Front Royal Town Council candidate L. Allen Neel says residents are focused less on political theory and more on the everyday issues that directly affect their lives.
Neel, who currently serves on the Front Royal Planning Commission, recently discussed his campaign priorities in an interview with the Royal Examiner, including economic development, infrastructure, traffic concerns, and public trust in local government.
Neel said that conversations during door-to-door campaigning have shown him that residents are primarily concerned with practical issues close to home.
“Folks out there are not interested in esoteric policy,” Neel said. “It’s all about what affects their lives and their vision of their home.”
Among the biggest issues he hears about are taxes, infrastructure, traffic, and economic growth.
Following the Town Council’s recent vote opposing data centers, Neel said Front Royal must now focus on attracting other forms of commercial and light industrial development to strengthen the town’s tax base.
“With this data center now being a prohibition in effect of what it’s going to end up being, we need to look at that next step of what we’re going to do to bring more money into town,” he said.
Neel argued that residential growth alone cannot sustain local government finances and said the town should focus on attracting clean, light industrial businesses and technology-related companies that provide stable jobs without creating major environmental concerns.
“I-2 zone as a concept is virtually dead,” Neel said, referring to traditional medium-heavy industrial zoning. “It’s more the lighter industry for the town.”
He pointed to areas north of town, including the Happy Creek corridor and the long-discussed east-west connector area, as possible locations for future development.
Neel also spoke about the need for long-term infrastructure planning following recent water system issues.
“Take care of what we have first and then build from there,” he said. “I think we react more than we plan.”
Traffic and neighborhood safety are also recurring concerns raised by residents, according to Neel. He suggested Front Royal consider “tactical urbanism” approaches that allow temporary traffic-calming experiments before making permanent changes.
One example could include temporary planters or lane adjustments designed to slow speeding traffic in residential neighborhoods.
“Let’s try this and see how it works out,” Neel said.
Neel also emphasized the importance of improving communication between the town government and residents, saying many people feel disconnected from local decision-making.
“Trust is earned every day,” he said. “When the sun sets, you have to start again.”
He suggested the town could do a better job publicly tracking ongoing projects and citizen concerns through the town website and other communication tools.
Neel also called for closer cooperation between Front Royal and Warren County governments, saying that long-term economic success will require stronger regional coordination.
“We need to work much more closely with the county,” he said.
As the campaign season continues, Neel said one positive development has been seeing more residents become engaged in local government discussions and public service.
“If you ever thought about doing something, get on a commission, get on a board,” he said. “There are always openings.”
Town Talk, sponsored by National Media Services, Inc., is a Royal Examiner series that introduces you to local entrepreneurs, business owners, nonprofit leaders, and public officials who help shape Warren County. Conversations cover a wide range of topics about our community and the people making a difference.
L. Allen Neel Says Smart Growth and Town-County Cooperation Are Key to Front Royal’s Future