Most community issues cannot be efficiently addressed without collaboration between all stakeholders - public, private, and non-profit. Disjointed community initiatives contribute to duplication of effort and expenditure of resources in a way that limit the potential to fully address the issue.
One example of this is the regional opioid crisis. This issue stresses our public safety, social services, and schools. We also have non-profit organizations that feel the direct impacts of opioids on the work they do. This is not to say that collaboration is not occurring on some level, but a more concerted effort to coordinate these efforts will provide a greater chance of achieving positive results with less financial burden over time.
Over the last 6 years, I’ve strived to increase my knowledge of the different efforts of County Departments and local non-profits. There are opportunities to use that knowledge and relationships to bring stakeholders together with County efforts to address community challenges.
This will not only continue to make Spotsylvania a good place to live, but ensure we are addressing community issues as efficiently as possible.