A Small Town Mayor with a Big Time Vision

A Small Town Mayor with a Big Time Vision

Purcellville Mayor Kwasi Fraser

Photo by M.J. McAteer

By M.J. McAteer K wasi Fraser is that seldom-sighted species, an oldstyle Republican.

“My brand of Republicanism is not present in Washington now,” said the mayor of Purcellville.

Instead, Fraser looks to Abraham Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt for his models of what good governance should look like.

“We need to retool,” he said. “We need to start looking beyond political parties at what is right for humanity.”

Fraser, 48, is many things that are out of sync with his party these days.

First, he’s an immigrant. He was born in Guyana and arrived in Brooklyn at age 10 with his parents and four siblings. Most Americans, if they know of Guyana at all, may recall it only as the location of the horrendous mass suicide/ murder perpetrated by Jim Jones back in the ‘70s. It’s much more than that.

The small country boasts one of the highest levels of bio-diversity in the world. Unlike most of its South American neighbors, it’s been able to preserve much of its natural habitats, partly by forging a leading-edge partnership with Norway to help minimize deforestation.

Nearly 30 percent of Guyana’s population is black, and so Fraser is a minority figure in his party in more ways than one. Even more of a rarity for a current Republican, he’s a centrist who opts for middle ground over scorched earth. He’s also a fiscal conservative whose mayoral priorities have been to reduce the town debt and manage growth in a way that “preserves the character and soul of Purcellville.”

During his three terms in office, Fraser has restructured a punishing obligation incurred by the town’s decision that pre-dates his tenure to spend $30 million on a wastewater treatment plant. And he’s been looking for ways to leverage the town’s assets by bringing “capitalism to open space.”

Fraser prefers using some of the under-utilized land the town owns for multiple purposes—planting trees for carbon sequestration, or as sites for drone testing, bike trails, or even an equestrian center.

“We need to use our existing assets to pay down debt,” he says. He’s also proud of having helped stop three annexations and the kind of high-density development that’s been embraced in much of Loudoun County east of Route 15.

The services required by residential developments, however, far outstrip the tax benefits they generate, the mayor said. “For every dollar you receive, you pay $1.60.” He believes it’s far better to attract businesses, which are revenue positive for a town like Purcellville. Fifty-three new business enterprises have opened in Purcellville in just the past year, he said.

“Kwasi is one of the most innovative thinkers I have ever had the opportunity to work with,” said town manager David A. Mekarski. “He’s constantly looking through a non-traditional lens to maintain a high level of town services.”

Mekarski oversees the daily operations of Purcellville, while Fraser, whose job is part-time, functions more like a chairman of the board. He oversees twicemonthly town council meetings and sets the legislative initiatives.

The job of small-town mayor also tends to be heavy on ceremonial duties. He’s cut many ribbons and issued countless proclamations--40 honoring Eagle Scouts alone--and appears regularly at an assortment of town events such as the annual tag sale and outdoor Halloween festival.

Such duties obviously necessitate many nights and weekends away from home, and his wife, Angela, and their three teenage children.

“Without their support, I couldn’t do it,” said Fraser, who also has a full-time day job as a program manager for Verizon.

Fraser originally ran for mayor because “I felt the need to give back.” Now, after almost six years in office, he’s undecided on running for another term in the 2020 election. He’ll likely announce in January.

“I need to sit by a waterfall,” he said, “and just think about it.” Photo by M.J. McAteer Purcellville Mayor Kwasi Fraser