Prince William County Chairman Corey Stewart crafted his re-election last week around cracking down on illegal immigration, but his plan for the months ahead moves beyond the issue to problems with transportation, regulation, crowding and the county’s shrinking revenue.
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In a conversation with The Examiner, Stewart sketched out a broad array of concerns — economic development, open-space preservation, business permitting — that had been pushed to the back burner as supervisors debated the controversial plan to deny a few county services to illegal immigrants and expand the immigration enforcement powers of the local police.
While implementing immigration laws will remain highly visible, Stewart said, “I think where the attention will immediately focus is dealing with the financial crisis that is looming.”
He said he also plans to be more active in Richmond this year, pushing lawmakers to pump more millions into Northern Virginia’s transportation network.
“We’re tired of the excuses,” he said, insisting the $400 million in new local taxes state lawmakers approved last session was insufficient.
But some feel Stewart is continuing to seek out negative issues like over-crowding and illegal immigration, overshadowing the positive qualities that make the community a great place to live, said Prince William Association of Realtors CEO Denise Roosendaal.
Smart politics mandates politicians can address multiple issues, said Stephen Farnsworth, an associate professor of political science at the University of Mary Washington. “If you’re just the illegal-immigration supervisor, people are going to want to see more than that.”
Stewart’s convincing re-election during a difficult election for his party highlights his potential, Farnsworth said. “There are few things the Republican Party needs more than a winning candidate in Northern Virginia.”
But Stewart swept aside talk of his political future.
“I need to get things done,” Stewart said. “I need to make sure that our resolution on illegal immigration is enforced and enforced fairly. I need to increase the county efforts to streamline business permitting. I need to make sure development pays for itself. I’ve got a lot of work to do.”
