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York4Loudoun@Leadership2011.org

Statement of the Honorable Scott K. York,
Chairman of the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors
Regarding LCRC Political Piece

Leesburg, VA | November 1, 2011—

“I am appalled by and condemn the offensive image of President Obama that was used in a satirical piece of political campaign literature.  This violates the boundaries of propriety and civility that thoughtful and respectful public and political discourse demand.  All of us—Republicans, Democrats, and Independents—must hold ourselves to the high standards of deportment and decency that our society expects.”

Loudoun County is a wonderful place to live and raise a family, work, invest, receive an education, and worship as our conscience dictates. Yet so many of our citizens are struggling because of upside down mortgages, increasing household budgets, higher gasoline, energy and food cost, and higher taxes.

Taxes and Spending:
I believe that it is not the government’s money. It’s the people’s money. For those of us in public office it’s important to be good stewards of this public trust, not just some of the time, but all of the time.

During this year’s budget discussion I moved to reduce the proposed staff pay increases by 1%. This would have reduced the tax rate to $1.275 which is near the equalized tax rate, and help hard the working taxpayers and their families with their ever increasing costs.

We need to continue to find better ways to meet the needs of Loudoun County while minimizing taxes and spending. One way is by attracting new business and jobs; the other is by cutting government spending. I’ve done both and I am proud of my record.

Jobs:
I’ve worked successfully to expand our commercial tax base and the number of high paying local jobs, and have helped attract more than 53,000 new jobs to Loudoun County in the past 10 years. I’ve support our local business needs by fighting for changes in Loudoun’s commercial sign ordinance, and for the passage of the Route 28 Comprehensive Plan Amendment that enabled us to entice more commercial development to that critical corridor. I believe in leveraging our world-class Dulles Airport to continue making Loudoun County a premier place to do business.

We need to expand the partnership I established with the German county of Main-Taunus-Kreis to bring foreign investment to Loudoun, and to streamline access to that market for Loudoun County businesses.

I believe in reducing, not expanding, the red tape for businesses in Loudoun. I do not support the Chesapeake Bay Protection Ordinance because of the significant financial impact compliance with the ordinance would place on our residents and rural and agricultural businesses.

Education:
We have an excellent school system here in Loudoun County, but since school operations and construction represent 70% of the total county budget, controlling spending can not take place without reforming the school budget. I’ve called for a comprehensive review of the public school budget to make sure our tax money is spent properly.

Now is the time to consider systemic change to how we build and run our schools, to keep overhead down, minimize wasteful spending, and to put more focus on educating our children.

Transportation:
This year I have worked closely with the Virginia Secretary of Transportation to secure money from the state for two critical infrastructure needs: an interchange at Route 7 and Belmont Ridge, and a flyover at the Route 7 Bypass and Sycolin Road. I am also fighting for commuter relief on Waxpool Road, where it meets Route 28, and to speed up the Gloucester Parkway extension.

Our explosive growth in recent history has overloaded our highway system. We need to continue to focus on transportation improvements which will streamline our commuter roads.

Furthermore, I will continue to pressure the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority to minimize costs on the Rail to Loudoun project, which is already a billion dollars over budget. Not only is Loudoun County paying a part of the project, but MWAA is funding the majority of of their share with fee hikes on the Dulles Toll Road which commuters from Loudoun County use every day. The unilateral decision by an unelected board to build an underground station at Dulles Airport shows shameful disregard for the taxpayers footing the bill.