10/27/2024
Good day everyone,
I hope all is well with you and your families. Early voting has started and we are moving forward to Nov 5 to determine the leadership for Purcellville. Many have been exposed to opposing points of view on how to best lead the Town of Purcellville into the future.
I was asked to pen comments on my experience when I subscribed to the philosophy of my opponent and his handlers. I will forgo that because it is obvious to the most casual observer how that went based on the actions taken by that group thus far.
This is exemplified by the constant articles written by a former Mayor, former councilmember/planning commissioner, their supportive citizens and others who continue to believe the misinformation and decisiveness promoted by those former elected and current elected officials (none are official trained reporters) and local Tabloid editor/owner.
His recent posting about town finances is a sanctimonious hypocrisy rambling about his superior intellect when it comes to financial matters facing the town. If one were to interpret what is written, elected officials have a grasp on how to address the towns debt situation better than our professional award-winning financial department, therefore, we can dispense with them and every 2-4 years elect these experts to handle the towns finances!
My disclosure as for why I changed my perspective has been well documented and explained. What has not been disclosed, however, is why there is such a fervent opposition to my change of mind by the very same people whom I ran with in 2 previous elections. Reality check…THE TRUTH HURTS!
It is unfortunate that no one is addressing the fact my opponent was the vice mayor under the previous administrations last year in office and vice mayor my first year as the new mayor. He was aware of all the issues facing the town then and now, he has discovered these issues exist. Where was his awareness back then? The answer, his blinders were on and continue to be in place. So, he continues promoting the same mantra…blame the previous administration, developers are bad for the town, use our reserves to pay our debt and make promises that have no viable connection to reality or is a solution!
My opponent and his handlers continue to state “Milan is backed by developer money.” I am supported by people who believe I have the best interest of the town in mind. My opponent does not disclose he is funded by the family that sued the town and received a substantial amount against the town, he does not disclose his campaign manager, fund raiser, speech writer and editor, photographer and all things political is the editor/owner of the Local Tabloid printed once a month. He does not disclose that his campaign strategy meetings are held at her home just outside of town. This may be ok, I guess, but is it ethical. Is this in the best interest of the Community and its citizens. I will let you be the judge of that.
I have been vilified as having “secret meetings” with developers after I was seen walking down 21st street, in the middle of the afternoon, with the Town manager and the owner of the property. Now, as a result of this “secret meeting.” There are now five new businesses located in those vacant spaces. Is it wrong to engage in dialog with the owner of the property that the citizens are concerned about? I don’t think so. Lack of communication has been the ongoing practice in this town and I am not going to continue with that poor example of leadership. With my change, the town has restored a better working relationship with our county officials and a more efficient operating TC and Staff team.
As I continue my re-election campaign for Mayor, I have come to the realization this election has morphed from a campaign between my opponent and I into a referendum of the previous Mayors legacy. When you look beyond his slogans, he is promoting the same philosophy that has been stated and promoted strongly for several past elections, save a few things taken from what I have stated for many years, specifically, me wanting to provide a skate park for our youth. My opponent has no new ideas or solutions, only repackaged slogans of the past and stealing others’ ideas and claim them as his own.
You have to ask yourself, why is the former Mayor going door to door campaigning for a Mayoral candidate? He didn’t do that when I succeeded him when I ran for Mayor in 2022. Why is a newspaper owner/editor the campaign manager for the opposition and has been for several years?
As I worked the polls for early voting at the Carver Center, I observed 3 kinds of voters. The first are the ones who have done their research and know whom they are voting for and move with focus not to be deterred. The second are those who are not yet convinced and are willing to listen to the candidates, supporters and ask questions to get a better understanding of the issues. The third are those who are angry. I say angry because, I approached a voter to give her a sample ballot for my team and her response was “I don’t want it because you abandoned Catoctin Meadows!” I found that interesting so I asked her what she meant. She elaborated that I didn’t support them on the 7/690 project. I explained to her I did support them. Once I found out their HOA leadership had a “Plan within a plan” to engage in delay, deny, defer tactics with the county and the town. It became clear to me that they were not working in good faith for their community. There was no good faith dialog between the HOA and the county as I requested in support of that community. So, it was there HOA that abandon their community.
If you are an angry voter, please know to whom you place your anger toward. I say this because many are upset because of the water rate increases, which is understandable. I live here also and feel the increase just like everyone else. However, when the former Mayor tells you, those he supports, “are only focused on decreasing your water rates.” Ask how they plan on accomplishing this miraculous feat? Show me how you can do this?
Candidates Caleb Stought, Brian Dean, John-Mark Gardner, Kevin Wright and myself are focused on that as well. That is not the only thing we are working to improve. We will address the traffic concerns, revitalization of the C4 District (21st street), and economic development to name a few.
For the past two years the town has had stability and progress verses 8 years of chaos. Do you want to return to that?
