Chris Crawford, candidate for PWC board chairman, puts focus on economic development

“I’m not a politician, just a concerned citizen. We need to focus on economic development. Fourteen percent of our real estate taxes comes from commercial development, and that must go up. That would solve all sorts of problems,” contended Chris Crawford.

A Gainesville resident, he is running in the June 9 Republican primary against incumbent Corey Stewart for the chairman and at-large post on Prince William Board of County Supervisors. Winner of the primary will compete in the Nov. 3 general election for a four-year term against Democrat Richard H. Smith 3d.

Board of supervisors’ positions are considered parttime, according to Jason Grant, county communications director. The chairman receives $49,452 per year, while other board members get $43,421.82.

A spokesman at the county’s office of elections said Feb. 27 both Republican and Democrat party candidates must file paperwork with their parties between noon March 9 and 5 p.m. March 26. Each party then must tell the commonwealth’s department of elections by March 31 what nomination process they intend to use and who the candidates are in the primary election.

In a telephone interview Feb. 26, Crawford said the county’s Republican party has been hurt by its existing leadership, and that the party has been behind increased taxes, larger government and high-density housing, while giving short shrift to schools, roads and job needs. He added schools are neglected and a school his children attend is “122 percent over capacity.”

Crawford asserted “money rules the primary election,” and that “more people vote in a primary election than in a convention,” where a candidate would be picked. He charged Stewart “has moved away from conservative principles, and has turned off some of the voters. My job is to get this message out.”

The candidate explained he “is not against residential development. I live in a house. But now is not the right time to be doing more residences.” He said the county must stop building homes that are “tax negative,” where taxes paid by the homeowners don’t cover the county services they use.

The Republican said he would like to see compensation for economic development become “performance based, with a base salary plus. There would be no limit on what could be earned.”

Crawford also decried the time county workers spend commuting to jobs outside the county. He said he spends an hour and a half each way, traveling to his job as a defense contractor in Northern Virginia.
“And depending on traffic, sometimes it’s three hours each way,” he added.

The candidate said the county has a comprehensive plan and a strategic plan it should follow.

“We should start with the strategic plan and see what’s in and what’s out and how it meets our objectives. We need to spend on things we’re supposed to,” he noted.

The candidate also expressed concern with the low SOL scores in county public schools, saying they are the lowest in Northern Virginia. He queried why the county, one of the nation’s wealthiest, continuously is passed over by businesses looking for a location.

Crawford explained he has no aspirations for offices other than the board chairman’s position.

“I’m not looking at other elected positions. I’m not trying to work my way up the ladder,” he reported.

A native of Alabama, Crawford came to the county in 2011. He holds a bachelor of science degree in molecular biology and a master of business degree, both from Auburn University, Auburn, AL.

After the 9/11 terrorist attacks, he left his consulting job to “join the fight against global terrorism.” He accepted a job with a government contractor in Florida, where he supported the Naval Surface Warfare Center. He later joined the Department of Defense, and as a team lead, directed technical operations against terrorism. He was deployed twice to Iraq as a civilian in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Crawford and his wife, Jo Anne, are parents of Meghan, Alex and Emma and are members of Grace Church, Gainesville. His wife is a certified midwife.

He volunteers at his church, serves on school councils and a budget committee and coaches his children’s soccer teams. His hobbies include golf, camping and hunting and watching college football teams.