What is Frederick First?
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Frederick First is a group of non-partisan, independent-minded individuals who are campaigning together to bring back civility to our local government. Political parties and their incendiary rhetoric are dividing our country. We feel party politics do not belong in local politics. We are committed to serving the people of Frederick County who are our family, friends, and neighbors. Signing a pledge to stay loyal to a political party is not in the best interest of the citizens of Frederick County. The citizens should come first, not national political ideology. That is why we promise to put Frederick First!
Frederick First candidates will serve with the utmost integrity and actively listen to constituent ideas and concerns, regardless of your political affiliation. We believe:
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Television and Social Media Ads
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The Issues
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Transportation
Our roads are becoming increasingly congested from decisions of Boards in the past and a lack of funding and concern from Richmond. We intend to fight for more funding from State Government to bring our tax dollars home by working with our State Delegates and Senator in the Virginia General Assembly, as well as, seeking tax dollars available through grants and legislation by working with our Congressman and Senators at the Federal level. We can do more locally by providing a transportation fund from a steady revenue stream and start fixing roads ourselves, because we cannot continue to wait and pray for money from outside the County.
Schools and Education
The reality is the subdivisions passed by Supervisors ten to thirty years ago have been, and are continuing, to generate more and more school age children. The County cannot continually "kick the can down the road" and wish the problem will go away. It is time to start the design of the fourth High School and get it built. Our candidates have experience in design, engineering, and construction. We pledge to review plans and ensure our tax dollars will build schools that are functional and economical. As past Supervisor Gene Fisher once said, "We have a captive audience," the schools do not need to look like a work of art. The school's budget will be scrutinized and required to be transparent. We realize the costs of materials and salaries have gone up in recent years and we must keep pace for the children to receive a great education and ensure our teachers are well paid and incentivized to stay in Frederick County. The animosity of several County Supervisors towards the School Board and Administration has been an embarrassment. A more open and cordial relationship between the Boards shall be a top priority to resolve issues and bring back a level of trust and common sense in our community.
Industry
The available commercial and industrial land in Frederick County has been decreasing for years. We need new industrial and commercial parks where local entrepreneurs can grow their businesses. The reality of industrial and commercial uses are they require very few services from the County while contributing greatly to our tax base, which keeps our real estate taxes low. Without continued growth in this sector, the citizens of Frederick County would have to endure ever increasing taxes to make-up the difference. We are for well-planned industrial projects that must contribute to improving our road system.
Agriculture
Agriculture is the biggest industry in Frederick County and the Commonwealth of Virginia. For years, the only by-right option for farmers and fruit growers to bring in additional money during bad years was to sell lots subdivided off of their farms. This has led to many small residential lots located within are farming community with the new residents believing they should have a voice in how the farmer operates. Once a lot is cut off, it never comes back into the farm. Recently solar farms have become available that keeps the land intact for a few decades and gives the farm a chance to live on in the future. While there are many positive aspects of this use, many neighbors object to the view. We, the candidates, intend to form an agricultural committee to research old and new uses, throughout the country, that can be brought to Frederick County. These new ideas will be included in the Zoning Ordinance to provide the agricultural community with additional by-right uses that will give farmers other avenues of generating income, other than creating more building lots or selling out to developers. This agricultural committee will be the building block to a new Agri-Tourism Board to aid farmers and fruit growers. We also want to study the current Transfer Development Right (TDR) ordinance to find additional ways these rights can be purchased that will increase their value and make it more appealing for farmers to utilize. This will decrease the amount of potential lots and houses in our rural areas. Our goal is to control the residential growth with "carrots," not "sticks."
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Support the Frederick First PAC
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