As a student of Political Science, I believe in the ideals of our Constitutional framework. As a republic, I know that we are still working to perfect our pluralistic society in how we engage each other and negotiating the pathway to equity, opportunity, and freedom for all citizens. Government is different from business although government should support business and economic development. In government, every citizen is a customer no matter their gender, ethnicity, religion, level of education, marital status, and any other demographic trait. At some point, each citizen must be served through a public service whether it is road repair, parks, schools, public facilities, courts and law enforcement, and taxation to pay for them all. Whereas a business can choose their ideal customer demographic profile.
In this effort, I believe that the role of local government is the laboratory for execution of the American experiment. Typically, we want the best for our neighbors. If our county is doing well, then we can concentrate municipal resources to support efforts to deliver services better for the citizens and save for challenging days ahead. Doing well all over the county is good for your neighborhood and beyond which is why the Thornton for Henrico initiative is being launched to build and develop challenging areas within the county to Live, Work, and Play!