Tuesday’s, August 4th, Board of County Supervisors meeting, the only one scheduled for the month, lasted six hours. Slightly shorter than the previous two July meetings. On the agenda were a number of resolutions relating to funding community programs, there was one about an anti-hate week.

As always, the meeting began with an option for a prayer, invocation, or moment of silence. Supervisor Andrea Bailey, D-Potomac, led a prayer. Beginning with, “Dear God we thank you for this brilliant day you’ve given us.” Continuing on to say “Let us continue to bind together that we might know that we live in a special place.” Proclaiming in it that “We reduce, we deflect, we ignore any spirit in this place or in this county that should not be.” Ending “in the name of Jesus we pray, amen” a reflection of her Christian faith.

Continuing onto consent agenda items, Supervisor Jeanine Lawson, R-Brentsville, moved to remove item 6.A from the consent agenda. On the physical copy of the agenda it states 6.A. “RES — Proclaim – August 9 – August 15, 20202 as Unity March Against Hate Week – Supervisor Boddye”

When asked by Supervisor Lawson “Is there anything you want to comment on related to it first? Supervisor Kenny Boddye, D-Occoquan, said “Not really, it’s in the resolution itself or the proclamation.” Further explaining “There was a group of citizens across the county. They wanted to highlight that we, as Prince William County, are united against hate and bigotry and that we don’t stand for the type of divisive rhetoric and the type of acts of political violence that occurred in Charlottesville three years ago.”

As a response, Supervisor Lawson asked if “Is this kind of repeating what was already a resolution regarding the hate free and bigot free zone?” Explaining that she is “struggling with this because it seems redundant.” Then highlighting her concern over whether or not “Christian conservatives” like herself were or people with a “biblical worldview” were represented. Claiming that “as someone who supports a biblical worldview I have certainly been a victim of hate.”

Supervisor Boddye responded by saying “yeah, Christians and Catholics were also represented in this group.”

Supervisor Pete Candland, R-Gainesville, joined the dialogue to say “I don’t want to deal too much with or on [this] particular one and I don’t want to make it seem like I’m attacking this in any way. But I think one of the issues that we’re just going to have to address head on as Board of County Supervisors is- are the proclamations.”

He went on further to say that proclamations, such as agenda item 6.A, “just politicize this board in a way that, we just shouldn’t be there. All Board of County Supervisors are elected political officials affiliated with either the Democratic Party or Republican Party.

In his opinion, proclamations have “torn this Board apart over the last six or seven months.” Describing how “Republicans will do a proclamation and then the Democrats will come back and do a proclamation.” Indicating a tit for tat game between political parties on this stage of local politics. Continuing by saying “we’ll get all our bases drummed up to come out here [to McCoart Building].” Referencing the claims made against him and other Republican Supervisors that they mobilize their bases frequently. Making an additional claim that “we’re all guilty of it” Supervisor Margaret Franklin, D-Woodbridge, was credited for being the “first one that really stepped out on this [issue]” by Candland. Initially he did “not really think she [Supervisor Franklin] was correct” but that now he does.

Completing his statements, Supervisor Candland stated “moving forward I am going to abstain from all proclamations, whether I agree with them or not.” And that the Board of County Supervisors needs to “eliminate all board proclamations.” Replacing what is currently done via proclamations with comments made during supervisor speaking time.

On several occasions during the past few meetings, Supervisor Franklin made comments about “wanting to do the business of the people” and getting away from “divisive resolutions.” Nonetheless she commended Supervisor Boddye for the resolution and encouraged her fellow board members to pass it, even though she would abstain from voting on it.

Supervisor Victor Angry, D-Neabsco said he “would be supporting this resolution” but hopes that going forward “we can just get to work.” Speaking in concurrence with previous comments, Supervisor Bailey, expressed support for this proclamation while agreeing that proclamations as a whole have become a problem.

Supervisor Yesli Vega, R-Coles, agreed with her colleagues comments but said she would support this proclamation. She asked for the board “to be consistent” and “not to do it for this one time.” Referring to a potential long-term decision to end, or abstain from voting on, proclamations.

Chair-At-Large Ann Wheeler pushed back on the dialogue by saying she doesn’t want proclamations on topics such as adoption week “to fall by the wayside.” Thus she does not want the board to “strike all proclamations or recognitions.”

Ultimately the resolution passed. Supervisors Angry, Bailey, Boddye, Vega, and Wheeler voted in favor of it. Whereas Supervisors Candland, Franklin, and Lawson abstained.

Jamie Beletz, Unity March Against Hate (UMAH) organizer, thanked the board for the recognition and highlighted that ummah “in Arabic means community.” He recited a verse from the Torah in Hebrew and provided a translation for it which was “how good it is for brothers and sisters to live together in peace.”