2019-12-17 - Board of Supervisors Meeting Notes

by Neil Richard

As the Board of Supervisors prepared to open their last meeting of the year, someone muttered "the mob's getting ready to start." The audience was large, though not as large as the previous Board meeting. And although they would be fairly polite, there were a few moments during the evening when they got a little unruly. Thankfully, it was nothing that required the two Sheriff's Deputies present to take any action.

The meeting began at 7:40pm. There was an amendment to the Agenda to add a change to the County Administrator's contract.

Jeff Bueche then opened the floor to Public Comment. He clarified that it was for County related issues, not for the Public Hearing later in the evening.

2019-12-17 - Service Authority Meeting Notes

by Neil Richard

The Board of Directors for the King George County Service Authority opened their last meeting of the year at 6:30pm. With roughly 80 people already in the room for the upcoming Public Hearing later in the evening, the Board did their best to move things along quickly.

There were no amendments to the Agenda.

There was no Public Comment. Mike Bennett said if it sounded like he was rushing the audience, he was doing it for them. He was implying that he was trying to get through their business as quickly as possible.

2019-12-21 - Convenience Center Holiday Hours

The King George County Convenience Centers have posted the following Holiday Hours:

Purkins Corner:

Tuesday, December 24th 2019 - 6 AM - 12 PM
Wednesday, December 25th 2019 - Closed
Thursday, December 26th 2019 - 12 PM - 6 PM
Tuesday, December 31st 2019 - Closed
Wednesday, January 1st 2020 - Closed

Sealston:

Tuesday, December 24th 2019 - 8 AM - 12 PM
Wednesday, December 25th 2019 - Closed
Thursday, December 26th 2019 - 12 PM - 6 PM
Tuesday, December 31st 2019 - Closed
Wednesday, January 1st 2020 - Closed

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OPINION - King George Gets Waylaid Over Wayside

by Neil Richard

Cathy Binder hosted another Town Hall meeting on December 10, 2019. She and Dr. Neiman Young, County Administrator, were on hand to discuss infrastructure issues and potential solutions. Binder began the Town Hall with a newer, shorter iteration of her previous presentation on infrastructure. She again went through the slides quickly and gave a high-level view of some of the issues faced by current County-owned properties and potential ways to fix them. With a lot of vacant buildings and unaddressed maintenance needs, the solutions ranged from restoration to demolition to selling. Binder again reiterated that this was simply her vision and any future action would need to be taken up by the Board of Supervisors as a whole.

Wayside Park is highlighted in green.

After Binder answered a few questions, Dr. Young then gave a short presentation on the replacement of the Wayside Park. This would end up dominating the discussion for the next 90 minutes with a lot of questions, concerns, and emotions. Even though the crowd was small, roughly 20 to 30 people, there were plenty of questions to be answered. One gentleman at the end asked if somebody would publish a story that gave the true story of how the land swap took place. He felt there was a lot of misinformation out there but was worried about some of the larger, Federal agencies would be upset if they were called out for their actions.

2019-12-08 - Christmas Tree Lighting

by Neil Richard
additional photos by Yvonne Richard and Elizabeth Richard

King George County kicked off the holiday season with the annual Christmas Tree Lighting on Sunday night. With several hundred residents participating, it looked like the decision to delay the event a week because of poor weather was a good one. Santa Claus rode in on an antique fire truck and stuck around for pictures. When the line for Santa grew a little long, County Administrator Dr. Neiman Young and Nick Minor, the Director of Economic Development and Tourism, both helped distribute the presents they had for all of the children. The King George County Museum was open and the King George County Historical Society was on hand to give brief history lessons. Also on hand were the L. E. Smoot Library staff, Dahlgren Lions Club, King George Ruritans Club, Trinity United Methodist Church, Girl Scout Troop 3792, New Life Church, and Jen's Face Painting Designs. With plenty of food, drinks, popcorn, chocolate, and even marshmallows to roast over the fire pits, everyone young and old looked like they enjoyed the second event celebrating the County's 300th Anniversary. [EDITOR'S NOTE - Neil Richard, a co-founder of Project94, is a lifetime member of the King George County Historical Society.]

King George High School Brass Ensemble.

Lorrie Gump shared her singing skills with the crowd.

Waiting for Santa to arrive.

Bags of presents await the children.

King George Fire Department was on hand.

The County Christmas Tree.

Santa arrives!

The line for pictures with Santa.

Former Supervisor Jim Howard tends to the fire pits.

Marshmallows roasting over an open fire.

Little Miss King George Fall Festival Zoey rocked the pink while enjoying a cookie.

The Museum was open.

The tree shining bright.

Merry Christmas!

Santa's ride to the ceremony was an antique fire engine.

...and to all a good night.

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OPINION - King George Citizens, Supervisors United on Gun Rights

by Sean Gates

It seemed like the air itself was full of electricity as I drove to the Revercomb building on Tuesday night.  Outside, advocacy groups were handing out stickers.  The parking lot was already filling up at quarter to six.  Inside, the energy was frenetic and as faces both new and familiar filed in, it was clear tonight’s meeting would be an historic one.  This was my first time covering the county meetings, and the purpose was to put a different kind of coverage out there.  Neil was beside me and I knew his coverage would be thorough and precise, and there was no need to duplicate his efforts.  Instead I was to focus on the dynamics between the board members and the energy in the room, and provide coverage of a different kind.

The board room was packed – the seats were full, there were people lined up against the walls, the doors were open and people huddled in the quad, blocking the hall and crowding the sidewalks and the parking lot around the building.  People of every age and ethnicity had come out, most of them wearing the orange stickers that said “GUNS SAVE LIVES.”

2019-12-03 - Board of Supervisors Meeting Notes

by Neil Richard

The King George County Board of Supervisors began their meeting a short five minutes after the Service Authority finished their meeting.

There was an amendment to the Agenda. Dr. Neiman Young, County Administrator, recommended that the Second Amendment Sanctuary discussion be moved to directly after the County Attorney's report. The Board approved the amendment and the large audience applauded.

Because of the large crowd and the expected number of people making Public Comment, Chairman Jeff Bueche laid out some ground rules for the audience. He said that each person would be strictly limited to three minutes and needed to state their name and address. Bueche also said that the total time for everyone would be limited to one hour. He said that after 30 minutes, if the overwhelming majority were of the same opinion, in this case likely to be in support of the resolution, he would offer the second half of the allotted hour to those with an opposing opinion. Brabo asked about those members of the public that wanted to speak about something other than the Second Amendment Sanctuary and Bueche said he would afford time for them to speak as well. Bueche would also ask that the audience refrain from applause after the first speaker finished.

2019-12-03 - Service Authority Meeting Notes

by Neil Richard

Some of the King George County Service Authority Board of Directors had to do some gentle pushing to make their way into the Board Room before the meeting began. The overflowing audience was there in large part to voice their support for the upcoming Second Amendment Sanctuary proposal at the Board of Supervisors meeting later.

The meeting opened at 6:30pm with a resoundingly loud Pledge of Allegiance. Chairman Michael Bennett said that Ruby Brabo would be a few minutes late. He then joked that he was happy to see so many people excited to hear about water and sewer which garnered laughs from the audience.

2019-12-05 - Public Hearing Notice

The King George County Board of Supervisors will hold a public hearing beginning at 7:00 p.m., on Tuesday, December 17, 2019, in the Board Room to hear Case Number 18-12-E03 Special Exception Permit request for a Campground with ancillary uses by Freedom Hunt Outdoor Club owned by 17 O, LLC (Attn: Michael Ognek), Tax Map 40 Parcel 33, 236.2667 acres zoned A-1 (Limited Agricultural District).

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2019-11-25 - 5th Grader Wins Space Camp Scholarship

by Neil Richard

Four young ladies in 5th Grade at King George Elementary School applied to win a scholarship to Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama. Abigail (Abby is okay too) was the lucky recipient of the award sponsored by local residents Mark and Shari Bradshaw.

The Bradshaws created the Broadwood Space Camp Scholarship Award in an effort to promote interest in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) in elementary school girls because of their own daughter's experience. As a student at King George Elementary School (KGES), the Bradshaw's daughter loved topics related to STEM, especially those related to space and NASA. As their daughter moved through the Middle School, peer pressure began to mount against STEM because it "wasn't cool for girls." In an attempt to show her how cool it really was, they sent her to Space Camp. The intervention worked and she now has two engineering degrees from the University of Maryland and works for NASA.

2019-12-03 - Planning Commission Public Hearing

by Neil Richard

The King George County Planning Commission will hold a public hearing beginning at 7:00 p.m., on Tuesday, December 10, 2019, in the Board Room.

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An Interview With Chief David Moody - Local Leaders #10

by Neil Richard

Introduction

The basic idea behind this interview series is to interview local leaders that live, work, or have an important impact on King George County. We have asked various citizens for recommendations on who they see as a local leader. Additionally, we feel that everyone has a story and it deserves to be told. So we want to know their story. As you can see with the questions below, we want to share their  story with the rest of the citizens in King George County. If you have somebody you would like to nominate for a future interview, please contact us.

Chief Moody stands in front of one of the departments emergency units.

Basic Biographical Information

I completed high school down in Portsmouth. I grew up in the Hampton Roads area. I moved here about 16 years ago. I started actually in Community College while I was in high school. This was before they had the dual enrollment. I started right around my junior year taking community college classes at nighttime while I was in high school. I have two separate Associate's Degrees. One in Fire Science and one in Emergency Medical Services Para-medicine. Then I have a Bachelor's Degree in Fire Administration and Emergency Services. I'm also a graduate of the National Fire Academy Executive Fire Officer Program and that's a four year program. That's kind of equivalent to a Master's Degree in this business. I've been through the accreditation process for the CFO, Chief Fire Officer, designation. The EFO and the CFO are kind of the two top tier credentials to have as a Fire Chief. I'm also a graduate of the Executive Leadership Program through Cornell University. I've been through the Lead Program at UVA, which is through their Senior Executive Institute with Weldon Cooper. And then I have all my fire and other certifications. [Chief Moody then proceeded to flip through a three inch binder full of certifications.]

I became a Virginia Certified Fire Fighter back in 1992. Right now, as far as the state fire credentials, I'm certified as an Instructor III and Officer IV. Officer IV is the highest one you can get so lots of instructor and train the trainer things. That's probably about it. I've got a list of certifications on paper. In this business it's kind of funny. Nursing and even doctors are similar too. You can have a Master's Degree in Fire Science and Engineering and not be a fire fighter. And then on the flip side you can be fire fighter and have all of the state credentials and not even have an Associate's Degree. So in this industry what I find is that you need to have a blend of both. You need to have a blend of the formal education and the actual state licensure and certifications. A marriage of those two is what really makes you have a strong skill set in this business. But you can go through the whole para-medicine program and not be a paramedic and not be able to practice and not have a state license. And there's some people that do that. The Fire Science and EMS are two separate degree tracks. They're not blended together where you can take it and get two, they're two entirely separate fields. One is in health and one is in science.

I currently serve on the Rappahannock EMS Services Council Board. We're unique because we cover two planning districts (PD), PD 16 which is ours and PD 9 which goes out to Rappahannock, Fauquier, and Orange Counties. I also serve as Chair of their Personnel Committee. I serve on the school's Health Advisory Committee for King George schools. I meet with all the nurses and help develop protocols and different things for the school health team. I don't know if this falls in there but I've been a Little League Coach too. That's probably about it.

Personal Questions

What do you remember about your grandparents?
You know, when I was young, it was pretty neat because I was at a young age when they lived right back to back to each other. So my mom's parents lived right here and my dad's parents lived right here and their backyards touched. For most people, the odds of that happening are probably slim to none.

My dad's parents, my grandparents, moved to Tennessee. Then I didn't really see a whole lot of them. Periodically from time to time. So I was more in touch with my mom's parents, my mom's side of the family.

My grandmother on my mom's side, she's still alive. She's close to 90 years of age now and she lives down close to where my mom lives in New Bern, North Carolina. They've both lived in Suffolk, that's in the Hampton Roads area. I always remember my grandfather coming to pick me up and I'd stay there over the weekend. Making breakfast in the morning. All those good things. He'd make pancakes, sausage, eggs, you know, the good stuff to eat when you're a kid. I don't get to see her as much now because of the distance. She's the last one of my grandparents hanging on.

What historical events influenced your life the most?
I think probably as a young teenager, getting involved in the fire and rescue business. It gave me a path as far as a career life and building a lot of relationships.

Certainly 9/11. I think it woke the whole country up. If you were alive during that year. I don't want to get too far off topic, some of the young people today, they were either toddlers or not even born during 2001. The only thing they remember about it is what they've heard about it or seen on television.

I'd say meeting my wife and starting a family and having children. Those are probably the big historical or personal events in my life.

Outside of work and home, what is your favorite place in King George?
My favorite place is where I'm not as much and where I'd like to be. I was thinking of the spot that I like a lot, it's around the 8th Street pier in Fairview Beach. We actually weren't down there that much this summer but I like when I am down there. We'll take our jet ski out there. Kids have fun. The sunsets are out of this world. But that's probably one of my favorite places in King George. I just don't get down there enough. I don't get out to Rick's and Tim's that much.

What person, place, or thing do you think is the most underappreciated in King George County?
I would say that place [8th Street pier]. Maybe a combination of that area of Fairview Beach. Caledon is. There's a lot of good stuff at Caledon. Can there be multiple answers?

Professional Questions

Who is your inspiration or mentor?
Mine would be my uncle. I started out when he was a volunteer fire chief and he's kinda been my compass along the way in my life. From professional to personal.

What is your ideal vision for King George County in the future?
I think my ideal vision would be that King George has smart growth. Growth is inevitable. We're in a very unique geographic area where we're going to be getting stuff from Maryland. Growth from Northern Virginia. From Fredericksburg. I think that as long as we try to preserve and maintain our rural character with also encompassing some of the amenities and the commercial things. As long as we do that in a smart growth concept, that would be my ideal vision. I think the Mixed Use Development is probably going to be a good idea. I think a lot of communities have experienced positive things with that. As long as it's done right I think it can be successful. I don't believe King George is going to turn into Charles County or Stafford, North Stafford, in the next 20 years. As different people get elected, things could change.

What do you feel are the top 3 issues to address in King George?
You know, I think something that falls into both of those categories [both this question and the next] is the landfill. I think in a way it has been a very successful revenue maker for the County. The County owns it and Waste Management provides all the operations to it. It goes back to the growth. As there gets to be more rooftops going up around the areas of the landfill, I think it could pose some problems. If, if we don't continue to take proactive measures to address odors and trash control and vehicles and all those things that come with operating the region's largest landfill. But I think it's certainly been a success and maybe a potential issue.

I think one of the issues we have is that we want to maintain and still have this rural tax rate and we've largely been able to do that because of the landfill. And yet the expectations from the citizenry that live here is wanting us to have the same services and same responses as some of our larger neighbors. I think that everything from requirement to retention to our public servants. I know in this department, every time we raise our salaries up, Stafford is holding a salary study now. And Spotsylvania. And Fredericksburg. Prince William is trying to attract people. I mean, openly. They're trying to throw bonuses to them to try to get them to switch over. I think the recruitment and retention of good, qualified personnel, teachers, deputies, 911 communication folks, animal control, paramedics, firefighters, EMTs. This is where we're going to be really challenged as an issue for the County. Service Authority. That's another one that tends to have a little bit of turnover as well.

I think one of the other issues that we need to address, in our department, is that we need to have a better and more timely response to the south east part of our County. It's just taking us too long to get there when it's a very severe life-threatening emergency. House fire. Person not breathing. Person choking. Car crash. The whole nine yards. I've been an advocate of this, getting a station in that direction. This station here [Company 1] covers 113 square miles of the 185 in the County. I think that's an issue. When the County's right for that as more people move in, more developments and different things, that's going to be a need.

What do you feel are the top 3 successes in King George?
I think the Mixed Use Development is a success. We haven't had one yet but I think the Board has been proactive as to re-looking at the ordinance and making changes to the zoning ordinances to allow for some of that.

I think having improved ISO ratings over the past 12 years, that's been a big plus. That has a direct impact on how much money you pay to your insurance company for your mortgage insurance, your homeowner's insurance. It also has a direct impact on economic development.

What person, place, or thing do you think we lack in King George?
I think one of the things that we probably lack is an area that we can almost refer to as our little downtown and have that downtown feel. If you ask people where downtown King George is, they think of the area around the Courthouse. That being the seat of King George. Part of that is the City of Fredericksburg, it's hard to mimic that, it's been around for ages. But an area in the County that has that get out and park your car and walk and you've got shops. You've got that downtown feel. Culpeper. They have that. They have a little downtown area. I think that's one thing we're probably lacking.

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2019-11-19 - Board of Supervisors Meeting Notes

by Neil Richard

The King George County Board of Supervisors opened their meeting at 8:04pm.

There were no amendments to the Agenda.

Public Comment began with Renee Parker. Seeing as it turned into what appears to be an attack on me personally and our work at Project94, we will prevent any doubt over what she said by sharing her written letter below.

Renee Parker's Public Comment with her address redacted.

Don Shelton was next to speak, reminding everyone of two things. First, the King George Historical Society has several artifacts from the Potomac Landing area that was once the site of an Indian village. Secondly, with the 300th Anniversary here, he asks that everyone be part of history and the Historical Society. [EDITOR'S NOTE - Neil Richard, a co-founder of Project94, is a lifetime member of the King George County Historical Society.]

2019-11-19 - Service Authority Meeting Notes

by Neil Richard

The King George County Service Authority Board of Directors opened their sole November meeting at 6:30pm.

There were no amendments to the Agenda.

There was no Public Comment.

Christopher Werle was absent and Richard Granger had no report.

Cathy Binder said she would try to keep her report brief and said she did a lot of things over the past few weeks. She thanked Ruby Brabo for letting her attend the Waterways Tour in the Northern Neck and enjoyed learning how the nutrients impact the waterways and their harvest. Binder also met with Lisa Hull about potential tourism opportunities. While at the Virginia Association of Counties (VACo), Binder attended several seminars including one about the Phase III Watershed Implementation Plan (WIP3). As somebody without a science degree, Binder said it was very helpful. Binder said she's also been doing a lot of research over the last week and a half and said that there really isn't an origin story for the Service Authority. She found a lot of history as has Jonathon Weakley, General Manager, but she wanted to call attention to one document she found from December 1992. Binder said that the previous stories about the state mandating the County take over the water and sewer systems seems to be incorrect and that the Board of Supervisors at the time actually voted to take it over.

OPINION - Politicians Can Legally Lie

by Neil Richard

Politicians CAN lie. How is that important to you as a citizen? Let's find out.

Origin Story

I know many of our readers are wondering why I even bother writing an article about Ruby Brabo now that the elections are over. I know a lot of people, including myself, feel that an article would be like the proverbial beating of a dead horse. But I have three major reasons to write this article. First, I need closure. This has been a tough journey for me personally and I need to put it behind me. Second, I feel it would be fiscally irresponsible of me to not write an article. I paid a lot of money to get this information and I don't want to waste it. And speaking of value, my third and final reason for writing this is to provide value to our readers. Part of our guiding principles are to provide information and to educate our readers, especially the residents of King George County. These three big reasons are what drove me to write an article that takes me down the dark road of politics, lies, and the law. Despite some claims, this is not a political witch hunt.

For those that aren’t aware of what happened, and for those that wondered why I spoke up when I did, here’s a brief timeline of sorts to put things into perspective. As a member of the press, I’ve received various tidbits of information via phone calls, emails, texts, and in-person conversations. I learned very quickly that in this role, I was at the bottom of the rumor mill cesspool. I’ve heard so many stories, large and small, true and false, that I’m surprised every day by what I hear. I’ve been approached by many people who try to exert some sort of pressure on me to cover their story, or some ribald tale, in an effort to reap some sort of personal gain. This is part of why we strive to check our facts before publishing articles. Even our opinions are rooted in facts as much as possible. For me personally, it’s my reputation that’s being published when I write. So even though the truth may hurt, it needs to be the only thing that matters.

2019-11-15 - Board of Supervisors Meeting Notes

by Neil Richard
photos by Yvonne Richard

The King George County Supervisors held a ceremonial meeting, called Founder's Day, on Friday the 15th to mark the beginning of a year-long celebration of the County's 300th Anniversary. Being the first of many events over the next twelve months, the Supervisors conducted no substantial business during the meeting and instead gave speeches and let other dignitaries comment.

After giving attendees time to enjoy the food and beverages, the Supervisors began their meeting. Each Supervisor gave a report as usual but focused on their history of coming to King George, how it has impacted their lives in a positive way, and how much they love being here. John Jenkins talked about his time as a student athlete and how much he enjoyed the small town feel. Richard Granger, who is often cool and collected during meetings, got a little emotional as he talked about his life here in the County. Cathy Binder, being a fan of history, focused more on the history of the County. Ruby Brabo spoke about how the people in King George were sometimes considered troublemakers because they stood up for what was right. Jeff Bueche said he and his wife loved King George so much that he was strategic in how he moved forward in his career so he could stay here.

OPINION - 2019-10-29 - Ruby Brabo Town Hall Notes

by Neil Richard

Supervisor Ruby Brabo hosted a Town Hall focused on military veterans at the Dahlgren campus of the University of Mary Washington. The main topics presented during the event were updates from Mary Washington Hospital, updates from the Navy's base in Dahlgren, and Virginia's role in helping veterans.

Jason Hamilton and Phil Brown both spoke about the pending opening of the Urgent Care center in the building behind the old Journal office. Mary Washington Hospital will open this new facility in early November and will be able to handle urgent care, blood testing, and medical imaging. Although some in the audience needed a little clarification, Brown and Hamilton explained that the facility could handle urgent care needs, but not life-threatening scenarios that would require an emergency room. They also said the center would not address long term care issues that a primary care doctor would treat. In other words, it's just like any other urgent care in the area that can handle minor emergencies like a cold or sinus infection but nothing serious like a severed leg and nothing a regular doctor would take care of over time like high cholesterol. Hamilton also said the medical imaging would include mammography, x-rays, and ultrasounds. Hours of operation would be 8am to 8pm Monday through Friday and 8am to 4pm on weekends and Federal holidays.

Veteran's Day 5k

by Neil Richard

The King George High School DECA Club will host their annual Veteran's Day 5k to raise money for the Some Gave All Foundation. The 5k will be held at the high school on Monday, November 11, 2019.

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2019-11-01 - Planning Commission Public Hearing

The King George County Planning Commission will hold a public hearing beginning at 7:00 p.m., on Tuesday, November 12, 2019, in the Board Room. Due to the lengthy Agenda an additional special Planning Commission meeting will be held. The special meeting will be held on Thursday, November 21, 2019, at 7:00 p.m. in the Board Room.

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REVIEW - The Diary of Anne Frank at King George High School

by Neil Richard

You are both blessed and cursed if you missed the recent production from the Theatre Department at King George High School. Blessed that you missed the intense emotion and cursed for missing yet another great production from teenage actors. This was not the uproarious comedy of The Princess King.

In what I can only describe as the most depressing play I've seen since Shenandoah at the Riverside Center, the student actors did a tremendous job of meeting the challenge head-on. With tact and poise, the cast was able to convey nearly every emotion from humor to terror. There were moments of happiness. Moments of laughter. Moments of sadness. Moments of shock. But through it all, the cast remained loyal to the themes and were adept at making those of us in the audience feel those feelings.

The cast consisted of:

• Alex Croce as Anne Frank
• Ally Miller as Margot Frank
• Aniyah Reynolds as Mrs. Frank
• Isak Watson as Mr. Frank
• Grace Terry as Mrs. Van Daan
• Ben Stone as Mr. Van Daan
• Jason Knott as Peter Van Daan
• Brandon Thomas as Mr. Dussel
• Kelly Hoffman as Miep
• Brandon Croce as Mr. Kraler
• Blake Ferro as a German Officer
• Andrew Denton as a German Officer

Alex, playing Anne, was able to skillfully go from acting like a little girl to being old enough to want to kiss boys. Ben and Grace, playing Mr. and Mrs. Van Daan, acted like you'd expect a married couple to act. Isak, playing Anne's father, was a wonderfully calm and cool character who kept everyone, including the audience, grounded.

Just like anyone that went to see the movie Titanic, we all knew how the story would end. But we still clung to some shred of hope that the story would take a turn and everyone would survive. In the end though, reality hit and the audience was left in tears as we heard seven of the eight Jews hiding in an attic would never live beyond the concentration camps.

Despite the audience leaving in tears, there was hope on the horizon. The Theatre Department will have two more productions this season that should be funnier. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory will be on stage from January 22 to 25, 2020 and The Little Mermaid will be shown from April 29 to May 2, 2020. We recommend purchasing your tickets in advance.

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2019-10-15 - Board of Supervisors Meeting Notes

by Neil Richard

EDITOR’S NOTE:  Every single article published here on Project94 crosses at least two desks, goes before at least two sets of eyes, prior to publication.  On the occasion that I have written articles, Neil Richard has been my editor.  Likewise I have copy edited every piece he’s written.  We use each other as a sounding board during these sessions.  It’s worth noting that the four founding members of Project94 have different political ideologies.  It’s part of what makes this publication unique.  Collectively, we have no agenda other than to report the truth and let you, the readers, form your own opinions.  On those occasions when we publish our opinions we clearly label them as such.  I wrote a dissenting opinion piece on Chris Werle during the Service Authority fiasco, in part because I felt that his side of the story deserved to be told.  Neil and I remain friends in spite of this difference of opinion.  This is due, in no small part, to the quality of Neil’s character.


I say this because I want to be sure we are clear on this point: our allegiance is to truth, and to King George County.  Neil had misgivings about writing up his coverage of this particular meeting, for reasons that should become clear in the text of the article itself.  However it is our shared belief that providing coverage to you of your local government, and speaking the truth of the events of the night of October 15th, 2019, was the most important thing.  Neil was the man on the ground that night.  If you’re of the opinion that another reporter should have covered this, Neil would agree with you, and the decision to publish this rests squarely on my shoulders.
                                                                                               -- Sean Gates 10/17/2019

The Board of Supervisors began their meeting at 7:18pm.
There was an amendment to the Agenda to strike the presentation from the George Washington Regional Commission (GWRC). The amendment was approved.

Public Comment began with an announcement from Jeff Bueche that Public Comment would be limited to five minutes instead of the usual three minutes because of a request.

I gave Public Comment. To prevent any doubt over what I said, you can watch it here [beginning at 00:56].

2019-10-15 - Service Authority Meeting Notes

by Neil Richard

The Service Authority began their meeting promptly at 6:30pm.

There were no amendments to the Agenda.

There was no Public Comment.

Christopher Werle began his Board Report by saying he met with Mike Bennett and Jonathon Weakley, General Manager, to discuss the Wiley-Wilson Preliminary Engineering Report (PER) for the Purkins Corner Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP). On the same day, October 4th, he also attended the fundraiser dinner for the Gladys and Ira West Scholarship. On the 7th, Werle reviewed three years of power outage data from Dominion Energy in an effort to complete the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM) grant application. He said he would go into more detail later in the evening. On the 8th he attended the joint session between the Planning Commission and the Board of Supervisors. Werle also gave an update on the Fairview Beach riverbank stabilization project and said that FEMA has sent a memo to the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) regarding their conclusion that the project would not impact the short nosed sturgeon.

Q&A With Nick Minor

by Neil Richard

I had the chance to sit down with Nick Minor to ask him a few questions related to economic development and tourism. What I expected to be a brief interview turned into a 90 minute discussion! Here are the questions I had along with some from your neighbors.

Question: What is your role within the County government?
Answer: I'm the Director of Economic Development and Tourism. I promote the County in the best possible way I know how and involve the appropriate stakeholders like the Board of Supervisors, Economic Development Authority, etc. I plan and direct the County so it's prepared for future growth but also for potential setbacks in the economy. King George is heavily dependent on the government with the base in Dahlgren so a hit to them will be hard on all of us. If we can diversify the County so it's a mix of residential, retail, industry and more. Also a mix between government and non-government.

OPINION - Finalized CIP Means Smaller Courthouse

by Neil Richard

On October 23rd, the Board of Supervisors met to finalize their Capital Improvement Program (CIP) plan for the coming year. There was bad news and worse news, depending on where you stand with the idea of a new Courthouse.

Dr. Neiman Young, County Administrator, broke the bad news first. Any future capital projects would need to be funded by borrowing more money. And to cover that new borrowing, tax rates would need to go up. In breaking down his math, Dr. Young explained that future revenue from the landfill has already been leveraged in full. While this has already been discussed at length by the Board for several years, Young went on to explain that by including the annual school bus purchase, annual ambulance purchase, and annual Sheriff's Office radio purchases, the expected funding available from the landfill drops to a paltry $192,000 per year. [EDITOR'S NOTE - Neil Richard, a co-founder of Project94, is the Chair of the Landfill Advisory Committee.]

This led to the data showing that any new borrowing would result in an annual debt payment. In other words, borrowing money means a loan payment needs to be made. Using the current King George Middle School Expansion Project as a rough estimate, Young said that for every $10 million borrowed, $500,000 a year in loan payments would need to be made. Although other variables like the market, interest rates, and costs weren't factored into this estimate, it was a solid starting point for wrapping your head around future borrowing.

From here, Dr. Young explained that a one (1) cent tax increase means $270,000 in revenue for the County. Therefore, $500,000 in loan payments equals a two (2) cent tax increase. Which means that if the County wants to borrow $40 million to build a giant warehouse for Beanie Babies, they would need to raise taxes eight (8) cents to cover the cost of the annual loan payment.

Dr. Young then laid out the real bad news of the night. Due to upcoming financial needs, a tax increase is needed. The SAFER Grant expires soon and will need one to two cents to cover the costs. The Virginia Retirement System (VRS) hasn't raised rates and will likely do so in the coming year resulting in a one to two cent tax increase. Another penny increase would be needed to cover the increased cost of healthcare and another penny for the Rappahannock Regional Jail. The school budget would also likely result in another two or three cents. While all of the projections and predictions were not verified and set in stone, they gave the Board a solid gut check in looking at what the future held: the high probability of a tax increase.

With the bad news out of the way, Dr. Young asked the Supervisors to come to a consensus on the Courthouse decision. With the new information in front of them, the Board discussed where they stood. A majority decided that a 50,000 square foot Courthouse was the best option. This would mean no more 13,000 square feet of shared space for the County staff as they discussed at their last CIP meeting on the Courthouse. It also meant that the Courthouse would double in size but still be smaller than what they needed as soon as they move in. Cathy Binder was the lone Supervisor asking for more space and more to preserve the existing Courthouse but to manage everything through a phased approach. The residents on the Citizen Budget Advisory Committee and the rest of the Supervisors agreed that 50,000 square feet seemed adequate and that the existing Courthouse should be preserved in some way. If that meant removing newer portions or remodeling or something else was yet to be decided. However, both Binder and Vic Mason did let the Board know that the mold had returned to the Courthouse despite recent remediation work.

Once that decision was made, the Board then went on to discuss other capital projects and it was decided that a committee of citizens would likely be a good thing to have to help the Supervisors gather more input and new ideas. Part of that discussion was the future needs of the School Board, their offices, and the Pre-School. Some Supervisors seemed to be frustrated that the School Board hadn't taken action on the old King George Elementary School or other projects over the years.

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Candidate Interviews 4 of 4 - Board of Supervisors

by Neil Richard


Editor's Note: Board of Supervisors, At-Large District, is currently held by Ruby Brabo. Annie Cupka is also running for the same position. Board of Supervisors, James Madison District, is currently held by Richard Granger. He is running unopposed. Board of Supervisors, Dahlgren District, is currently held by John Jenkins. He previously announced he is not running for re-election. Jeff Stonehill is running to fill the vacancy.

Candidate: Ruby Brabo

Q: When did you arrive in King George and why did you choose to live here?
A: I moved here in 2005 from Germany. My ex-husband and I chose King George because we used to live in Stafford prior to going to Germany and he didn’t want to commute to DC on 95 North anymore. I was familiar with the area from our time in Stafford so I told him 301 was a better route. The time it took him never changed from when we moved back to when he retired. When we first moved to Stafford, there was one stoplight on Garrisonville Road. By the time we left seven years later, it took me 40 minutes to go two miles. I didn’t really care that King George didn’t have all the amenities at the time, I just like the peaceful, rural nature.

Q: What made you want to run for office?
A: I was actually asked by the Citizens for Non-Partisan Good Government to run for office in April of 2011. I always enjoyed politics and would create flyers for the community about where to vote and about big issues before that. I also spent four years as the President of my Homeowners Association and was able to prove that the County should not have let the developer leave before the infrastructure was complete. One of the comments I heard a lot was “you weren’t afraid to stand up to these guys.” They were rude to me and I had nothing to lose.

Q: What do you do in your free time for stress relief or as a hobby?
A: I like to run, mountain bike, and garden in my yard. I also like to crochet. It helps me unwind after long meetings.

Q: How would you promote unity within King George?
A: I believe we can have unity and come together. I try to do that more so now than eight years ago. The best way to promote unity is to focus on the issues and to find solutions. Everyone wants a good quality of life and loves this community.

Q: If you received a $1 million grant to use for King George any way you wanted, what would you do with it and why?
A: A million dollars doesn’t do a lot with our issues. What could we realistically accomplish? My gut says, and some people may not like it, to give the money to someone like the King George Education Foundation (KGEF). A million dollars won’t solve our major issues like bike lanes or broadband. But KGEF could do a lot more over a longer time with that much money.

Campaign Finance Reports

Candidate: Annie Cupka

Q: When did you arrive in King George and why did you choose to live here?

A: November 17, 2005. My twins had just turned 1. We moved from Woodbridge, Virginia and found a place in the woods. We wanted to raise our kids in a rural area so we left our quarter acre lot in a subdivision for ten acres of trees. They can go out the front door and explore. My husband’s grandfather took him hunting in Mathias Point so he remembers it from when he was a kid being a great place. The schools are better now than they were 14 years ago but even back then they were better than what was in Woodbridge.


Q: What made you want to run for office?

A: Looking back on the jobs I’ve had in the past, I’ve always been a citizen servant. I worked as a police officer then stayed at home for five years raising our kids. After that, I volunteered at their school which led to me being a paraprofessional which led to being part of the King George Education Foundation which led to being a County employee in the Economic Development office. I feel like I’ve always served so this is the next step.


Q: What do you do in your free time for stress relief or as a hobby?

A: I like to garden, read, and go for walks. We also just bought kayaks and I’ve been enjoying that. I never really grew up in an outdoor or sports type of family.


Q: How would you promote unity within King George?

A: I feel like I’m already doing it in the schools with the King George Education Foundation (KGEF). A prime example is the Fox Smart Center. Our main mission at KGEF is unity. To take it to the next level, I think certain civic groups do well but we as a County don’t do it well. I’d like to see more community clean up days or beach clean ups. Ultimately I’d like to see a downtown area around the old Courthouse. Something like a Town Square there.


Q: If you received a $1 million grant to use for King George any way you wanted, what would you do with it and why?

A: As a grant writer, I have to ask if there are strings attached. If there are no strings attached, I’d like to use it as seed money for a larger matching grant. The sexy answer is broadband but that may not be the right answer. I’d like to see more fire stations but that would leave the need to staff them. I think the most practical answer is to help with the Service Authority infrastructure. There are too many needs there. Not all houses are served by the Service Authority but we have to do something.

Campaign Finance Reports

Candidate: Richard Granger

Q: When did you arrive in King George and why did you choose to live here?

A: April of 2005. We used to live in Southern Maryland for five years prior to that but wanted a better place, better schools to raise our kids and my wife’s family lived here. Our realtor connected us to Tommy Burrell Sr. and he built our house. Our new house has enough room for my wife’s horse and we really like the rural nature.


Q: What made you want to run for office?

A: I knew Jeff Bueche before either of us was elected to office and he suggested I should run. I laughed at him. I’m not outgoing and more of an introvert. I thought about it and prayed on it and talked to my wife about it. In the end I felt led by God. I was nervous about it but I do what I can. I’m running again because I don’t feel like my time is done. It’s always been in God’s hands so if I get reelected, it’s His choice.


Q: What do you do in your free time for stress relief or as a hobby?

A: I saw “free time” and chuckled. It really is a commodity so most of my free time is spent with family. But I like stories. Science Fiction and Fantasy. I like to read, watch TV and movies, and play video games in that genre. It’s a way to unwind. I also love sports. Hokies!


Q: How would you promote unity within King George?

A: I was thinking about this question and ended up looking up the definition of “unity” to see if it helped. I think of unity of purpose when I hear this question. To meet the needs of the citizens of the community. There may be less unity on how to meet those needs but that’s not always a bad thing. We have lots of passion. We need to step back and listen. So for me, to promote unity, I try to lead by example and listen to others. Hopefully this helps me make wiser decisions. Diversity is a good thing but we need to be unified in our common goal.


Q: If you received a $1 million grant to use for King George any way you wanted, what would you do with it and why?

A: A million dollars is really right in the middle. We can’t really use it for Capital Improvement Projects because those cost tens of millions but we could start by looking there. When I looked at the list, the King George Elementary School roof needs to be replaced and that’s expected to cost a million dollars. It’s not a fun answer but it’s something. I also think the Parks and Recreation Department sometimes takes a back seat to other departmental needs, like a new ambulance or something, so maybe repairing the tennis court or putting in a dog park. I’d probably look there, in Parks and Recreation, to see what can be done.

No Campaign Finance Reports Available.

Candidate: Jeff Stonehill

Q: When did you arrive in King George and why did you choose to live here?

A: I moved here in 1997 from Mechanicsville, Virginia. I worked for the Virginia Marine Police [part of the Virginia Marine Resource Commission] and patrolled from Westmoreland and King George all the way up to D.C. I really liked it here and gave up my boat in 2004 to become a deputy with the King George County Sheriff’s Office. I like that King George is close to the beaches and mountains and it’s between D.C. and Richmond. It’s close enough to the city when it’s needed.


Q: What made you want to run for office?

A: While patrolling, I found that I really enjoyed the Dahlgren area. When talking to residents, I found what was important to them. When I was patrolling one day, a woman said I should run for Board of Supervisors because she would vote for me. That planted the seed and I became more involved like serving on the Citizen Budget Advisory Committee. I retired from the Sheriff’s Office and decided to run. [John] Jenkins said he wasn’t running again and said he was comfortable with me taking his seat. I feel I have a unique insight as a retired County employee and a business owner. I know the pitfalls faced by prospective business owners in King George and know how the public wants to be treated by a County employee.


Q: What do you do in your free time for stress relief or as a hobby?

A: I don’t have much free time but I do try to take one day off a week to relax. My wife Marsha and I like to boat and sail and ride mountain bikes. I also enjoy the trails at Caledon State Park and hanging out with our cat and our horses.


Q: How would you promote unity within King George?

A: I would try to connect people by doing three things. I would support events, like an open mic night or fishing tournaments. I would connect people through community education and awareness. And I would encourage businesses to use local resources like the Chamber of Commerce to help sustain small businesses. It takes all of us to make a community and I’d strive to connect everyone in the County.


Q: If you received a $1 million grant to use for King George any way you wanted, what would you do with it and why?

A: I would set up a water connection fund for small businesses. As we know, the King George Service Authority is in a bad place now but it is getting better. This impacts growth and we need business growth for the County’s economy to thrive. But if our water and sewer connection charges continue as they are now, business will go elsewhere for more reasonable rates.

No Campaign Finance Reports Available.


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Candidate Interviews 3 of 4 - School Board

by Neil Richard

Editor's Note: School Board, At-Large District, is currently held by Tammy Indseth. She previously announced she is not running for re-election. Gayle Hock, who currently occupies the Dahlgren District seat, is running to fill the vacancy. School Board, James Madison District, is currently held by Kristin Tolliver. She is running unopposed. School Board, Dahlgren District, is currently held by Gayle Hock, who is running for the At-Large District seat. Carrie Gonzalez is running to fill her vacancy.

 

Candidate: Carrie Gonzalez

Q: When did you arrive in King George and why did you choose to live here?
A: My husband and I have lived here for 12 years. I grew up in Pennsylvania. It was a very small, rural area. I went to Penn State for engineering and got a job at Indian Head in Maryland where I met my husband. He grew up in Puerto Rico. We used to live in Waldorf and looked at moving to La Plata but when we came to look at King George, we were shocked that people, complete strangers, would wave to us. When we’d drive through at night it was dark and we could hear crickets. It reminded me of home.

Q: What made you want to run for office?
A: After having two kids, I felt like I had more to give. We’re all busy and it can be overwhelming but the community needs people to step up and represent those that aren’t heard. Somebody needs to do it. For the School Board side of things, my kids are now 3 and 5. My son started Kindergarten at Potomac and I feel the schools are a good place for me to start. Teachers have a hard but very important job. I feel that when things get hard, we need people to step up.

Q: What do you do in your free time for stress relief or as a hobby?
A: Free time is such an enigma. I feel like there’s never enough time in the day to do everything. I enjoy cooking and baking and sharing that with my kids. We’ve enjoyed going to the Farmer’s Market for years now. I enjoy reading but never have enough time. I also enjoy gardening. My mom lives near us now and we share a garden. I also try to stay in shape and enjoy running, biking, swimming, and yoga. I also enjoy playing the piano and I’m a member of the Dahlgren Jazz Band which is made up of base employees.

Q: How would you promote unity within King George?
A: Communication is key. I don’t remember the exact quote but in your Local Leaders interview with Mike Bennett, he said something about “it’s not what you do but how you do it, it’s not what you say but how you say it.” I think that we’re so divided as a population and it’s so hard for us to start a discussion with others on the other side. We need to stay open-minded and listen. It’s a shame that we don’t. With my kids I’ve learned that they’re human sponges and don’t question what you say. It’s made me realize that all views and opinions are different. That doesn’t mean opposing opinions aren't valid or wrong and that they should be respected. It’s important to be aware of how we’re received and perceived by others. To answer your question, I would promote unity by leading by example through honesty, transparency, and respect.

Q: If you received a $1 million grant to use for King George any way you wanted, what would you do with it and why?
A: A traffic circle at Owens in Dahlgren. There’s been a lot of chatter about traffic lately and with the new bridge coming, it’s going to increase. There’s base traffic, a day care center, housing developments there. I know the turn lanes were put in to improve it but it still scares me to go through there.

Campaign Finance Reports

Candidate: Gayle Hock

Q: When did you arrive in King George and why did you choose to live here?
A: I moved here in 1970. My husband got a job here after having been here for a co-op. I became a Social Worker in King George. It was so different here in the 70s. I remember actually visiting a family that lived in a cave on the Rappahannock River. I eventually went on to work as a Social Worker in Fredericksburg then transitioned to home health then pre-school then finally arrived back at King George as a Social Worker before eventually becoming the Supervisor of Family and Children’s Services.

Q: What made you want to run for office?
A: I was getting ready to retire four years ago from school and a friend at the School Board Office suggested it. I had worked with countless School Board members, Superintendents, and Supervisors so I thought they were crazy to suggest it. But they said I could represent the “voices that aren’t heard” and, as a social worker, that really resonated with me. My favorite students are those that are on the verge of being suspended or expelled because often times they didn’t get heard. We’ve had some intervention programs that have worked well but they’ve gone away over time.

Q: What do you do in your free time for stress relief or as a hobby?
A: My dogs. We have three standard poodles, two of them were rescues. They’re country poodles so they’ll roll around in deer poop and chase squirrels. I also love to quilt. And I love plants but I wouldn’t call it gardening. I like to dig in the dirt and sometimes I’m lucky enough that something grows. We live on the river so we love being on the water through all the seasons. We’ve lost track of how many boats we’ve had during our marriage.

Q: How would you promote unity within King George?
A: Working in the school system, we created unity via suicide prevention, classroom integration, and more. But unity with a destructive motive is disastrous. You could consider lynch mobs a form of unity so we need to be careful of our own motives when building unity. Unity starts with a conversation. You can’t unite with someone you don’t know. Which means we need to start listening which will build trust. Divided groups can then come together with common goals and efforts. The Opp Shop is a successful example of a community project. It started as a conversation that evolved into what it is today. They raise over $100,000 a year in donations. Fall Festival is a great opportunity too. Communities also do great at uniting over disasters. It takes somebody with organizational skills and trust. That’s a lot of words for no specific answer.

Q: If you received a $1 million grant to use for King George any way you wanted, what would you do with it and why?
A: Sad to say, but a million dollars isn’t a lot of money. Anything we do for the community takes funds to create, execute, and sustain. We offer a lot for college-bound kids but not enough. It’s good but I’d like to expand Career Technical Education (CTE). We’re doing amazing things but I’d like to see more. Maybe a free-standing program that could expand to include the Middle School and adult education classes. Including community college courses like welding or diesel mechanics or cybersecurity. If we had a location, we could expand existing programs from colleges here. So a million dollars would get us started but we would need to find a way to sustain it.

No Campaign Finance Reports Available.

Candidate: Kristin Tolliver

Q: When did you arrive in King George and why did you choose to live here?
A. 1985. I lived with my roommate at the time. I don't know that I chose as much as stayed. I met my husband here and got a Masters degree in Social Work.

Q: What made you want to run for office?
A. I decided that when my son went to school, I decided to run for the School Board. I didn't know what I was getting myself into. When the time came, my neighbor ended up running too so I stepped aside. Then they left and I ran. But I hate public speaking and being in the public eye.

Q: What do you do in your free time for stress relief or as a hobby?
A: Exercise like jazzercise, cardio, and weights. I like to spend time with friends and time with my dog at home.

Q: How would you promote unity within King George?
A: Embracing diversity. Bring people together at community events. Cultural diversity. I think overall we're a solid community and we're still a safe and small town to live in and raise our kids.

Q: If you received a $1 million grant to use for King George any way you wanted, what would you do with it and why?
A. My first thought was to spend it within the schools. One million doesn't really go far in the school budget though. We need to find a better way to support those with challenging behavior issues, especially in elementary schools. I think school psychologists and behavior specialists would help. We need to find ways to meet the needs of those kids. Outside of school, I think I'd like to see a dog park or a performing arts center. Although our High School does a good job. I think that would help feed into the unity in the community.

No Campaign Finance Reports Available.

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Candidate Interviews 2 of 4 - Constitutional Officers

by Neil Richard

Editor's Note: Treasurer is currently held by Randy Jones. He is running unopposed. Commissioner of the Revenue is currently held by Judy Hart. She is running unopposed. Commonwealth's Attorney is currently held by Keri Gusmann. She is running unopposed.

Commonwealth’s Attorney

Candidate: Keri Gusmann
Q: When did you arrive in King George and why did you choose to live here?
A: I came to King George in 2002 and moved here in 2012. I graduated from law school in 2000 and worked in Fredericksburg as a Public Defender. I beat Matt Britton a few times in court and he was impressed enough to hire me.

Q: What made you want to run for office?
A: Matt Britton resigned in September of 2012. Because it was less than 90 days before the next election, a special election was held in November of 2013. So I basically ran for election in November of 2013 to keep my job. But I really do love my job working as a prosecutor.

Q: What do you do in your free time for stress relief or as a hobby?
A: Get outside either on the Dahlgren Railroad Heritage Trail or Caledon State Park. I have a son that plays soccer and since I played soccer in the past, I also coach. One of the best parts about coaching is none of the kids care about what Coach Keri does for work. It’s great to coach them and it gives me an hour of not thinking about work.

Q: How would you promote unity within King George?
A: More sports. Because I played soccer and softball in college, I got a season pass to watch high school sports. We also enjoy the musicals and plays at the high school and my son and I think they’re better than some of the others in the area. I also like that there’s one high school. It allows kids that have rocket scientists as parents and those with blue collar parents living in a trailer park to get together and become friends.

Q: If you received a $1 million grant to use for King George any way you wanted, what would you do with it and why?
A: A supervised, pretrial living arrangement for those charged with misdemeanors. Sort of like a halfway house but without the negative connotations. There’s nothing like that in King George and not really anything like it in the region. But some place where people can go after they’ve detoxed in jail but have the supervision they need to stay on track. It would also be a supervised release program where people wouldn’t go back to their previous living environment and go back to their old ways. Plus it eases the burden on family and friends.

No Campaign Finance Reports Available. 

 

Commissioner of the Revenue

Candidate: Judy Hart
Q: When did you arrive in King George and why did you choose to live here?
A: My family came here in July of 1962 because of my dad. He helped build the expansion that made it a four-lane highway. Ed’s Drive is named after him. I’m the youngest of four siblings and all graduated from King George High School. I also married a local and have stayed since.

Q: What made you want to run for office?
A: I worked for the County for about ten and a half years issuing business licenses. When a new Commissioner was elected, she didn’t want me to be part of her team so I left. I went to work for Spotsylvania County for about two years issuing business licenses there. I was in the process of helping a friend run for office and she was offered a job on base she couldn’t turn down but she dropped out of the race. My husband and I were on our back porch on the swing talking about it and he suggested I run for office. Before that it had never even entered my mind. So I prayed on it for about a week and the Lord finally told me I should run for office and make Regina my Deputy Commissioner. So that’s what I did and I won with 66% of the vote.

Q: What do you do in your free time for stress relief or as a hobby?
A: I love to work in the yard. I could spend all day on the lawn mower out there cutting grass. I also enjoy working in my flower beds and do some sewing and needlework. I also make and decorate cakes, usually wedding cakes, for friends and family. I used to do that as a business but it became more work and less fun so now the wedding cake is usually my present to the couple. I also have three grandkids and I love to spend time with them.

Q: How would you promote unity within King George?
A: This was the hardest question on your list. I think, as Commissioner, my attitude helps the most. Just being kinder to everyone. When I took over I met with my staff and told them to be nice to everyone and to treat the citizens that come in like Chik-fil-A treats their customers. My dad told me that you don’t have to like a person but you do have to be nice to them. That’s been with me ever since he told me.

Q: If you received a $1 million grant to use for King George any way you wanted, what would you do with it and why?
A: I would put it towards the children. Maybe even schools and teachers. But the children have so many needs. Like lunches during the summer because they don’t get a lunch at school. My daughter is a teacher in Rockingham and I hear a lot of stories about the many needs of children.

No Campaign Finance Reports Available.

Treasurer

Candidate: Randy Jones
Q: When did you arrive in King George and why did you choose to live here?
A: I started working here in 1997 as a Part-Time employee. I became a Full-Time employee in 1999. I grew up in Westmoreland and moved to King George in 2013.

Q: What made you want to run for office?
A: I’ve worked every job in this department over the years. When Alice [Moore] retired, it seemed like the only natural spot left for me was Treasurer. Several people also suggested I run for office. Plus it’s kinda fun.

Q: What do you do in your free time for stress relief or as a hobby?
A: Golf. I’m no good at it but I play often. I also used to coach in Colonial Beach for about 15 years. Boys Basketball and Boys Baseball. The basketball team was State Champion in 2009. Right now i”m coaching Girls Softball and Boys Basketball here in King George.

Q: How would you promote unity within King George?
A: I think relationships need to be built around work, school, and church. The last two should be the focal points of how to bring people together.

Q: If you received a $1 million grant to use for King George any way you wanted, what would you do with it and why?
A: I’m a big fan of Cedell Brooks Park. So I think investing in something recreational to bring people together would be great. If not that park, somewhere else. Basketball courts. Tennis courts. Shelters. Something for people to use to enjoy being together with others.

No Campaign Finance Reports Available.

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