Prince William County’s budget hearings are coming up this week, so I spoke with Woodbridge District Supervisor Margaret Franklin to discuss what’s in the budget, her priorities, and the importance of county residents getting involved in the budget process.

It’s important to know where we are in the budget process, and Supervisor Franklin was able to shed some light on that.

“The budget is still evolving, so we’re all working together to figure out how we can fund some of our most important priorities, including social services, our emergency personnel, our police officers, our firefighters,” said Franklin. “People can always reach out to their supervisors so that they can hear from us about what’s in the draft budget, what our budget priorities are, and the budget process.”

Franklin also emphasized the importance of the minority community weighing in on the budget, saying, “We have a majority-minority community here in Prince William. When we talk about a budget—when we talk about any kind of programming—we’re talking about minorities, essentially. Not to exclude any racial group, but minorities are incredibly important in terms of how we structure our programs, making sure people of color are considered. We have to take into account a number of things.”

According to Supervisor Franklin, the Board of County Supervisors is working on a budget that will positively impact communities of color, and those communities should “absolutely be a part of that process.”

With the ongoing pandemic, there are questions as to the impact COVID-19 will have on the budget. Due to the closing of some non-essential businesses, the economy in Prince William County has taken a hit, and people are losing their jobs. 

“We had our county executive give us a presentation on what his budget projections will be, including revenue that may not be there because our economy has been impacted greatly,” said Franklin when asked about how BOCS budget priorities have shifted with the pandemic. “Our number one goal is to make sure those in need most get the resources that they need.”

Franklins priorities include making sure the children in Prince William County are taken care of with a school lunch debt forgiveness program and the creation of a child advocacy center to help combat child abuse in the county. She also wants to address the housing crisis that has existed within the county for years by placing a focus on building up rental assistance programs and increasing resources for people facing homelessness. Lastly, given the current pandemic, Franklin is advocating for small business loans and/or grants to help local business owners recover from the economic impact of COVID-19.

There will be two opportunities for public input on the budget process. During the meeting on April 14, the board will not be accepting in-person comments. Due to the health and safety concerns with COVID-19, the BOCS has temporarily removed in-person public comment time, but they will be accepting public comments online or via telephone only during the allotted time on the agenda. During Public Hearing on April 16, however, members of the public will have the option of commenting in-person, online, or over the telephone.

Make sure that you share your thoughts on the budget by contacting your supervisor or taking advantage of the public comment time.