The LCRC should stay out of Purcellville’s long-standing nonpartisan town election

Dear Editor:

As a member of the Republican Party, I am disappointed with the Loudoun County Republican Committee’s consideration to endorse a candidate in a local election which has a long-standing practice of being nonpartisan.  

My other concern is with the qualification and integrity of the candidate, Council Member Joel Grewe, who is seeking your endorsement.  

Council Member Grewe has been on Town Council for four years without any meaningful accomplishments. Having served on Purcellville Town Council for four years, I witnessed constant bloviation and spreading of lies by Council Member Grewe to create his own facts. 

The latest lie by Council Member Grewe was that in the last four years the Town of Purcellville lost 90 businesses. The facts show the Town did not lose 90 businesses over the last four calendar years, and that Council Member Grewe manipulated figures to present an incomplete and disparaging narrative on the hard work of the businesses, Town Council, and staff in keeping Purcellville the economic hub of Loudoun County.  

In addition, Council Member Grewe, in efforts to increase the size of government, claims that the Town is understaffed based on an operational assessment that was completed over two years ago.  

Ask Council Member Grewe:

• Where in that assessment is it stated or surmised that the town is understaffed?
• Is it the section of the report that erroneously compares our Town to a county that has a park and an airport? 
• The assessment did state that the Town is a lean operation and that we should revisit some of the programs we are offering to make sure they are needed and also look at automation and process efficiencies.

If you feel compelled to make the local election partisan, your endorsement should not be driven by unchecked lies and allegations. To endorse Council Member Grewe for an elected office, based on him being a dues paying member of LCRC and his failure to initiate or advance any solutions as an elected official in four years, is equivalent to buying an endorsement or social promotion. We are not the party of social promotion.

Ryan Cool

Former Purcellville Town Council Member and resident of Hirst Farm