Tomorrow, I will be stepping down after serving eleven years representing the people of the GainesvilleDistrict on the Prince William Board of County Supervisors. I wanted to take one final time to thank and recognize those folks who supported me and worked to help make our community a wonderful place to live and raise a family.
First, I'd like to thank my staff. Over the years, the GainesvilleDistrict has been blessed to have wonderful people working in the office. Carol, Alice, Diana, Donna, Phil, Alexis, Mark, Walter, Brad, Trevor, and Paul have been dedicated public servants who have contributed so much. Each one of them made a significant impact to the community and I feel fortunate to have worked with such wonderful folks. A very special thank you to my current staff - Veronica Hensley and Brooke Stark. I could not have done this without them. Over the last year, they have worked through significant challenges, and I cannot thank them enough for their professionalism, support, and friendship.
Second, I am extremely grateful to have brought significant improvements to our government and community. With your help, we've been able to do so much that seemed impossible at the time - many times reaching across party lines. These accomplishments include:
- Eliminated the Supervisor’s discretionary funds - Secured new traffic light at Route 15 and Waverly Farms Road a full three years ahead of schedule - Opened the new Haymarket Gainesville Library - Reformed the County proffer system to require developers to pay more - Secured the construction of the multi-use path along Catharpin Road with two bridges and straightened out the dangerous S-curve - Focused efforts to reduce class sizes by passing an annual student reduction grant - the first of its kind - Worked with Delegate Hugo to pass legislation to remove dump trucks from our roads - Passed the first increase in the School’s Revenue Sharing Agreement - Secured funding to expand the size of Gainesville High School while dedicated more than $11 million toward Eastern Elementary School improvements - Led the fight against the Bi-County Parkway and removed it from the County’s comprehensive plan - Introduced a lawsuit to hold drug manufacturers accountable for their part in the opioid epidemic - Proposed the police body camera program for Prince William County - Stood up against the School Administration and their unfair treatment of students and teachers at Reagan Middle School (pushed for and got reforms within the schools – Ombudsman, survey reforms, etc.) - Defeated the baseball stadium deal that would have burdened taxpayers with a $90 million-dollar obligation - Forced Dominion Energy to bury their powerlines along I-66 - Built new lights and fencing at Tyler Fields - Secured funding for a new traffic light and right turn land at Pageland Lane and Sudley Road
And over the last year, we accomplished the following:
- Hosted the first annual PWC Patriots Day event at Catharpin Park to honor our first responders - Improved Catharpin Park with new bathrooms/snack bar, new soccer fields, new destination playground and secured funding for a splash pad and picnic pavilion - Implemented critical safety improvements at Route 15 and Graduation Drive including new streetlights, VDOT approval for a school zone, high visibility crosswalks, and police monitoring after each varsity football game - Fought for greater transparency and accountability for the Board of Supervisors by implementing a new online vote-tracking system - Secured full funding for the new pedestrian bridge over Route 15
Gainesville Supervisor Pete Candland speaks at a memorial event.
Overall, I feel that the last eleven years has been a success in improving the quality of life in Prince William County. While I haven't always been popular for my decisions, I stand by each one and wouldn't change a thing. My favorite quote and one I’ve tried to live by is from Winston Churchill, “You have enemies? Good. That means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life.”
Thank you for your support and trust in me. I cannot thank enough those who stood by me and my family over the last year. Your friendship and words of encouragement have meant so much to us and we will never forget it. Memory is a funny thing in life...you tend to remember the good and forget the bumps along the way.
While history will forget my name, I am thankful that my kids and grandkids will be able to look back with pride and see the positive impacts I've had on Prince William County.
Sincerely,
Pete Candland, Supervisor Gainesville Magisterial District
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