1. How does Virginia’s transportation funding formula benefit Loudoun County and what, if anything, should be done to improve the current process?

The current process must be improved in order to ensure that Loudoun County receives its fair share of transportation funding. Unfortunately, in recent allocations Loudoun County has not received its fair share. Loudoun County receives state transportation funding from multiple sources including NVTA, Smart Scale and the State Revenue Sharing Program. NVTA funding is sourced through a series of NOVA regional taxes and fees (sales tax, grantor’s tax on home sales and hotel taxes on overnight stays) to fund regional road projects as called for in SB 2313 passed by the General Assembly in 2013. Unfortunately, the Virginia General Assembly reallocated NVTA funding away from regional road projects toward to WMATA for metro contributions. Important Northern Virginia congestion mitigation projects in Loudoun and Prince William counties (Prince William County’s Rt.

1 at Rt. 123 Interchange Improvements, and Loudoun County’s Rt. 7 (Route 9 to Dulles Greenway) widening, which held the #6 and #7 highest Congestion benefit points statewide lost critical funding due to a change in the funding criteria under Smart Scale. I am committed to work with my colleagues in the General Assembly to improve the distribution process for transportation dollars and to fight for our fair share of funding for Northern Virginia projects.

2. How would you more effectively align the Commonwealth’s and the County’s sources of revenue with their respective service responsibilities?

The two most important areas that require revenue realignment in my opinion are in the areas of school funding and transportation funding. In Loudoun’s FY2019 adopted budget the total funding for Loudoun County Public Schools was $1.2 billion. Of that amount, $810 million came from local revenue with $369 million sourced from the Commonwealth. Approximately $19 million comes from federal funding. In my view, increased finding from the Commonwealth for textbooks, SOL materials/training, technology and special education funding would greatly assist our localities in adequate school funding. I also believe, transportation funding formulas need better align with congestion relief criteria in order to adequately fund congestion projects in Loudoun County.

3. With Virginia facing a teacher shortage crisis, what current or future measures will you support that will have an impact on this challenge?

We must increase teacher wages in order to be competitive. It is my understanding that for the most recent school year Virginia’s average teacher salary ranks 34th in the country and is more than $9,200 below the national average. We have been successful in raising teacher salaries here in Loudoun County. I have consistently supported increasing teacher salaries at the local level (step increases for Loudoun’s beginning teachers and for mid-level teachers. I will support efforts to increase teacher salaries to at or above the national average at the state level as well.

4. How can the Commonwealth become a more effective partner in addressing Loudoun’s housing affordability challenge?

Housing affordability has been a continued focus in Loudoun County. We have spent significant time on housing affordability at the Transportation and Land Use Committee and at the full Board level. At the state level, the Commonwealth can become a more effective partner in meeting Loudoun’s housing affordability challenge by continuing to pass incentives such as House Bill 2229, which expands the authority for local governments to waive building permit fees and other local fees of private sector entities involved in the construction of affordable housing.

5. Do you support Virginia’s Right To Work laws? Why or why not? If not, what superior solution would you propose?

I support Virginia’s Right to Work Laws because all workers have the right to work for their living without being compelled to join a union.

6. Please describe what best qualifies you to hold the office you’re seeking.

My experience and accomplishments in local government make me the best qualified candidate for Virginia’s 13th State Senate Seat. Government must work for the people we represent, residents and businesses alike. I have followed that standard in each office I have been elected to including the Loudoun County School Board for four years and the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors for eight years. I will continue to represent and fight for our residents should I be fortunate enough to serve in the State Senate.

In my eight years, on the Board of Supervisors our Board implemented and grew a wildly successful economic development program that has allowed Loudoun County to increase our commercial revenue while lowering taxes. No other surrounding jurisdiction has been able to achieve this goal. We have also focused on growing our rural economy so we can preserve the rural nature on Loudoun, which allows us to have a wonderful balance of a strong consumer market in Eastern Loudoun with a beautiful, rural and historic Western Loudoun.

I along with my colleagues have funded critical transportation projects in Loudoun and have fought against the Greenway tolls which have further burdened our residents in Loudoun. I have also supported strong schools by supporting increases in the LCPS budget each year. My many achievements on the ground here in Loudoun (increased school funding each year, prioritized and funded eight-year transportation program, implementation of B&B, Brewery and Distillery regulations to grow the rural economy, and acquisition of a new State Park in Loudoun) make me the best candidate to represent Loudoun County in Richmond.
 

Source: BizVotes Candidates Questionnaire