Six Candidates Want To Reinvigorate Town

2 Incumbents Face Challengers for 3 Seats

Candidates vying for three seats on the Dumfries Town Council all agree on what they see as an enduring problem: The town needs to spruce up and attract more visitors.

Several say the nearby landfill had to go; it stinks. Others want more sidewalks so people aren't pushing strollers on roads with zooming vehicles. Still others say the town police presence needs bulking up, especially for all the money spent on law enforcement.

Every four years, three of the six seats on the Town Council are up for grabs. In this election, two incumbents -- Brenda L. Via, a Department of Motor Vehicles manager, and Stephanie M. Bradley, a bookkeeper for a home repair business that she runs with her husband -- are seeking reelection.

(In a twist, Via's mother, Sue Cornell, is also a council member, but she is not up for reelection.)

Four other residents are jostling for a seat: Dorothea D. Barr, a real estate agent; Sean Robinson of the Dumfries Board of Zoning Appeals; Willie J. Toney, a case manager for the D.C. Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services; and Nancy H. West, a retired Prince William County schools truant officer. Robinson did not return telephone calls requesting an interview.

Barr said a chief priority is bolstering the police department's presence. They are "supposed to be giving tickets and keeping the peace, but you never see them," she said.

She noted that many cars run red lights at major intersections during rush hour and that police should be there to issue tickets. Barr also wants to increase the "walkability" of Dumfries.

"Sidewalks abruptly stop and start all over town," she said. "You can't really walk around town without going into the street."

Via said she does not believe in "micromanaging" and instead thinks police are doing an excellent job overseeing the town.

"I can tell you I've seen the police patrolling around day and night," she said. Via would like more shops and businesses on Main Street.

West said the police department needs change.

"We have a police department that's too big. That money could be spent on sidewalks," she said. "Road repairs need to be done."

She dismissed a proposal floated to build a new town hall. "We cannot," she said, "afford a new town hall."

Bradley said she has a solution to residents' concerns: lower the town's tax rate and use some of the budget surplus.

"Right now, our biggest economic issue is the one that the nation is facing: We've been hit by the housing market," she said. "Owners owe back taxes. Loan companies can't find them. We need to realize that people are struggling."

Toney, a longtime town Planning Commission member, said that if Dumfries is concerned about its future, it needs to focus on improving services for children.

"We need activities that would deter delinquency. We have no playgrounds, and there's no question that this contributes to the rise of delinquent activities," he said.