At this point, just about anyone who reads DailyKos regularly is aware that Virginia has big elections this year: we elect a Governor, Lt. Governor, Attorney General, and all 100 House of Delegates (lower state house). It’s the first large-scale statewide election since last year, and the first time an entire state gets to fight back against the narcissistic maniac living in the White House (the term was first coined by Democratic Governor Candidate Ralph Northam, and it has a good ring to it.)
And although most folks pay attention to the top ticket races, less pay attention to the delegate races. That’s why Democrats — despite holding all three statewide offices and both Senate seats currently — only have 34 seats in the House of Delegates. It’s a drop off problem we’re trying to fix this year.
Here’s the problem though — the delegates have a drop-off problem, and they aren’t even on the bottom of the ticket in some parts of Virginia! For example, the City of Manassas (a D.C. suburb) has two constitutional offices up for election this year. These are two races almost no one is talking about, but have the potential to help us build the blue wave which will crush the Republicans on November 7th.
1. Treasurer of Manassas
The city treasurer helps manages the city finances in a number of ways, but also has a few critical public-facing functions as well. These include collecting payments and taxes in:
- Personal and Property taxes
- Dog Licensing
- Parking
Sounds pretty minor at face, but the smooth collection and service associated with these duties can make the difference between a city that functions well, and a city that is chasing revenue. The service side of this position is also key — if folks can’t get their dogs licensed, or can’t pay their taxes in an efficient matter, that can lead to late fees and unintended violations. No one wants that.
Like with many constitutional offices, they aren’t partisan, so Ds and Rs will not appear next to the candidates running. Despite that, Patricia Richie-Folks is a strong Democrat, the current incumbent, and has already begun improving service in the treasurer’s office in the short time since being elected during a special election last year. With upgraded computer systems and a more responsive staff, Patricia’s office is showing what a change in leadership can achieve.
She’s also devoted to having as many folks participate in the political process as possible, that’s why she’s featured on 90 for 90.org.
2. Commissioner of Revenue of Manassas
While the Treasurer collects the taxes, the Commissioner of Revenue administers them. That’s why it’s important that both of these offices are held by qualified people. Alonita Vannoy is the Democratic-backed candidate for this seat this year.
Here are some of the other duties:
The Office of the Commissioner of the Revenue:
- Administers various local taxes as prescribed by state law and City ordinance
- Provides assistance to Manassas residents in the preparation of Virginia State Income Tax returns
The taxes they administer include:
- Business Taxes
- Personal Property/Vehicle Taxes
- Real Estate Taxes
- Virginia Income Tax
Like with the Clerk of the Court position, the Commissioner of Revenue is a nonpartisan, non-legislative role; they simply fulfill duties prescribed by the city code, enforce the laws on the books and provide services based on those laws and duties.
And like with the Clerk of the Court position, the level of service in the office may differ depending on the person who sits at its helm. Different folks may be treated differently based on perceived ideology, or simply based on the ideology of the person running the office. When it comes to taxes, livelihoods are on the line.
That’s why it’s vitally important that we help Alonita secure this seat in November. She — like Patricia — needs your help. And unlike Patricia, Alonita is not an incumbent; she needs your help even more. We can never hope to change things in our commonwealth and in our country if we don’t pay attention to every single seat, and it starts here on the ground floor.
And a final thought: the better Alonita and Patricia do, the more they’ll drive up turnout for everyone above them on the ticket. That means more votes for Democratic Delegate Candidate Lee Carter, as well as Ralph Northam, Justin Fairfax, and Mark Herring. It’s time that we built our voting bloc from the bottom-up, and we can do that this year!