Jim McCloud recently wrote a letter regarding Susan Stimpson's op-ed about Stafford County's responsible course ["Stimpson's 'facts' are questionable," April 15].
Ms. Stimpson, chairwoman of the Stafford Board of Supervisors, was part of a new Republican majority that swept into office in 2010.
Mr. McCloud took Ms. Stimpson to task for leaving out an "important fact" when she stated that the board had adopted strict financial guidelines in 2010 and made prudent governing decisions in order to raise the county's bond rating.
Stafford did indeed get a rating upgrade in July 2011 from a AA- to a AA, but Mr. McCloud claims the county merely got back what it had lost in 2004.
It's Mr. McCloud who got his facts wrong. Stafford County had an A+ rating in 2002 and 2003 and was upgraded in 2004 to a AA-, and they maintained that rating until their recent upgrade in 2011.
He is correct, though, that the county's bond rating was jeopardized when the Democratic-led board dipped into the reserves. Luckily, new leadership came along.
He also criticized the supervisors for funding the School Board's instructional and technology line. The supervisors wanted to ensure teacher raises and dollars to the classroom.
If one is going to accuse someone of leaving out an important fact, one might want to do one's homework.
And speaking of homework, could it be that Mr. McCloud left out one important fact himself--that he might be a Stafford County public school teacher?
Nancie Ames
Stafford