WASHINGTON (Map, News) - Prince William County business leaders say they can weather the tax increases, the thousands of home foreclosures and the stiff competition from neighboring counties for new jobs, but they are losing patience with what they say is an incessant focus on the county’s problems.

Month after month of political discourse in the county has focused on widespread concerns, including out-of-control-development, overcrowded schools, cumbersome business permitting processes and the dominating issues of illegal immigration and excessive taxation.

The Regional Prince William Chamber of Commerce forged a task force earlier this year to give voice to business leaders in the county who want to present a better image of their marketplace as an inviting place to live and work.

“We’re open for business and don’t let anybody tell you any different,” said Tim Jackson, a former chamber chairman and the president of DMA Technologies in Woodbridge who is heading the effort. “We need to accentuate the positive.”

In a suburban region that is the state’s hardest hit by home foreclosures, and where commuters feel higher gas prices in their wallets as a direct cost-of-living increase, Jackson and others are asking for improved permitting consistency, lower taxes, better positive marketing and much less fuss.

“One of the things we’re looking at is unintended consequences from political leadership, whether it is by design or by mistake,” Jackson said, including the county’s high-profile crackdown on illegal immigrants. “Immigration is one of the elements that brought us together, but it is not the driving factor.”

Two business owners asked county supervisors at a meeting last week if they could take a leading role marketing the county better, including advertising for new economic development opportunities.

“We would wish they would toot their horns about the county a bit more,” said Rick Hendershot, chairman of the Prince William County Greater Manassas Chamber of Commerce. “Unfortunately, you do have to debate the issues, but then ... no one’s tooting the good things that are happening.”

Several supervisors say the best way to help the county is to reduce the proposed tax rate, which would raise real estate taxes by nearly one-third on businesses.

“We can’t have a 32-percent tax rate increase on business,” Supervisor Wally Covington, R-Brentsville, said, citing competition with Fairfax and Stafford counties.

Image task force member Mark Granville-Smith, a home builder and leader of the county’s chapter of the Northern Virginia Building Industry Association, blamed Prince William County Chairman Corey Stewart for the county’s image hurdles, saying his often brusque political style has been to harp on one negative issue after another.

Stewart responded that his leadership has addressed head-on the challenges facing the community.

“All the issues we have raised, the overdevelopment, the illegal immigration, needed to be raised. We couldn’t just stick our heads in the ground and ignore the real problems we had,” Stewart said, adding, “I support any efforts anybody wants to make in regard to increasing the county’s image.

“We have a good story to tell, but we have to get the basics right, first.”

dgenz@dcexaminer.com

Comments from Examiner Readers

8:27 PM MST on Wed., Apr. 30, 2008 re: "Businesses want better buzz, climate in Prince William Co."

Examiner Reader said:
I have never been more proud to say I live, work and play in Prince William County. We have weathered the storm of illegals who were attracted to PWC because of jobs being offered by developers and construction trades. These are the same businesses who are "the voice" of the Region's Chamber. The Region's Chamber represents fewer than 1200 businesses in a County that issued over 13,000 business licenses in 2007. The voice they refer to is one and that's the developer community. The Chamber, member developers, and bankers are no fan of Stewart because of his tough positions on controlling growth, and on businesses who hire illegal workers. Any organization that believes they're above the law is vehemently flawed.

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2:17 PM MST on Tue., Apr. 22, 2008 re: "Businesses want better buzz, climate in Prince William Co."

Examiner Reader said:
Here is some buzz you can use. The county is lowering costs to business and homeowners by way of less " Free " services for illegals. That alone will get you to pull business from California who is hemmoraging from illegal costs. Next you can now tout safer streets and not as many multi-families living next door, with the 16 hours of cat calls and crouch grabbing. Again another plus if you have a wife and daughter. You can also claim that there is less traffic, and that your the next best thing to happen close to DC As to the taxes you need to look no further than the life time county manager and maybe get on his case. You can claim your an international city as you have a comsulate, and you have a police chief who is not afraid to meet with foreign representatives of other countries. You can also say that what has taken place in PWC has been well received in other parts of the state and other cities, no go and blow your whistles

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1:48 PM MST on Tue., Apr. 22, 2008 re: "Businesses want better buzz, climate in Prince William Co."

Examiner Reader said:
This is not only unfair its slanted it is outrageous. Why of course Mark Smith is upset after all the builders were the one who benefitted from cheap and illegal labor, for many years. There were and are many great things happening. The county landed the FBI and GMU landed an Italian Bio tech company. That is not exactly cheap stuff. The Chamber needs to get in sync with reality. The many businesses who have enjoyed years of cheap labour should start to think of hiring leagal and local people. The High School kids need a break too. There is no mistake the people of the county wanted this and business should help in anyway possible. There is after all always a move to LA if PWC does not fit your needs....

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12:24 PM MST on Tue., Apr. 1, 2008 re: "Proposed property tax hike in Pr. William would net $75M in �09"

ZebraLover said:
Thanks for this article. I'm not surprised that Prince William County needs such a huge tax hike. But it seems like they're trying to chase everybody out of their county. They need to be announcing plans to bring more business into the County so people don't have to drive to other counties to find work.

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9:56 AM MST on Wed., Mar. 19, 2008 re: "Delinquencies raise concerns about tax collections"

Examiner Reader said:
Prince William County is budgeting over 6 million dollars to study the "psychological effects" on the community in going after illegal immigrants. I think Prince William County should get it priorities straight. Money first then the pie in the sky. Jean A. circle

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5:02 AM MST on Tue., Dec. 18, 2007 re: "Pr. William leans toward rejecting real estate tax hike"

Joe G. said:
I have to disagree with the reader that said, "Corey Stewart needs to look at Jurisdictions to the north not south. Stafford County, Spotsylvania County and Fauquier County are not part of Northern Virginia and their traffic is not bad as Prince William County." Why is PWC's traffic so bad? It is because of the southern counties driving up through PWC roadways to go to work in the DC area. If we closed the north-bound portion of I-95 during rush hour, you would see the back-ups taking place down south that take place here in PWC. And to the previous reader's comment, "Part of the major problem to the tax problem is illegal immigration." That is not THE major problem, but one none the less that most believe that there are no problems (if you are legal, you have nothing to worry about). Assumptions and distrust is running rampant around here. Let the cops do their jobs, clean up the streets and ask EVERYONE to prove their status and you will see some whites sue to the county.

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3:24 AM MST on Tue., Dec. 18, 2007 re: "Prince William officials may face tax rate hike proposal"

Examiner Reader said:
Part of the major problem to the tax problem is illegal immigration. They must crack down and crack down hard. Mr. Nohe is hock with the business community and their illegal workforce. He is a lot like Sharon Pandak in that he accepted a large amount of developer money for his election campaign.

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10:31 AM MST on Mon., Nov. 26, 2007 re: "Pr. William leans toward rejecting real estate tax hike"

Examiner Reader said:
Corey Stewart needs to look at Jurisdictions to the north not south. Stafford County, Spotsylvania County and Fauquier County are not part of Northern Virginia and their traffic is not bad as Prince William County.

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