Percy C. Ashcraft

For the second year in a row, Prince George County was named the ‘Best Community in Which to Live’ in the Tri-Cities by a vote of the readers of the Progress-Index newspaper.

The annual contest results were announced at the 'Best of Best’ ceremony held October 25 at the Beacon Theatre.  Over 100 categories were included in the competition, which drew unofficially over 25,000 votes.

It was disclosed after the voting that only 10 votes separated Prince George County and Dinwiddie County, with those being enough to push PG over the top for the second year in a row.

It is another moment for Prince George County and its residents to be proud in a year in which honors and awards have come from all directions.  In athletics, four different state champions were crowned and one of our favorite sons - Jackie Bradley, Jr. - was a member of the World Series Champion Boston Red Sox.

Prince George County has also won five awards for its partnership with  Prince George Electric Co-Op in providing broadband services to rural areas. 

So what would make someone vote PG as the 'Best Community in Which to Live?'  I have a few ideas.

1. PG is a safe community.  The crime rate in PG remains much lower than its peer localities, and the Police response and presence is visible daily to partner with citizens.  Nobody can begin to match the National Night Out event where 32 sites celebrate safe partnerships with residents, churches and schools.

2. PG churches are active.  The worship institutions don’t just open their doors on Wednesdays and Sundays, but are active all week long in offering activities that promote spiritual health for our community.  Many of our pastors are chaplains for both Police and Fire & EMS.

3.  PG schools have a challenging curriculum and a high post-secondary going rate.  Students attending Prince George schools continue to get a solid education from grades K-12, and have opportunities to excel in athletics and other extracurricular activities.  The number of scholarships received by PG seniors seem to go up every year.

4.  Volunteer corps compliments paid Fire & EMS personnel.  Prince George County is blessed to have men and women who continue to volunteer in  response to fires and other types of emergency calls. They stand along side a group of well-trained career personnel that answer calls around the clock.  PG also has an outstanding group of volunteers who assist in emergency management in groups like the Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) and the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT).

5.  Stability in government operations.  County government, anchored by the Board of Supervisors, flies under the radar on purpose in avoiding the obvious pitfalls that befall other localities.  Finances are stable and planning is a constant to provide the next generation with a sound quality of life.  Recreation opportunities are abundant, and PG now has a seat at the table when the conversation flows to who are business friendly communities throughout the Commonwealth.  Our business parks are full and being eyed by international investors. Finally, there is a strong mission to serve the taxpayers.

There are other attractive points for living in Prince George County.  The real estate property tax rate of 0.86 per $100; affordable housing;  few areas of traffic congestion; well-placed branches of the Appomattox Library System;  presence of Fort Lee for civilian jobs and community partnerships; and a nice mixture of rural and suburban life generally.

Yes, Prince George County is proud to brag a bit on this latest award. For 315 years, we have had a steady presence in this part of Virginia.  Our mission statement is clear, “We are a global community where families thrive and businesses prosper.”