The elected leaders discussed COVID-19's impact and the region's response, economic and workforce development, and housing in the Northern Virginia region.
In discussing the regional response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Alexandria Mayor Justin Wilson said, "I've never seen the level of regional partnership and cooperation that we have had over the last year and a half." He saw the COVID-19 response as a model for the future saying, "I hope that as we go forward, this is a building block for us with a lot of other things where we are speaking with one voice on behalf of the region."
Looking toward supporting businesses through the recovery, Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chair Jeff McKay said, “Upwards of $100 million in grants have come out of Fairfax County to our small business community and we know that kind of support is going to need to continue." He added that supporting business extends beyond financial assistance, noting, "Flexibility in zoning, flexibility in operations for our business community moving forward--those things aren't a six-month thing, a one-time thing. We know it's going to take multiple, successive years to do it.”
Shifting gears to helping to retain and to grow Northern Virginia's workforce and economy, Arlington County Board Vice Chair Katie Cristol said, "The cost of living, the cost of housing, the cost of child care, the cost of significant transportation are extraordinarily linked." She continued, "Our economic competitiveness rests on our ability to grow the housing supply, especially in transit oriented ways, to provide better transportation choices, and to provide affordable childcare."
"It's really important for us to focus on especially that Metro corridor, and to make that a dynamic place for young people to live and to work", said Loudoun County Board of Supervisors Chair Phyllis Randall. She continued discussing the importance of comprehensive workforce development, saying "We have forgotten the importance and dignity of vocational skills and programs. It's important to work with our public schools to do dual enrollment programs with our businesses and community colleges and to talk about what options are available.”
Expanding on the topic of housing affordability, Prince William County At-Large Chair Ann Wheeler said, "We are still a growing county, and our comprehensive plan has opened up the entire county to look at housing." She noted that Prince William County recently issued a directive to incorporate housing affordability in new developments, including reviewing their zoning ordinance and comprehensive plan. She said that attainable housing "is going to take many forms: multifamily housing, smaller townhomes, mixed use development -- a lot of different kinds of housing."
This was the sixth in a series of summits started in 2016, as a collaboration of chambers of commerce from across Northern Virginia. "Collaboration among our counties and cities has never been more important, especially as the region recovers from the pandemic," said Kate Bates, President & CEO of the Arlington Chamber of Commerce. "Our elected leaders gave insight into how we can continue to overcome the challenges we are facing as a region and continue to keep Virginia the best place to do business."
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