Joel McDonald participated in a candidates forum hosted by the Republican Party of Virginia Beach, where he differentiated himself as the candidate with the most experience and understanding of Virginia Beach schools. Joel McDonald also defined himself as the candidate who is truly fiscally responsible, supporting the school board’s resolution asking for additional funding for the 2012-13 school year.
Following the forum, Joel McDonald explained, “I was the only candidate in this forum who supported the efforts of our school board to preserve teaching positions, lower class sizes, keep academy buses running, and fund middle school and JV sports. I’ve heard the term ‘fiscal responsibility’ thrown around a lot by other candidates, but I believe not asking for the additional funds to ensure our schools had the resources they needed would have been irresponsible and disastrous.” McDonald continued, “Fiscal responsibility means more than taking the easy road in politics and opposing tax increases. Fiscal responsibility means working to ensure public funds are used as effectively as possible, and sometimes having to make the case to the public that additional funds are needed to remain effective, and preserve the quality of our schools. By that definition, I was the only candidate in this forum who stood up for fiscal responsibility.”
