Candidate cites differences with sitting Council majority

Dear Editor,

It seems that my speech to the Front Royal Town Council Monday night questioning the Town’s intent to continue to explore creating it’s own Economic Development Authority (EDA) has fallen on deaf ears. So let me get this straight. In a month our Council is going to hire an experienced EDA Director; establish a Board of Directors, Fund it; identify properties to market… etc. This is nothing more than delusional as it could take many months or years of planning in order to just get it off the ground. The real question is why does the Town believe that it would be better off competing with the current EDA for prospective businesses? The town and county have a combined population of 40,000 people and now Council wants to stick it to the Town Taxpayers to pickup the tab on two EDA Directors salaries (6 figure incomes). The concept of running dual EDA’s is ludicrous and will weaken any competitive negotiation advantage that the Town and County has when trying to attract businesses to relocate here.

As I mentioned on Monday night, I asked the question “has the town even discussed working collaboratively with the EDA?” Council’s answer “silence”. I followed up with statistics that the current EDA owns and manages 15 properties of which 10 are located within the corporate Front Royal limits. “Once again Council failed to comment”.

However, some Council members had plenty of time to toss some unflattering comments directed at the Virginia Beer Museum because of a business promotional event. To the best of my knowledge the Museum is a legitimate business in Downtown Front Royal and should be able to promote it’s brand.

My family roots date back to 1911 in Front Royal and I care deeply about the Town’s future.

I believe in a government that has integrity, is sensible, ethical, fiscally responsible, decision making driven by facts with oversight, and a Council that is responsive to it’s constituents.

I am running for Town Council and would be honored to receive your support on November 3rd, 2020.

Bruce Rappaport
Front Royal, Virginia