Bruce on the Issues
Transportation | Development | Taxes | Education | Immigration
Bruce understands that we face a congestion crisis in Loudoun County and Northern Virginia and he's working to provide real solutions. As Supervisor, his approach has been to ease transportation gridlock by increasing our transportation choices and changing the way Loudoun grows.
He has worked to improve access to mass transit, improve bus service, encourage telecommuting, and make our communities safely accessible to pedestrians and bicyclists. He believes Loudoun County must take action to reduce the number of cars on our roads.
As Supervisor, I have worked with legislators in the General Assembly to craft the recent transportation package that will bring more than $400 million for transportation projects in Fairfax and Northern Virginia. Additionally I supported a transportation bond referendum in 2006 that raised $50 million to fund transportation projects.
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One of the most critical issues facing Loudoun County is managing new growth and development in order to ensure our schools aren't overcrowded and traffic congestion doesn't get worse while we continue to address transportation needs.
We must slow our growth by using tools like the comprehensive plan, zoning and subdivision regulations, and capital improvement budgeting. I support increasing local governments powers over zoning that would allow supervisors to reject development plans if roads in the area and the region are too congested to support them.
Additionally, we must protect Loudoun County by connecting our land use decisions with transportation decisions. In fact, as Supervisor, I have made linking transportation to land use decisions one of my top priorities. We shouldn't just automatically rezone and develop everything when the transportation infrastructure isn't in place to support it.
Realistic growth policies should invest in our suburban lifestyle, be committed to preserving our rural identity that is an integral part of our quality of life, and contribute to transportation solutions that make it easier for us to get to our destinations.
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Bruce believes that we must continue to reduce the burden on homeowners. He supports diversifying our tax base, continuing to look for ways to cut cost and excessive spending, as well as growing our business and commercial infrastructure. While most every other local government in Northern Virginia raised property taxes this year, Loudoun County did not.
As supervisor, Bruce Tulloch is working to cut wasteful spending, eliminate wastefulness and control the overwhelming requests for department budget increases. As Supervisor, Bruce has fought to reduce the property tax rate by more than 15% and will continue to fight for lower taxes and a more reasonable tax rate.
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Bruce understands that education is the key to our children's success. He has spent the last four years fighting to make Loudoun County's public schools the best in the nation. His work on education earned him the previous endorsement of the Loudoun Education Association. Bruce believes we must invest in education in the right places and he has focused on attracting qualified, capable teachers to our schools and compensating them adequately for the jobs they do - which means a better education for our children.
As Supervisor, Bruce has worked to improve teacher salaries, increase greater funding for school construction, and supported anti-gang initiatives that combat gang recruitment in our school system and community. Bruce will continue to make our children's education a priority and maintain excellence in our Loudoun County school system.
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Illegal immigration is a major issue that could impact the quality of life in Loudoun. I believe that through cooperation with the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) we can make a difference in the Potomac district and not become a haven for illegal activities.
Specifically, I support implementing the federal 287(g) program which allows local law enforcement to process, and when appropriate, detain immigration offenders they encounter during their regular, daily law-enforcement activity.
Giving our zoning enforcement officers the tools, resources and legal support to confront illegal boarding houses as well as working to increase the penalties for illegal boarding houses are additional actions that will strengthen our neighborhoods and communities.
Finally, we must continue to reach out to our legal immigrants and ethnic communities for support in action we take on this important issue. Those here legally, bring with them a diverse culture and strong work ethic, and serve as an important part of our Loudoun family.
As Supervisor, I will continue to work to protect our families and defend our neighborhoods from activities that threaten our daily quality of life.
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