Democratic Candidate for Council to Focus on Economic Growth

It may not have drawn the crowd that the Republican Convention did, but the 19 people who attended the Democratic Caucus at City Hall Monday evening spoke loud and clear: they want Patricia Richie-Folks to represent them on the Manassas City Council.

Richie-Folks, a local business manager who lives in the Haydon precinct,  was unanimously voted through Monday evening as the Democratic nominee and candidate in the May 1st election for the Manassas City Council. 

Richie-Folks has focused her campaign on economic development because that’s the key to having the resources necessary to better fund education, public safety and all the core services that local government provides, she told those in attendance Monday. 

When the issues of public safety and schools came up Monday night, Richie-Folks said that is why she is stressing economic growth for Manassas.

"We have empty buildings in Old Town that we can attract businesses to...and by increasing and looking at economic growth it gives us more funding in order to fund public safety and all the responsibilities that are with the government," she said.

Richie-Folks said she would also focus on some of the more depressed, outlying areas of the city, such as Georgetown South, which were hit hard during the mortgage crisis and have experienced high vacancy rates as a result.

"I am committed and focused on making the City of Manassas the best place to live for all," she said in her acceptance speech Monday evening. "We need transparency and inclusiveness in local government. We need input from all because we all live here and the decisions that the council makes affects us all." 

Richie-Folks is a member of First A.M.E. Church of Manassas and is active in her community. She said she appreciates the diversity and warmth that she has experienced living in Manassas and will represent all of the city, not just certain areas and groups.

President of the Georgetown South Community Council and HOA Hannah Senft was present Monday evening and said she appreciated Richie-Folks running, especially after the only woman council member did not receive the nomination for reelection last month.

The group we have now consists mostly of businessmen that think alike and it will help to have another voice, Senft said.

Richie-Folks is a married mother of two grown children.  She also enjoys spending time with her 13 grandchildren.

Richie-Folks said her combined work and professional experiences and business administration education gives her an understanding of employment, financial and policy issues in a real world setting.