LETTER: County’s transparency on data center issues is as clear as mud 

 September 1, 2022

During an August 19th interview with Kojo Nmandi on WAMU, Prince William Board of County Supervisors Chair Ann Wheeler said: “I always err on the side of transparency.” How long did her nose grow while uttering that one? 

One of the principal complaints with the “review” of the Prince William Digital Gateway proposal has been that county government has been consistently stonewalling legitimate inquiries and suppressing unflattering evidence essential to informed decision-making. 

For months, I and other community members have been repeatedly trying to get county officials to answer questions about the status of data center development in the county. Among other things, residents need confirmation of how many data centers are already under development and what their approved capacity is.  Without that basic information, how do we know if the Prince William Digital Gateway is even necessary?   Our Planning Office provided no reply to an attorney’s July 5th letter, ironically complaining about its lack of responsiveness.   

On August 5th, I wrote Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares’ office after exhausting attempts to obtain any degree of cooperation from county government offices. My inquiry to the county’s internal auditor, the only avenue taxpayers have to report government malfeasance, was ignored for five months before finally being rebuffed with a non-answer. The internal auditor is under the purview of county government, which is charged with ensuring it is impartial and responsive. Instead, it’s being used as another obstruction tool.

Our county’s last full-time planning director resigned on October 15, 2021. His replacement was our current Deputy County Executive for Community Development Rebecca Horner, who has been dual-hatted in an “acting” role. The planning director should have some level of autonomy, an extra level removed from the political influence of the supervisors.  

Why hasn’t a full-time planning director been hired in over ten months? Do the supervisors prefer one less independent voice?  Citizens can’t get any answers to those questions either.

Ann Wheeler?  Transparent as mud. 

Bill Wright 

Gainesville 

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