May takes Occoquan seat

Published January 31, 2007 5:00am ET



Mike May, a 30-year-old employment law attorney and former Prince William County planning commissioner, won election to the county’s Board of Supervisors Tuesday.

In a sparse but larger than anticipated turnout, Prince William County residents delivered 1,726 votes to the Republican May, according to a tallies released that evening. He beat his Democraticopponent, Jeff Dion, by a margin of 437 votes.

May succeeds Chairman Corey Stewart to represent the Occoquan District. Stewart was elected to the board’s top post in November.

The newly elected Republican, his voice hoarse from late-game campaigning, said he plans to begin his term by pushing for an update to the county’s comprehensive plan — a document that guides future land-use policy — and increase the level of contributions the county requires of developers. Both initiatives follow an overarching strategy of reining in growth in Prince William County , which exists as a border between largely built-out Northern Virginia and the predominately rural counties that lie to the south.

May has said he supports both a recently passed yearlong rezoning moratorium and the proposed $9,000-plus per-dwelling contribution increase from developers.

“The goal is to make sure that transportation impacts, as well as impacts on schools and other infrastructure, is offset,” May said. “And now, that hasn’t been the case.”

Dion, a 39-year-old attorneyfor the National Center for Victims of Crime, also ran on a platform of strengthening the county’s development policies. He could not be reached for comment on Wednesday.

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