Kuhns running for fifth term on Quantico council

By AILEEN M. STRENG, Potomac News & Manassas Journal Messenger
Published: April 18, 2008

Russell V. “Rusty” Kuhns has served four terms on the Quantico Town Council. He wants to continue to serve his hometown and is seeking a fifth term.

Kuhns, 63, sees several challenges facing the small town surrounded on three sides by the Quantico Marine Corps base.

“The biggest issue facing our town is smart spending,” Kuhns said. “We need to balance the budget, something we don’t have right now.”

Another issue is the source of the town’s water. It currently buys its water from the Quantico base at a rate higher than that charged by other entities in the county.

“We need to work with the Marine Corps on the water price,” Kuhns said.

Kuhns, as well as some of the other council candidates, is concerned about the lack of civility during recent council meetings.

“We need to get back to good manners and treating each other kindly,” he said.

Kuhns also said he would like to see more growth and more new businesses coming into the town. “I don’t have an answer as to how we are going to do that, but we need to look into it,” he said.

Kuhns is an active member of the state Republican party and representative from the First Congressional District. He has been a member of the town council since 2000. Also since 2000, Kuhns has been a member of the Quantico Planning Commission and chairman of the Quantico Unsafe Structures Committee.

Kuhns is among nine town residents seeking a seat on the five-member Quantico Town Council. The others are incumbents Mary Lou Angell DiMarzio, Mitchel P. Raftelis and William J. Unrine, along with Albert “Al” Gasser, Kevin P. Brown, Florence “FoFo” Petkoson, Nyla Kay Sidler and Virginia Macfarlan.

Members of the Quantico Town Council are paid a yearly stipend of $1,272 a year. There are about 272 registered voters in the town of Quantico, which has a population of about 560.
The town election will be held on May 6.

Staff writer Aileen Streng can be reached at 703-878-8010.