https://galdoforchairman.com/issues/44
BUDGET & TAXES
The current board majority seems to believe that annual budget increases and higher taxes are routine and unavoidable. The reality is that our county’s swelling budgets and ever-increasing taxes are the results of inefficient, ineffective programs and tired, failed ideas. We need a change in Fairfax County – and Joe Galdo will bring that change.
As Chairman, Joe will:
End Wasteful Spending: Using outcome-based budgeting, Joe will ensure that county spending is aligned with measurable goals. When programs do not yield good results, Joe will shift funds to better uses – no more throwing hard-earned tax dollars at the same failed programs.
Lower Taxes: Joe understands that we can’t afford higher and higher taxes (which drive up costs for property owners and renters alike) – that’s why Joe will fight to:
– Balance the county budget without increasing real estate taxes
– Eliminate the county’s regressive tax on groceries
– Reform the business, professional and occupational license (BPOL) tax, with the goal of lessening the burden on small businesses
Insist on Transparency: Joe will make it easier for taxpayers to see exactly how and why their tax dollars are being spent – so they can hold the county board accountable for its performance.
Find Ways to Innovate: Joe values those who actually do the work of county government. They are the ones with boots on the ground, who can see what is working – and what isn’t. Joe will foster a spirit of community and service among the county’s employees. Joe believes that if county employees find cost-saving, innovative solutions that are outside their normal job responsibilities, they should be rewarded.
INFRASTRUCTURE & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Fairfax County has experienced rapid development on a massive scale – and our infrastructure has simply not kept up. Moreover, there is now a widening gulf between the county’s haves and have-nots – in terms of income, access to housing, student achievement, and economic opportunity.
Growth itself is not the problem – Fairfax County must continue to grow. Our problems generally stem from overly rigid, government-driven growth. The current focus on incentivizing huge, publicly-traded firms to move here is misguided. We should allow smaller businesses to flourish in our county – natural, organic growth will better serve the needs of current and future residents.
As Chairman, Joe will:
– Work to increase the reach, connectivity, and efficiency of mass transit
– Suggest alternatives to road widening and toll lanes as the answers to traffic congestion
– Restore the missing rungs on the ladder of social mobility, with a focus on vocational training and job formation
– Remove barriers to starting and growing a business in Fairfax County
– Encourage more affordable housing through streamlined regulations
PUBLIC SAFETY
Public safety is one of the core functions of government. As Chairman, Joe will ensure that our police, fire, and EMT professionals have the resources and tools required to keep us safe. Our county’s first responders – who put their own safety at risk for others – should also receive the mental health support needed to consistently perform their duties effectively, while honoring the dignity and rights of the diverse community they serve. Joe understands that authorities must work to earn trust from civilians. As with other governmental functions, we need more transparency in law enforcement.
As Chairman, Joe will:
– Focus on resolving the opioid crisis that has afflicted our community and schools
– Ensure that authorities have the means to combat gang violence and human trafficking
– Urge our county jail to heed ICE detainers for illegal immigrants who are convicted of serious crimes – as it routinely did until just last year. Officials who resist coordination with ICE often claim to be on the side of immigrants. But overwhelmingly, the victims of this criminal element are themselves immigrants (legal and illegal).
– Furnish the county’s law enforcement officers with body-worn cameras
– Advocate for sensible criminal justice reforms, to include re-entry initiatives, victim restitution and alternatives to incarceration for low-risk, non-violent offenders
EDUCATION
While Fairfax County is still home to many highly-rated schools, our national rankings have fallen over the last decade – and a very significant gap has only widened between the high achievers and the rest of the student body.
Our county schools’ Advanced Academic Placement (AAP) webpage states: “Advanced learners require a differentiated curriculum that addresses their cognitive and social-emotional needs and develops their abilities through instruction that is differentiated in depth, complexity, and pace.” Don’t those who are disadvantaged by their socioeconomic situation need this just as much, or even more?
Joe believes that everyone’s education should be thoughtfully designed to meet their needs and help them flourish. Fairfax County is not doing this today.
If we are going to meet every student’s needs, we must attract and retain the highest-quality teachers. In a survey of 5,000 educators in the metro DC area, 80% said they considered leaving their school district. The main reason for this was not pay – nor was it the second or third reason. The reasons offered were stress, lack of support, and student behavior. Increasing budgets will not solve these problems – we need to get our schools back to basics.
While technology should have a role in education today, it is not the be-all and end-all of learning. The district’s current initiative to give every student their own laptop could easily do more harm than good – there are no conclusive studies to justify the investment of tax dollars on this massive scale. This policy, like so many others, needs rethinking.
As Chairman, Joe will:
– Insist that our schools refocus on student achievement
– Advocate for policies that support teachers and improve classroom discipline
– Urge the school board to lighten administrative burdens on teachers
– Explore the value of charter schools and/or other appropriately designed school choice initiatives to narrow the achievement gap and alleviate overcrowding in our schools
– Support more vocational training, including the request to convert one of the Mount Vernon high schools into a vocational training center
– Promote high school student internships with local employers