Thoughtful Reformer Offers Bold Vision for County Government

Arthur Purves, a longtime government watchdog and taxpayers’ advocate, is the GOP nominee for chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. Born in the District of Columbia, Purves went on to earn a BA, MS, and MBA from the University of Pennsylvania. Now retired, he worked 40 years as a computer programmer. With his late wife, Purves raised his two children in Fairfax County.

For more than a quarter century, Purves has served as president of the Fairfax County Taxpayers Alliance. In April of this year, Purves testified at the Board of Supervisors hearing on yet another tax hike. In his testimony, Purves accused the county board of not leveling with the public. “The supervisors should be transparent with the people who pay their salaries,” Purves said.

As a candidate, Purves is offering voters a true alternative to Fairfax County’s status quo. His website, VotePurves.org, lists a ten-point plan to make Fairfax a better, more affordable county in which to live, work, and raise a family:

1. Stop increasing real estate taxes faster than household income.
2. Work with the community, police, and the Commonwealth Attorney to end the crime epidemic.
3. Hold the school board accountable for the 27-point drop in SAT scores and for its failure to provide upward mobility for economically disadvantaged students.
4. Prevent raising restaurant taxes from 6% to 10%.
5. Restore the neighbors’ voice in zoning decisions.
6. Stop spending tax dollars to make the county carbon neutral. It’s unaffordable and unnecessary. Warming began 300 years ago.
7. Repeal collective bargaining, under which unions and not elected officials will run the county.
8. Protect voting rights with elections we can trust: End drop boxes and ballot harvesting.
9. Recognize faith as a means of improving mental health. See this post by the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
10. For the fentanyl crisis, recognize that the 12-step programs endorsed by the Community Services Board to overcome addiction would help prevent addiction.

Purves understands that government exists to serve the people, not the other way around. If elected, he will donate the board chairman’s recent 38 percent pay raise (which amounts to $38,283) to Bethany House, which aids women and children seeking refuge from abuse and trauma. In addition, Purves has vowed to never drive a county vehicle for personal use (in contrast to what incumbent Chairman Jeff McKay has allegedly done).

With the heart of a servant-leader, Purves strives to maintain a dialogue with everyone, no matter how they might vote. “I love all the people — even the ones I disagree with,” he says. “Let’s get together and love our neighbor.”

Help Arthur Purves turn Fairfax County around: learn more, donate, or volunteer at VotePurves.org.