Jankowski announces election bid
He doesn’t want the Rural Crescent to be chipped away by development-friendly county supervisors, so the 44-year-old management consultant has entered this year’s race for the Brentsville District supervisor seat.
In contrast to Republican incumbent L. Ben Thompson who is not seeking re-election, Jankowski could be considered a smart-growth candidate, although he uses the term “sensible growth.”
“Rich recognizes that each area of Prince William County has something special that is worth saving and preserving,” said Supervisor Ruth T. Griggs, R-Occoquan, the most vocal smart-growther on the board, at his announcement last month.
Jankowski has signed the tax pledge by the Prince William County Taxpayers Alliance to limit real estate tax increases to 5 percent a year. Next year’s tax rate is proposed to go up 9 percent.
“The increased value of our homes is not money in our pocket,” Jankowski said. “We cannot continue to ask current residents to pay higher and higher taxes … for development that doesn’t pay for the infrastructure and services new citizens will require.”
Jankowski is running against Wallace S. Covington, 39, of Nokesville, for the Republican nomination to be determined in a party convention May 10 at Osbourn Park High School.
Delegates to the convention must live in the district and intend to vote for a Republican in the general election. Delegates must sign up by April 30 to attend — contact the party at (703) 680-7388 or one of the candidates for information.
The major difference between the two is the tax pledge.
Covington supports lower taxes but said the pledge has not been thought out — it could impact the county’s bond rating and delay projects coming to the Brentsville district.
Jankowski said families do not budget for increased revenue and the county should do the same — it must live within its means, he said.
Jankowski said the other major part of his platform are strong family values.
Jankowski is a U.S. Navy veteran and owns Paragon Consulting, a management and technology consulting firm in Manassas.
He is a member of the Prince William Conservation Alliance and the Prince William Taxpayers Alliance.
He and his wife Lorie, and their two sons, 3-year-old Matthew and 6-month-old Nathan, live in Gainesville; two grown sons live in Alexandria.
How Prince William grows is where the attention needs to be by the county board, he said. “We do need to address our existing shortfalls. We do need to ensure we are catching up and not falling further behind in individual areas, but that will not get us to our final goal. Prince William County will be a leader of the 21st century and to get there we must modify the way we grow,” he said.