Candidate Profile: Margaret Franklin For Woodbridge Supervisor

WOODBRIDGE, VA — Incumbent Supervisors Margaret Franklin is running for reelection. She hopes to continue representing the Woodbridge district on the Prince William Board of County Supervisors.

This year, Franklin is being opposed by Republican Jeannie LaCroix.

Patch sent the following questionnaire to Franklin and LaCroix to help voters make informed choices on Election Day.

Name

Margaret Angela Franklin

Age

37

Town of Residence

Woodbridge, VA

Position Sought:

Prince William Board of Supervisors, Woodbridge District

Party affiliation

Democrat

Family? Names, ages and any other pertinent details you wish to share

N/A

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No.

Education Level

Masters of Public Administration, Howard University; Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

Occupation, including employer and years of experience

13 Years of experience in public policy.

Campaign website

margaret4woodbridge.com

Why are you seeking elective office?

I am running to complete the work I've started in revitalizing the Route 1 corridor, providing for more affordable housing and supporting our education system with more resources, particularly for schools on the Eastern end of the county.

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

I have been focused on public safety by working alongside our police department, business community, school system and residential communities in addressing critical needs. Working with these entities has led to a decrease in criminal activity in several areas with a history of public safety challenges including the Longview 7/11 which required a multi agency approach. In addition, I have been focused on public safety needs as it relates to transportation including supporting the creation of red light cameras in construction zones and school zones to combat the uptick in traffic accidents and pedestrian deaths.

How do you think local officials performed in responding to recent issues (i.e. the pandemic)? What if anything would you have done differently?

Never in a million years could I have imagined that my first year in office and my first term in office would include presiding over a global pandemic. I believe our board has done the absolute best job under unexpected circumstances. This include creating grant programs to help small businesses negatively impacted by COVID-19, creating a housing assistance program to help residents negative impacted by COVID-19 with mortgage, rental and utility assistance and introducing legislation to create our own health department in the wake of several challenges with testing and vaccination resources from the state.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I am running for office because I have a proven record of effective leadership. I have led the effort to revitalize the Route 1 corridor by bringing a new town center that includes 90,000 square feet of retail to North Woodbridge, working with our schools system to build a new elementary school, the first in decades for the Woodbridge District; leading the way for more affordable housing for our residents through the county's first ever affordable housing ordinance and affordable housing trust fund; focusing on public safety by cleaning up previously crime ridden areas such as the Longview 7/11, the Potomac Inn, and neighboring communities; the creation of the Child Advocacy Center to help victims of child abuse, and creating a small business grant program to help businesses impacted by COVID-19, just to name a few.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

I am also focused on the transportation needs of this district. We are thankful that the Route 1 widening is finally complete but we have more work to do including additional speed mitigation measures within our communities. One of the top complaints I receive weekly is speeding in various neighborhoods. We have to work with our General Assembly and with VDOT to give localities more authority and latitude to develop and implement additional speed mitigation measures beyond speed bumps. We also need to continue building economic growth in our county by bringing more high paying jobs to the Rout 1 corridor which our revitalization efforts have started to address and lastly, we must continue focusing on education by guaranteeing that our school system is receiving adequate resources, not only from the county but also from the state.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

I have previously served as a Legislative Aide on Capitol Hill that helped me to understand how to create public policy. In addition, my time serving in office has allowed me to serve as the past Chair of PRTC and VRE and as the current chair of the economic development committee for the Virginia Association of Counties and as a voting member to the National Association of Counties.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Stay humble.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I absolutely love Woodbridge and it has been an honor to serve our residents.