Ten years ago, Deshundra Jefferson made a big move. She and her son had been living in a one-bedroom apartment in Alexandria, and she decided they needed a fresh start and more room. They moved to Montclair in Prince William County, where Jefferson could afford to buy her own home and the two could have plenty of space. We spoke with her about how her community has changed and the challenges it faces.
Are there still affordable housing options in Prince William?
That’s something we’re currently working on. Honestly, Prince William has become more expensive. We’re not immune to high inflation costs. We’re not immune to the lack of supply. It’s a very tight market down here. Whereas 10 years ago, I was able to save, today it would be even harder to make that happen.
You’ve been in office for just over a year now. What have you learned?
Passing a bipartisan budget — the first unanimous budget since 2019 — that was a huge accomplishment, because it was my first term. I’ve been trying to change the tone on the board, trying to be more collaborative, more bipartisan, and work together. And I would say that’s another accomplishment — we’ve had a lot more bipartisan and unanimous votes than we’ve had party-line votes. I’ve learned a lot. More than anything else, I’d say humility. This is hard. It’s really hard to serve the people, serve communities. There’s so many competing interests. I’m really making sure that I’m listening to people, making sure that I’m working across the aisle.
How has your background as a journalist helped you in politics?
One thing you learn in journalism is there’s more than two sides to every story. Just talking to people, understanding, meeting people where they’re at, not being afraid of the difficult discussions. When you’re a TV reporter, you’re going to be meeting people in their worst moments. How do you make someone comfortable in sharing their story? Building trust is critical, and having credibility is critical, and so I was able to bring those skills with me.
How do you view the importance of being the first person of color in your position?
I think it shows people who they can become, and I think people feel like they’ve been included. We are a majority minority county. We are the most diverse county in the commonwealth of Virginia and the 10th most in the country. And so, when people see someone who looks more like them, who reflects their background, who understands their journey, it’s significant. It makes people feel, “There’s someone in office who understands me.”
What are some of the biggest benefits of living in Prince William County?
First of all, we’re very close to Washington, DC. We do have a number of people who commute. But also, just geographically, we have so much to offer. We have rural areas. You can go horseback riding. We have areas that are on the water, and you can go sailing. We have everything in between. We are a growing county, and I think we’re a very vibrant county.
What are some of the bigger challenges the county faces?
Managing growth is huge: How do we choose to grow? What does growth look like? How does it impact our community? What are the benefits or drawbacks? Here, obviously the data center issue has been a huge concern. And there are a number of people feeling that they’re growing without the proper checks and balances. And I tell people, we have to be the traffic cops.
What are some of your favorite places and things to do in Prince William?
One of my favorite places is Red House Tavern [in Haymarket]. Their food is amazing. I love Leesylvania State Park. It’s hard to have a bad day when you’re overlooking the Potomac River. We also have the Hylton Performing Arts Center. If you’re a foodie, we have a lot of great food, a lot of different cultures represented. I want people to visit Prince William County.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Feature image courtesy Prince William County Government
This story originally ran in our April Issue. For more stories like this, subscribe to Northern Virginia Magazine.
