Supervisors push on with strategic plans

By Cheryl Chumley

Published: August 17, 2008

Education, economic development and transportation, public safety and human services — it’s these four areas out of a list of 12 that Prince William supervisors narrowed and selected as greatest priorities for the next five years’ worth of county planning.

Called 2009-21012 strategic goals, the list reduces the considerations supervisors face each budget season to a smaller set of agreed-upon core needs.

Not all members back these four priorities unequivocally, however. During the Aug. 5 board meeting, Supervisor John Jenkins, D-Neabsco, wanted to ensure the focus on education, giving as equal weight to community college and skilled or vocational training that prepared for the workforce as for kindergarten-through-grade-12 traditional schooling. And Supervisor Wally Covington, R-Brentsville, expressed dissatisfaction with the inclusion of human services as a top priority.

“I won’t beat a dead horse … but it seems like human services has taken a beating on the western part of the county,” as compared to the budgeted programs for such in the eastern end, he said. “I think we need to target those three [other priorities].”

Neither Jenkins nor Covington voted to move the strategic goals toward public hearing. The motion did ultimately pass 4-2, however, with Chairman Corey Stewart, R-at- large, and Supervisor Martin Nohe, R-Coles, absent. If all goes according to schedule, the board will adopt the strategic goals at the same meeting the public hearing is held — tentatively set for Sept. 9 — and then appoint members of the community to serve on Strategic Goal Task Forces to hash out the ways and means of achieving success in each area. By November, task force members should have these “community outcomes and strategies” written and readied for presentation to the supervisors, according to a written timeline presented the board.

Because of tight budget constraints, those serving on the human services task force will have to prioritize above and beyond what’s expected of members on the other three committees, assistant county executive Melissa Peacor said.

“If it’s a service that’s more about quality of life [than safety],” she said, “given the financial situation … that probably would not be one that would come back to you” for adoption in December.

Peacor also said task force meetings, expected to run once a week over the course of six weeks, would provide members of the public some opportunity to offer comment and advice.
Staff writer Cheryl Chumley can be reached at 703-670-1907.