by John Reid

As she prepares to run again in the Potomac District Supervisor race, Andrea Bailey spoke with the PW Perspective about her accomplishments, and why building relationships has been important to accomplish those goals.

“One of my greatest accomplishments was the CRC (Crisis Receiving Center),” she said. “We pulled together 93 stakeholders, the public safety, and mental health communities; the partnership was borne out of that. Everyone has been so supportive and committed to this project. I’m most proud of the fact we stood together in a bi-partisan way. Every county supervisor believed in it, and once we did that, we took it to the General Assembly, and they got the bill passed to stand it up. They gave us a startup fund of $2.5 million, so we had local, state and federal funding.”

“On top of that, we had the Governor [Youngkin] come for the groundbreaking ceremony and show his support. That says to the entire state of Virginia that the Crisis Receiving Centers are needed to heal minds. I’m proud that the Chairman [Ann Wheeler} asked me to champion it, and to work with V.O.I.C.E was amazing.”

What did it mean to her personally? “It says that people respect my leadership and that they trust me to hear me, and that’s what is necessary being in elected office. I’ve worked very hard to build relationships and collaboration in this community. That’s important to me, as well as taking the time to listen to what the people need, and having the confidence in knowing you can get things done.”

Among the things she has been most proud of is the development of Potomac Shores, which she alluded to her town hall a month ago. “Potomac Shores was lying dormant for a long time but now there is movement. We just completed the groundbreaking ceremony for the VRE, and a signing ceremony, which shows this is needed for the entire county. That is what finishing the work looks like.

“Also, it’s taking care of our public service workers and entities, by giving them raises to support their families. We’re working with the public safety commission to protect our children and citizens who cannot protect themselves. It’s knowing that the relationships we have locally and on a statewide level supports the needs of the county. I’m on a mission not just to go to the next step; it means being invested in what I’m doing here.”

In addition, she noted working with Dumfries’ leadership has been important to the district’s own growth. “When I became the Supervisor, the relationship with Dumfries and Quantico Town wasn’t very prominent,” she said. “Then once Mayor [Derrick] Wood came along, we decided to change that, and it’s very healthy. Working with him and the town council to allocate monies to Dumfries and surrounding areas has been a great opportunity to expand resources to families. For example, in Locust Shade Park where we built a Ninja Warrior style park, and what we’ve established plans for a disc golf at Forest Green Golf Park off of Joplin Road. It will serve as a commercial tax base that everyone can enjoy.”

“We have a new casino coming to the town of Dumfries,” she continued. “That is something the town council established. I only have a decision-making process if the mayor invites me, and to partner with them in regard to the roads, and safety regulations, it is essential. I help to make referrals on small businesses that will surround the casino. I respect their leadership, and the collaboration is built upon that respect.”

Going into the campaign, she reflected on other projects that she would like to complete. “When I first got in the seat, I saw two opportunities: the Montclair Drainage Pipe, which was in existence for years, but had not been repaired since 1993. We got it done with community business owners in six months. The other opportunity was the coal ash at Possum Point, which had been there since 1986. What I’m doing now is collaborating with Dominion Power and the county, and I’ve set up a community task force, so their voices can be heard, because I want to make sure people are safe and healthy.”

“The next thing to do is making sure that we increase the commercial tax base in the district. It is a historical, older district, and we want the opportunity to have nice restaurants, and open the door for more businesses to come. The goal is to make the Potomac District a place where people want to live and grow.”

She is facing Kim Short in the primary race, with the early voting period ending on June 17. This Saturday will be the Candidate Town Hall at Little Union Baptist Church in Dumfries for voters to have their questions answered.