Monday, Jan. 29, Sterling-resident Susan Klimek Buckley announced her intent to run for the Sugarland Run seat on the Board of Supervisors. Buckley hopes to gain the Democratic nomination for the district seat and run against incumbent Mick Staton (R-Sugarland Run).
"Loudoun County is definitely growing bigger, but people don't feel like it is growing better," Buckley said. Buckley said she believes the board has been too focused on new development and has lost sight of the needs of existing residents.
"There needs to be a focus on existing developments," she said. The influence of developers on the Board of Supervisors has allowed the county to grow at the expense of citizens, she added.
Since 2004, Buckley has been vocal about growth issues facing the county, speaking out against the large Comprehensive Plan amendments and the changes to the Rural Policy Area that were decided by the board this year.
"Through my involvement, I feel that citizens are not being served," she said. "They are frustrated."
While Buckley acknowledges that growth is not the only issue facing the county, she believes that it is at the nucleus of everything else concerning citizens.
"The other issues in Loudoun all relate to funding," she said. "We can't talk about other issues without first talking about growth. Transportation is critical, but it stems from the growth issue."
In addition to focusing on helping the county grow smarter, Buckley is dedicated to improving the county's school system. As the mother of two sons who attend Lowes Island Elementary School, Buckley said she has a vested interest in seeing the county's schools succeed.
"I have been very vocal with budget issues," she said. "I am very concerned about the impact of the rapid growth of development on the quality of schools."
Buckley said while she supports the current school budget's emphasis on raising teachers' salaries, she was concerned with the lack of program initiatives, such as magnet schools, which she said are important to the success of students.
"When so much of the budget money is for growth-related expenses, it is very difficult to fund program initiatives that need to be in schools," she said. Buckley used Fairfax County's goal that every graduate would be proficient in a foreign language as an example of what Loudoun's school system should be doing.
"There is no vision set out," she said. "There are no goals stated about where we are going with the school system. Everything is on a year-by-year basis."
Buckley said, in light of recent developments, she feels it is important to bring more transparency to local government and the Board of Supervisors.
"That's been missing for a while," she said. "The local Board of Supervisors has to regain the trust of the people in Loudoun."
While this election is the first foray into politics for Buckley, who is a former civil litigator for the Hunton and Williams law firm and now a stay-at-home mother, she said she believes that she can bring a fresh voice to the citizens of the Sugarland District.
"We need new leadership for a better Loudoun," she said, "and I want to be part of a team that finds positive solutions for Loudoun taxpayers."