PWC Supervisors Move To Reduce Tax Bills for Homeowners

This just in from PWC Chairman Corey Stewart:

The Prince William Board of County Supervisors will vote this Tuesday March 3 on advertising a property tax rate. I am proposing a rate that will reduce tax bills for homeowners by an average of $548.00 (a 16 % reduction). I want to thank Supervisors Maureen Caddigan (Dumfries), Wally Covington (Brentsville) and John Stirrup (Gainesville) for joining me in supporting this tax relief.

This tax rate of $1.198 will support the County Executive’s proposed budget, which reduces government spending by $56 million compared to last fiscal year without cutting any of our uniformed police or fire and rescue personnel. The County Executive’s budget is responsible and sustainable. By focusing our resources, it allows us to protect vital county services while providing tax relief to you during these uncertain times.

To pass this tax reduction, we need at least five supervisors to vote this Tuesday in support of the $1.198 tax rate. Please email the Board at BOCS@pwcgov.org urging the whole Board to join Supervisors Stirrup, Covington, Caddigan and myself in supporting this rate and ensuring tax relief for you.

Please be sure to tune into Comcast Channel 23 or Verizon FIOS Channel 37 to see how your supervisor votes.

Xavier Pinckney to be Tried as an Adult

Accused double-murderer Xavier Pinckney has been ordered to be tried as an adult for the slayings of Jean and Jim Smith just before Christmas last year.

Unfortunately, the hearing was closed to reporters, so we still don’t know important aspects about Pinckney’s prior criminal history — such as his arrest to conviction ratio. The case will now go to a grand jury, so we will now have to wait until at least the next hearing after he is indicted to begin uncovering details of his past run-ins with the law.

I still firmly believe that someone fell down on the job along the way here and Pinckney should never have been out on the streets and free to murder in the first place. We’re going to keep monitoring this closely until we find out just which entity is responsible for keeping him on the loose, whether that be the Commonwealth’s Attorney office under Paul Ebert or the Prince William Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court. We WILL find out and make sure that someone is held accountable so that they don’t turn loose the next Xavier Pinckney.

Race for the 52nd Dist. Gets Interesting

Remember those bumper stickers from 1996 that Mark Warner used in his senate race against John Warner — “Mark NOT John”? Well, residents of the 52nd Dist. may see some variation of that in the not too distant future.

It seems that efforts to recruit former PWC Chairman Sean Connaughton to run for the 52nd House of Delegates seat being vacated by RPV Chairman / Del. Jeff Frederick have fallen through. Sean had been until recently the U.S. Maritime Administrator in the Bush administration. Having only been out of office for about a week and a half or so, and not having been able to negotiate future employment while still serving as a presidential appointee, Sean is obviously busy tending to his career and family needs.

So, with Sean apparently out of the picture, three names quickly emerged on the GOP side — former Dumfries Town Council Member Rafael Lopez, Devon Gray and Amy Frederick, Jeff’s wife. The latest word is that Devon has decided not to jump in and has offered his support to Lopez. Meanwhile, all signs point to Amy forming an exploratory committee prior to committing to join the race (“Amy NOT Jeff” anyone?) And while a few people had inquired with me whether I had any interest in this race myself, I have explained to them that I didn’t and that the General Assembly’s schedule would not permit for me to continue with my current job which I love and am not willing to give up. Given that, I have offered my full support to Amy in this contest.

On the Dem side, Mike Hodge has already filed and Chris Brown is planning on running. However, rumblings are that the Dem leadership doesn’t really like either of them and are trying to throw them both under the bus in favor of Rev. Dr. Luke Torian, who is the pastor of First Mount Zion Baptist Church in Dumfries.

All this should make for an interesting contest on both sides and in the general election.

I hope that Amy decides after considering this race to enter it and do us proud in Richmond. She is intelligent, knows the issues and the needs of the constituents, is accomplished in her own right, and is very politically savvy. I believe that Amy would make an outstanding delegate.

PWC to name Locust Shade Park Amphitheater after Jean Smith

This is a most fitting tribute to the life of Jean Smith that Prince William County is bestowing upon her memory. I applaud the Prince William County Park Authority for choosing to name the amphitheater after Jean.

As Marty Nohe put it:

“This is a very fitting memorial to Jean, given the family’s role in the community and interest in the arts,” said Prince William County Supervisor Martin E. Nohe (R-Coles). “Jean was a community activist, and I think it is wonderful the Park Authority is naming something after her.”

. . .

“She was the world’s greatest stage mother, always supporting her kids and other kids,” Nohe said. “She was active in the performing arts and how they relate to young people. The amphitheater was the kind of thing Jean would always be very excited about.”

And Jean’s daughter Sarah said:

“I think this is perfect, and she always loved the amphitheater,” said Sarah Smith, 22. “She lived there for a month every summer helping me when I directed drama camp. We would sit and daydream together about what kind of concerts we could have at the amphitheater. We always wanted to open it up for more youth and teen productions.”

It is a tragedy that Jean and her son won’t be there for those productions, but I am certain that they will be watching over them from above.

Pinckney Court Date Continued Until Feb. 18

Accused double-murderer Xavier Pinckney has had his court hearing postponed until Feb. 18th. I guess we will have to wait until then possibly to hear whether he was convicted previously of only a single crime despite multiple arrests as was implied by the police in a recent article.

We will continue to watch this and ask why Virginia’s juvenile justice system failed Jean and Jim Smith as well as shine a bright light on anyone who may have been responsible for this thug being let loose on our streets.