I truly believe the most important reason that any individual, regardless of party affiliation, would want to run for public office is the desire to see something better come when he/she is elected. With my experience and track record of success, I will be that representative who hits the ground running and is able to restore confidence in our local government.

I served on the Stafford Board of Supervisors from 2002-2005, representing the citizens of the Hartwood District. I am proud of our accomplishments on the Board, especially on the economic side of the issues. During my tenure, Stafford experienced a 45% economic growth rate, the second highest for any locality in Virginia. Employment grew by 5% annually, resulting in 7,000 new jobs for the citizens of Stafford County. We achieved this by preserving the principles that made Stafford the Business Friendly Community that it should be. Unfortunately since I left the Board in 2005, the current majority on the Board has been extremely unfriendly to our small business men and women.

During these hard economic times that are especially tough on the small business person, the Current Majority on the Board has levied the B.P.O.L Tax and Transportation Tax on Small Business Owners. This is in addition to large increases in our property assessments.

Outside of the obvious problems with the economy, I believe we need to take a different approach to our education in Stafford, one that is based more on commonsense. We have to put more money directly into the classroom. Nothing can substitute for happy teachers, excellent resources and the most technologically up to date classrooms for our students. The only way we can prepare our next generation for their time in the workforce or continuing on to higher education is by spending money directly on them. Unfortunately, the current Board sees this differently than I.

For the first time in memory, Stafford’s teachers make less than their counterparts in Spotsylvania County. This overtaking of Stafford Teachers also came in the same year that the majority on the Board gave themselves a 22% pay raise, led by my opponent.

The other major issues that have fueled my desire to regain this position are Transportation and Public Safety, both of which touch on the overall safety of our community. We need to focus on making improvements to our primary and secondary road systems to ensure a car ride is as safe as we can possibly make it. Unfortunately, the County does not have the proper funds to undertake any monster projects or road widening, but that does not mean there is not enough to correct hazardous intersections and stretches of road.

Even with the Economy, Education, Public Safety and Transportation, the most important issue in my campaign is the voters. The citizens of Stafford County deserve a more civil, productive Board of Supervisors. That is why I invite anyone and everyone to call me, send me an email or attend any of my public functions to get to know me, my campaign and the issues. Only together can we make our community better, which is why I need your help to understand what issues are important to you, the resident of Stafford County.

If you have any questions about my campaign, please do not hesitate to contact me via email at gary@snellingsforsupervisor.com or visit my website at www.SnellingsForSupervisor.com..

I truly believe the most important reason that any individual, regardless of party affiliation, would want to run for public office is the desire to see something better come when he/she is elected. With my experience and track record of success, I wil…

I am seeking election as the Falmouth District member of the Stafford County Board of Supervisors and I’m running as the candidate of unity, opportunity and personal freedoms. I have a vision for our county of how we can create a stronger local economy by having business-friendly policies.

Of working toward creating a Science and Technology Center that would allow the many talented people who live in Stafford to work in Stafford, which allows more time for our families and community.

Of managing growth with better planned roads and making developers pay their fair share for things like transportation and schools.

Of returning to a partnership between the Board of Supervisors and the School Board. Both boards have the same constituents and it is a joint responsibility to ensure that every dollar is put to its best use. Those dollars need to find their way to the classrooms. No more hollow words that teachers deserve a raise. Let’s make it happen.

I’m a graduate of Mary Washington College and have my Masters in Public Administration but I have real-world experience of bringing people together and solving problems whether it’s through my leadership as the Chairman of my homeowner’s association or as the Children’s Ministry Coordinator at Falmouth Baptist Church.

I married a Marine (Go Navy!) and we have lived around the country and raised our family while Dan served. But we chose to return to the area that I fell in love with during college for his retirement.

While it’s true I have enjoyed leading the Stafford GOP as their Chairman and sharing in its many successes, it has become obvious to me that good local government is not about partisan battles. There are many differences between those Democrats in DC and Stafford Republicans but this race is not about those differences.

This race is about choosing the most effective leader for Falmouth; someone who will work with the other members of the Board to move Stafford forward. It’s not about today’s partisan bickering. It’s about results for Stafford and I am ready to lead.

This is an important election because many of the things we hold dear are in jeopardy.

Our world is in unprecedented financial turmoil. Business is slow. Our savings and 401k’s are shrinking. Almost every family has either had someone who lost a job or knows someone who has, or worries at night about their own job. It has affected us all. And the new majority on the Board of Supervisors is more interested in partisan infighting than they are in you and me.

The worst and last thing a leader should do in these times is prevent new jobs from being created. Yet that is exactly what the current majority has done. They have adopted anti-opportunity measures such as levying taxes on businesses that want to create jobs here in Stafford County.

The current majority believes that, having come to Stafford and achieved opportunity for themselves, they want to now cut if off from others.

They have even, in their arrogance, gone so far as to cancel the county’s membership in the Chamber of Commerce.

It’s time we had leaders who operate out of what is best for their constituency.

Secondly, where there’s arrogance there is sure to be strife. The current majority has become so politically motivated and polarized, they spend more time fighting than passing legislation that makes the lives of all of us here in Stafford better.

This doesn’t make them representatives this makes them just politicians.

I want to represent the people of Falmouth because I am, quite simply, one of them. I’m the mom with the school-aged kids. As having recently completed a government contract as a Budget Analyst at the State Department, I was the commuter who wished I could work here in Stafford. I’m active in my church because I want my community to be stronger.

My commitment is to bring to the current board:

1. A vision for Stafford both long and short-term.

2. A boldness to act on behalf of the citizenry to live their lives in unfettered freedom.

3. To be a force of unity, seeking common ground inside the board and between the board and other governing bodies.

4. To return Stafford to a pro-unity stance so that new, clean safe jobs are brought to the area.
To this end, I propose to work toward the establishment of a research and technology center here in Stafford– where the jobs of the future will come from.

I have the commitment, energy and passion to make the lives of Stafford families better year by year through increased opportunity. I have the real-world experience as both a professional in the work force and as a leader in the community to take my vision for Stafford and work with other members of the Board to make Stafford the best place to live, work and raise a family.

I am seeking election as the Falmouth District member of the Stafford County Board of Supervisors and I’m running as the candidate of unity, opportunity and personal freedoms. I have a vision for our county of how we can create a stronger local econo…

I wanted to respond to your blog from September 22, 2009 regarding Mrs. Stimpson’s decision to back out of the Bloggers Forum last minute based on her concerns of fairness.

First, I should make it clear that I have never met Mrs. Stimpson and I do not believe it is appropriate for me to discuss her decision to withdraw from September 30th’s event; however, as the ONLY Democrat featured in the Blogger’s Forum and the only subject to a personal and untruthful attack by Mr. Eric Martin, I believe it is absolutely appropriate for me discuss her accusations surrounding the “fairness” of the event because it speaks directly to the integrity of the person who put the event together, Mr. Colin Brehm.

Throughout this entire process, Mr. Brehm has been upfront about what he was putting together and the forum he was hoping to create. He wanted a bi-partisan forum to discuss the issues. Most importantly, he gave each participant the opportunity to submit topics to be discussed and has since offered to accept questions from the participants to be asked throughout the evening.

If anything is unfair about this event, it is the fact that Mr. Brehm and his colleagues are expecting us, the candidates, to actually be able to discuss such an array of topics with knowledge, passion, and without the help of our party puppeteers – quite the task for those amongst us with only one issue to discuss or those running on a party platform.

Quite frankly, I look forward to Wednesday night’s Blogger’s Forum, as it provides each of the candidates an opportunity to present their positions and vision uncensored and each of the bloggers an opportunity to ask the questions we, the candidates, typically avoid. It is Democracy in its purest form!

Thank you for your time and I look forward to meeting you on Wednesday!

Sincerely,

Laura Sellers
Candidate, Garrisonville Supervisor

I wanted to respond to your blog from September 22, 2009 regarding Mrs. Stimpson’s decision to back out of the Bloggers Forum last minute based on her concerns of fairness.First, I should make it clear that I have never met Mrs. Stimpson and I do not…

A local favorite is The Pub. Its the original, not to be confused with Fredericksburg Pub. David over at Musings Over a Pint has written about this place starting a true brewpub. http://www.musingsoverapint.com/2008/06/brewpub-for-fredericksburg.html
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The 7th annual Fredericksburg Oktoberfest at the Blue & Gray Brewing Company officially kicked off this evening with the ceremonial tapping of this year’s Oktoberfest beer. A large crowd was on hand Friday evening to enjoy the LOW’n’BROWS oompah ba…

The campaign of Hamilton “Ham” Sandwich, Esq. released the following statement on the news of the National Rifle Association’s (NRA) endorsement of Delegate Albert Pollard:
“I disagree with the National Rifle Association’s endorsement of Delegate Albert Pollard. I have always been a strong advocate of the people’s right to keep and bear arms. While I do […]

Del. Albert Pollard has been endorsed by the Virginia Chamber of Commerce, the Virginia Association of Realtors, the Virginia League of Conservation Voters, the Virginia Farm Bureau, and the Virginia Education Associaton. Now, as previously reported, the National Rifle Association.
This won’t please some folks on the left (even a lot of gun owning Democrats can’t […]