Name: Jason Wooldridge
Age: 50
Website: www.jw4va.com

Biography: My name is Jason Wooldridge, I am a Christian and a husband to my lovely wife of 26 years, Stefanie. We have lived on 22 acres of farmland in Suffolk, VA for the past 17 years and are both lifelong residents of Virginia. I am an 8-year veteran of the U.S. Navy, a small business entrepreneur, and I hold a Bachelor of Science in Electronics Engineering and a second Bachelor of Science in Project Management. I have worked as an engineer for the past 13 years, first at Newport News Shipbuilding and currently at Oceaneering International, Inc.

Why are you running for this office?

I have watched our country turn away from its founding principles as a constitutional republic based on Christian values. I have witnessed an elite ruling class rise at all levels of our government. Most recently, I have witnessed our current city council ask for and then ignore the opinions of the citizens of Suffolk regarding the growth of our city. Now quite frankly, I am tired of being ignored. I want to bring transparency, fiscal responsibility, and true citizen representation back to our city and what better way to do that other than step up and run for office.

What is the top challenge facing Suffolk, and how would you address it?

Suffolk has an agricultural heritage that is rapidly declining due to the loss of farmland, this has a negative economic effect. I personally see that rapid expansion into undeveloped areas will continue to have costly results for the taxpayer because of non-existent infrastructure. Suffolk is growing at a rate that is outpacing our ability to support the needs of the citizens. We need more schools, fire stations, and police stations to accommodate the growth. The city needs to improve the condition and capacity of our roadways, water and sewer systems, as well as to find an answer to an affordable housing shortage.

What is your view on preserving agricultural land while also addressing the affordable housing crisis?

I am not against growth, but we need to focus on redeveloping older areas of the city vs expanding into undeveloped agricultural land. Prioritizing redevelopment in areas of downtown should be the focus vs the current course we are on. These areas downtown contain needed infrastructure which supports growth and more appropriately answers the need for affordable housing. Prioritizing the redevelopment of downtown would improve the conditions of the city, provide business opportunities, and support growth. It would place affordable housing within walking distance of existing businesses which would benefit both the local businesses and citizens compared to spreading out into agricultural land.

How do you view Suffolk’s growth strategy? What would you change?

I do not want the Peanut City Capital of The World to become a truck stop full of warehouses. I envision the balanced growth of our city while embracing our unique culture and heritage. I wish for a renewed interest in agriculture as a viable economic contributor. I dream of a city embracing the development of trades and a skilled workforce that attracts manufacturing and technical jobs. Most of all I want Suffolk, our city, my home, to be a place that despite its growth and no matter how big, remains woven to our small-town culture and feel.

What is your view on taking money from individuals who will likely have business before the city?

This question presents a double-edged sword. On the one hand I would like to say that I will not take money from individuals who will likely have business before the city. On the other hand, if we remove the possibility of receiving political donations from citizens, we create a scenario where only the independently wealthy can afford to run for public office, thus establishing an elite ruling class. I do not believe that our government should be made up of an elite class. I believe “We the People” are just that, the average people. I am not independently wealthy and therefore, I am accepting donations from all citizens who want to support me as a candidate. Now, the question becomes do political donations compromise a candidate’s integrity? I can honestly tell you that if I am elected my commitment to you as a public servant is to dutifully represent you in good faith to improve the quality of our community. I will not trade freedom for favor, nor my dignity for benefit and I refuse to lose my integrity to persuasion.

How will you still value constituents with whom you disagree with?

Our current political climate has arrived at a place I never thought it would. A place where civil discourse is abnormal and divisive and polarizing rhetoric is the norm. I turn to Psalms 133 which says How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity. I do not dehumanize someone who disagrees with me, and I pray they would not dehumanize me for the same. As a lead engineer I am continually seeking the most open communications from my team to ensure all the data and facts are being considered when making critical decisions. I am what I would call risk averse, meaning I am very careful to fully examine the potential positive and negative outcomes of an action before deciding to move forward with it or not. I do not rely on emotional responses, and I plan to apply this same risk-averse approach when making critical decisions as a council member for our city.