Scott Harris licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license
Meet your Purcellville town council and mayoral candidates
A look at Positive Leadership For Purcellville, Milan For Mayor and each group's priorities
Purcellville’s town council has four open spots as former Mayor Kwasi Fraser leaves and the staggered town council election makes its way back to Purcellville.
Both groups, each spearheaded by Joel Grewe and Stanley Milan respectively, have clashing ideas on how to run the town over the next two to four years.
Grewe and his group, Positive Leadership For Purcellville, consist of incumbent candidates Erin Rayner and Tip Stinnette, and nonincumbent Caleb Stought. The team wants to bring their variety of skills and life experiences to the council, representing, “the interests of all residents of the town equally.”
In a collective email interview, the group particularly emphasized their goal to offer critical services while establishing a sustainable budget. They cited how if there is no course-correction, the town’s debt payments will increase by over $1 million a year in 2025.
It’s important to take a nuanced approach to the issues to help achieve compromise. Decisions should be made to serve all members of our community, not one group over another. Town council needs to listen to input and feedback from town citizens about concerns they may have, not dismiss them because they don’t agree. — Positive Leadership For Purcellville
“The town should focus on these core items (roads, water and sewer, our police department, trash services) and not pursue pet projects or special interests,” the group said. “By focusing primarily on core services, we can seek to keep taxes and utility rates low and keep Purcellville a safe, affordable place to live for future generations.”
Positive Leadership For Purcellville also noted the strained relationship between town council members and town staff, stating they hope to bridge that divide.
“The report illustrates a pattern of hostile action by certain members of council towards town staff. Some actions have even led to legal action, with over $100k spent on legal fees due to the poor behavior of some members of council,” the team said. “We hope to change the culture of the town government to one of civility and respect, with positive leadership.”
Grewe’s group wants to take an approach to stimulating Purcellville’s economy and paying off debts by revitalizing the town.
“We need to support and encourage the economic activity of local businesses as a crucial part of the financial health of our town,” the group said. “There are changes we can make that will help make Purcellville a more welcoming place for businesses to operate, and in so doing we will strengthen our financial position for the future.”
Milan’s group, consisting of first-time runners Boo Bennett, Ronald Rise and Carol Luke has similar goals of reducing debt and creating a stable economy, but with different methods.
“My plan for Purcellville will include implementing slow growth strategies that will allow our town to grow while still maintaining a small town feel and not burdening the town’s resources,” Rise said on his website. “My plan will continue the work that Mayor Fraser has done to reduce the town’s debt and preserve what we love about our town.”
I grew up in a time that emphasized that ‘Your word is your bond;’ and that is what I live by to this day. When I told residents ‘I will be your voice,’ that is what I have done as a council member.
— Stan Milan
Overall, the team has vocalized a similar desire to maintain a “small town” atmosphere, and thus wants to avoid the incorporation of bigger chain stores.
“We don’t need big box stores, Costco, Target or Walmart,” Milan said on his website. “Shops and businesses with a small footprint would fit into our small-town feel, and we could always use additional mom and pop businesses.”
Milan emphasized that he will be transparent with citizens, saying he will stick to a public agenda and not bend to popularity or a hidden plan, adding, “I never could understand a person who could not stand by their word.”