Candidate Profile: Arthur Purves Runs For Fairfax County Board Chairman

FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA — Arthur Purves is the Republican challenger facing Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay, a Democrat, in the Nov. 7, 2023 general election.

Purves, a retired computer programmer who is now president of the Fairfax County Taxpayers Alliance, faces McKay, who was elected as chairman in 2019 after serving as the Lee District (now Franconia District) supervisor since 2008. McKay defeated Lisa Downing in the Democratic primary.

Fairfax County voters will have their district Fairfax County Board of Supervisors representative and Fairfax County School Board representative on the ballot, as well as countywide races for Board of Supervisors chairman, three at-large School Board representatives, Fairfax County Commonwealth's Attorney, Fairfax County Sheriff, and Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District. Virginia House and Senate seats are also up for election.

Early voting for the general election began Friday, Sept. 22. More information on how to vote is available from the Fairfax County Office of Elections.

Patch asked candidates for Board of Supervisors chairman to fill out a candidate questionnaire with the same questions. Here are Purves's responses:

Name

Arthur Purves

Office Sought

Chairman, Fairfax County Board of Supervisors

Campaign Website

votepurves.org

Age (as of Nov. 7 election)

74

Education

BA, MS, MBA - University of Pennsylvania

Occupation

Retired. Was a computer programmer for 40 years.

Family

Widowed. Two children who attended Fairfax County Public Schools, grades K-12. Eight grandchildren.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Previous public office positions or appointments

Member, 2014 Fairfax County Meals Tax Task Force. Appointed to several Fairfax County Public Schools advisory committees, including Family Life Education.

Why are you seeking this office?

I want every resident to experience the American Dream, to have the tools to become self-reliant and be able to support a family. I want a county that is safe, affordable, and filled with opportunity.

What are the major differences between you and the other candidate(s) seeking this post?

My opponent believes that problems are solved by more government spending. The current board raised real estate and car taxes for the typical household by $1,500, and problems are worse. We had a massive resignation of police. Crime is up. School SAT scores fell 31 points since 2018. I believe that families guided by our diverse faiths can prevent the problems that government can’t solve. A county is no stronger than its families.

What do you see as the top issues facing (your county), and how do you address them in your campaign platform?

The top issues are taxes increasing faster than household income; falling school achievement; the schools’ failure to teach reading (lack of phonics) and math (lack of drill); crime; high gas and grocery prices; unaffordable housing; insecure elections; union control of local government; a mental health and addiction crisis; and a deteriorating economy. For taxes I’d address bloat in the school administration. When the school board makes its annual request for $2+ billion, I’d ask for a progress report on 3rd grade reading and math by ethnic group. There is no economic opportunity without mastery of reading and math by 3rd grade. For crime, I would work on rebuilding trust between the community and the police, and the police and the Commonwealth Attorney. While high gas and grocery prices arise from climate alarmists’ war on fossil fuels, the alarmists offer rhetoric but no evidence of a current climate crisis. For affordable housing, I would include homeowners at the beginning of planning instead of springing projects on them. For secure elections, eliminate drop boxes and ballot harvesting, and shorten the 45-day voting window. Stop collective bargaining, which moves county governance from elected officials to union arbitrators. I would offer that faith has a role in improving mental health and preventing addiction. All of these would improve the economy.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

As president of the Fairfax County Taxpayers Alliance, I’ve analyzed county and school budgets for 27 years. I served on the 2014 Fairfax County Meals Tax Task Force and have served on school advisory committees. Also, while I’m a social conservative, I’ve tried to build bridges by being a member of the Fairfax branch of the NAACP for over ten years and by reaching out to the LGBTQ community.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

For nearly 30 years I have campaigned in seven general elections to end the minority student achievement gap by returning phonics-based reading instruction and arithmetic drill to the crucial grades 1-3 reading and math curricula. Inequality and poverty arising from the schools' failure to teach reading and math is a root cause of crime. Fairfax County Public Schools is now adopting phonics-based reading instruction, and the Virginia General Assembly passed the Virginia Literacy Act last year to mandate phonics-based reading in all Virginia school districts. However, no progress has been made on grades 1-3 arithmetic instruction.