June 28 BOCS meeting, Schlossberg mentioned a bombshell revelation would be made during public comment time.
Bob Weir, Haymarket Town Councilman, revealed it. While chastising supervisors for repeatedly increasing taxes with little oversight and not being truthful in their statements and handling of the data center issue, he showed a slide demonstrating Wheeler, Chair of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors, had made significant stock purchases in Amazon.com, Blackstone Inc. and Microsoft Corp.
He said that some supervisors should consider recusing themselves if, as he had when, “There is even an inkling, the tiniest bit of a possibility of a conflict, and I think you guys need to do the same, or at least review what you think your priorities are and who you represent.”
Christopher Carroll, of the Brentsville District, indicated Wheeler, had sold her Rural Crescent “estate house” before “ravaging” the area.
He listed other holdings he said Wheeler had in companies impacting data centers.
He continued, “Ms. Wheeler, I would say you disgraced yourself, you forever tainted all the other supervisors on this board. I just hope if there is any sort of integrity left by the Democrats on this board, you guys pull the Digital Gateway CPA tonight. Stop the process until a full investigation of how this process came to fruition and the financial motives behind it can be examined.”
Days after the BOCS meeting, Schlossberg told the Bull Run Observer, “As you well know, the Coalition is nonpartisan. We believe elected leaders, no matter what the party, should be held to the same standard. Ann Wheeler is no different.”
Neither Candland nor Wheeler spoke during public comment time.
Schlossberg concluded, “The Coalition to Protect Prince William County is handling the collection of all [Candland] petitions and will be submitting them to the circuit court. If legal counsel is required, we will move forward as necessary with the continued support of this amazing community. The most basic principle of a functioning Democracy is representation, something not only the Gainesville District residents are lacking, but countywide.”