The critical special election for the open Gainesville Supervisor seat is February 21 (see details below).
Access the below articles and videos to get educated on your choices!
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Commentary – Bob Weir was there for Thoroughfare. He’s the right choice for Gainesville, too – Frank Washington, Coalition To Save Historic Thoroughfare
“…what is even more impressive and heartwarming for me personally is that I found Bob to be a man of his word. I had no doubt he truly cared and empathized with our pain and sense of loss. As he promised, he never wavered in his support. He answered my every call or email. He sought answers and provided answers to my many questions. He was never misleading, and I never felt his actions were self-serving. He was serving my family and community as if it were his own.”
“…There is a saying that goes like this, “When people show you who they are, believe them.”
“…Bob has shown us who he is: a man of integrity with a sense of morality and values personally and politically that serve us all. He has a genuine care and willingness to fight for you, me, our community and our way of life. He does it with passion, conviction and honesty. He uses his knowledge without compromise. That is a change and difference that will truly bring us together – a change we need and deserve as a community.”
Read the entire PW Times Letter to the Editor here.
“…On stage, Sumers disputed Loudoun County’s $4.20 per $100 rate printed in the county’s Fiscal Year 2023 budget document posted to the county government’s website and claimed instead, the county charges only $1.84.”
“I’ve been in government a long time and know how to read a fee schedule. The [tax rate] is printed on the website,” said Weir, disputing Sumers’ claims.”
“Weir advocated doubling the computer and peripheral tax rates data centers pay in Prince William County, calling it paltry, equating the amount of tax paid by the data center companies, like Amazon, to “rounding errors at the bottom of a balance sheet.”
“Just because you repeat the same information and speak loud doesn’t mean you’re right,” Sumers said, cutting off Wier mid-sentence. Several times during the debate, the first-time candidate interjected, rolled her eyes, and was asked by moderator Bruce Potter from Insidenova Prince William not to talk over her opponent.”
“When pressed by PLN on the data center tax rates after the debate concluded, Sumers conceded Loudoun County’s $4.20 tax rate but alleged supervisors the county showed favoritism to some data center operators,..”
Read the entire Potomac Local article here.
“…Sumers and Weir differed most sharply on the rural crescent, an area of about 80,000 acres in western Prince William County where development was limited to one home per 10 acres and connections to public sewer lines were largely prohibited in an effort to restrict suburban sprawl. The Prince William Board of County Supervisors eliminated rural crescent zoning rules when it voted in December to update the county’s comprehensive plan.”
“…Sumers said she agreed with the decision to allow sewer connections in the rural area and said the former rule requiring 10-acre lots “actually hindered our growth and hindered our economy.””
“…Weir, however, said he’d never heard of septic systems failing “en masse” and hinted he would be in favor of changing the comprehensive plan to reinstate rural crescent development limits.”
“…On data center tax rates, the two disagreed on whether Prince William County should raise the rate it charges data centers on their “computer and peripheral” equipment and failed to agree on how Prince William County’s tax rate compares to that of Loudoun County, which has the highest concentration of data centers in the world.”
“…Sumers inaccurately stated that Loudoun County’s tax rate is “actually closer to $1.89.””
“…Weir, however, noted that the data centers “don’t care” about the tax rate and that the fear that data centers will leave the county if the tax rate is higher is “a false argument.””
“Asked how the county should spend extra tax revenue generated by a higher data center tax rate, the two candidates gave differing responses.”
“Weir said that half the money should be “delivered back to taxpayers,” in the form of a reduced real estate tax rate, and half should be split between public safety and the school division.”
“…On building data centers next to residential areas, the two candidates also disagreed….”
Read the entire Prince William Times article here.
Nolan Stout, InsideNova reporter, shared these comments real-time during the Candidates’ Forum:
“Sumers has the first firm rebuttal, saying “You’re not going to lose the rural area. It’s going to be preserved in parks.”
“This is getting a little heated. Sumers and Weir are very far apart on their ideas about housing in the rural area.”
“Weir says Prince William County should double its tax on data centers.”
“Sumers incorrectly says that Loudoun County only charges $1.84 in its data center tax. The rate is actually $4.20.”
An InsideNoVa article covering last night’s forum has not yet been published.
Watch the entire debate here: Committee of 100 FB Live
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Restore representation to the Gainesville district!
Early Voting (Early Voting | pwcvotes):
Early Voting IS UNDERWAY NOW and runs through Saturday, February 18.
Hours: 8:30 am – 4:30 pm (5:00 pm on weekends)
Weekdays: Open Monday – Friday
Weekends: Open on Saturday, February 11, Sunday, February 12, and Saturday, February 18
Location: Main Office, 9250 Lee Ave, Manassas, VA
(703) 792-6470
Early voting requires an acceptable form of ID.
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Vote by Mail (Vote By Mail | pwcvotes):
Apply online or download the application to email, mail, fax, or drop off your application.
Deadline to Apply to Vote by Mail:
Friday, February 10, 2023 at 5:00 pm
Return Your Ballot:
In person – By February 21, 2023 at 7:00 pm to any polling place or the Office of Elections (or any early voting location during the early voting period)
By mail – Postmarked by Tuesday, February 21 and received by Friday, February 24 at 12:00 pm
How to Vote by Mail
- Apply to receive a ballot by mail. You can opt to receive a ballot by mail for just one election or for every election.
- Your ballot is automatically sent to you. Ballots are mailed 45 days prior to an election or after approval of your application, if inside the 45-day window (and before the application deadline).
- Mark your voting choices on your ballot.
- Complete the Statement and have a witness sign it.
- Seal your ballot in the envelope. Watch our video to see how to seal it properly.
- Return your ballot by mail or at a drop box at a voting location.
Ways to Apply to Vote by Mail:
- Apply online through the Virginia Department of Elections with your state-issued ID
- Download the application to email, mail, fax, or drop off your application
- Pick up an application at our office at 9250 Lee Avenue, Suite 1 (Manassas) or at any Prince William County Library.
Ways to Return Your Ballot
- By Mail – Must be postmarked by Election Day (and received by the following Friday at noon).
- At our Office – Drop your ballot in the drop box at 9250 Lee Avenue, Suite 1 (Manassas) by 7pm on Election Day.
- At a Drop Box – All early voting locations and Election Day polling places have drop boxes you can use.
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In-Person Voting on Election Day (Vote on Election Day | pwcvotes):
- Date: Tuesday, February 21, 2023
- Hours: 6:00 am – 7:00 pm
At all of the following locations:
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Please make a donation now to the Coalition so that we can continue even more effective activities to stop the destruction of the place we call home. We can’t do all this without your financial and personal support!