DeShundra Jefferson, chair at-large of Prince William County’s Board of Supervisors, delivered her first remarks Tuesday, January 9, on the State of the County. She was elected in 2023 and assumed office on January 1.
Jefferson started her remarks by sharing her hopes for the future as she began her tenure as chair. She said she was hopeful for the future of the Board, community, and county.
“I am hopeful that we will come together to collaborate so that we may better govern and lead in a way that encourages dialogue,” she said. “I strongly believe if we can collectively commit to working together, we can achieve great things for our community and be the positive change makers that our residents and businesses need us to be.”
Jefferson said she was confident she and the Board could collaborate to find solutions for responsible growth, diversifying the tax base, and investing in affordable housing and public safety.
She also said Prince William County was a “hidden gem” – a term she has often used to describe the area – because of its school system, proximity to Washington, D.C., and cultural diversity.
Jefferson represents a change in the Board of County Supervisors, controlled by Democrats since 2020. In June 2023, voters sent former At-large Chair Ann Wheeler packing following the results of a Democratic Primary that saw Jefferson win with 53% of the vote.
Wheeler led a controversial board, whose majority of the remaining Democrats were bullish on data centers during the previous term ending December 31, 2023, and approved multiple land rezonings, clearing the way the power and water-hungry server farms next to dense neighborhoods, schools, and national parks and forests.
One of the last votes pushed by Wheeler, turning 900 acres next to the Manassas National Battlefield Park into data centers for the PW Digital Gateway, is being challenged in court. Opponents, represented by former State Senator Chap Petersen of Fairfax, said residents were not provided a clear understanding of proffers from QTS and Compass Datacenters, the two firms cleared to build on the land.
Opponents said the county also failed to properly notify the public about the record 27-hour meeting held before supervisors approving the PW Digital Gateway along party lines, with Democrats in favor, Republicans opposed, and Occoquan District Supervisor Kenny Boddye, a Democrat and the board’s vice chairman, abstaining.
In a rare bi-partisan show of support not seen since Republicans controlled the board from 2006 to 2019, Jefferson named Yesli Vega the board’s pro-tempore chair, who will preside over meetings in Jefferson and Boddye’s absence. Vega, a Republican, ran against Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger (D-7, Prince William, Stafford, Spotsylvania) in 2022.
Jefferson said she wants to celebrate the diversity within the county because “we are more alike than different.”
“We can learn from each other and how truly interconnected we are and how special our community is because of it,” Jefferson said. “If we can do all of these things … then we will leave a legacy of progress and shape a better future for our children and all those who come after us.”
She recalled her swearing-in ceremony and the words of the poet laureate, Michelle Garcia, which hit similar notes of hope and collaboration.
“I am looking forward to working together with my colleagues, the staff, and each of you in the community to build a legacy of hope and progress in Prince William County,” Jefferson said as she finished her remarks. “It’s time to get to work doing just that.”
After her less than five-minute speech, the Board moved on to other matters, including electing the vice chair and chair pro-tempore, hearing presentations, adopting the supervisors’ meeting schedule, and discussing the rules of procedure.
Caitlyn Meisner is a freelance reporter for Potomac Local News.