Think local, win big...or lose big, your choice. Local issues are the challenges that the people most often feel on a day to day basis.  It's why elections like our Board of Supervisors are so crucial. Here is a list of issues compiled by Republican Outreach through talking to candidates, constituents and community alike. 

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Fight Inflation and Reduce Taxation

“Biden”onomics and the Democrats are hammering America’s working people. Although local Republicans have stood firm against tax increases and new fees, the Democrat majority in Winchester has prevailed in pushing locals out, putting added pressure on business, and increasing the overall cost of living in the city. 

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Control Uncontrolled Growth

Frederick County and Winchester City are two of Virginia’s fastest growing areas. Due to Democrat-promoted laws, Virginia absolves developers of needing to finance related infrastructure development (transportation, utilities, schools, etc.), leaving taxpayers on the hook for these expenses, to the tune of more-than $27,000 for every new home built. Thus, taxpayers are now liable for past development practices that resulted in uncontrolled and unplanned growth…benefiting development interests but leaving taxpayers with mounting tax liabilities.

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Restore Quality Education and Job Training
Our Shenandoah Valley is losing its young through outmigration. Meanwhile, too many jobs go unfulfilled. An educated workforce is the key to prosperity and retaining our children in the Shenandoah Valley economy. Major school issues include: over-crowding of public schools; the drive for educational choices; re-introduction and enforcement of discipline; indoctrination instead of education; insertion of pornographic and racist materials in school libraries and curriculums; boosting teacher retention in the northern Shenandoah Valley. Also needed are the reintroduction of training opportunities for professional trades into K-12 and community colleges. Encouragement of “school choice”, private and homeschooling alternatives is driven in part by a recognition that choices help to foster competition to excel between educational alternatives while also lessening the financial burdens on public schools and taxpayers.​

 

Implement Government Transparency

Frederick County and Winchester City citizens do NOT want to become like Virginia’s deep-blue, high-tax Loudoun and Fairfax counties, where over-taxation is already leading to public corruption and attendant high costs of living. This is one reason why the Republican Party promotes full transparency at all levels of government. This includes increased transparency regarding city, county and school budgets; conflicts of interest at the county and city levels; and school curriculums and policies. Government and school officials must be held accountable to the voters in order to ensure clean government and create insurmountable barriers to public corruption.

 

Foster Small Business Support and Development

Small business is the backbone of our regional economy. Poor planning by past Boards of Supervisors and County and City officials has resulted in serious deficits of water and sewage infrastructure, transportation infrastructure and crowded schools as well as high-speed internet services necessary to attract and support business development in the Frederick County and Winchester economic hub. Frederick County and Winchester city governments need to improve relations between their regulatory and permitting offices to aid in smart but steady growth and expansion. Statewide, our State Senator and Delegates must protect Virginia’s Right to Work laws; drastically scale back its Business, Professional and Occupational Licensing (BPOL) taxing structure in order to free more Virginians to compete in the market economy, and severely restrict or eliminate Virginia Occupational Safety and Health Administration (VOSHA), which is redundant to the Federal Government’s OSHA and commercial insurance requirements.

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Protect Agriculture and Mountain Traditions

Agriculture is Virginia’s largest private business sector and both agriculture and “mountain culture” define our northern Shenandoah Valley’s pastoral qualities that attracts visitors, retirees and ag-businesses to this area. Today, Shenandoah Valley farmers are under assault from a range of factors, from global market forces, to domestic urbanization, and government regulatory burdens. Frederick County Republicans have led the way in facilitating the creation of new business opportunities for our farmers (solar farm leasing; entertainment venues, etc.) and stand vigilant against efforts to impose Federal, State and County mandates and regulations on our farmers under the pretense of “climate” and other vaguely articulated threats. 

 

Ensure Election Integrity

Election integrity is a burning national issue, leading up to next year’s election. The Frederick County Republican Committee’s (FCRC) Election Integrity Committee is actively ensuring that our community’s election process stays fair and transparent. Election Integrity is an ongoing issue that demands vigilance. For this election cycle, it is recommended that voters vote early in order to ensure that their ballots are not usurped by fraud. 

 

Advocate for Mental Health Support

Drug and Alcohol addiction, mental health, and public safety are tightly intertwined challenges that threaten our Shenandoah Valley’s wellbeing. Republicans strongly support developing additional mental health and law enforcement support resources at all levels of the community to intervene and address the needs of Frederick County residents. This involves supporting local rescue organizations with proven track records, our law enforcement services with needed funding, as well as advocating for more resources for medical intervention at the state level. These are growing challenges that demand being addressed today.