Despite Informal Decision, Trenum Asks School Board to Consider his Recommendations

Following an informal decision handed down by the office of Attorney General Mark Herring on the replacement of three term Brentsville District Representative Gil Trenum while he serves in the Naval Reserves, Trenum requested his colleagues on the Prince William County School Board choose his proxy from the three individuals he recommended in June.

"My position remains the same; I still feel that for the Brentsville District to have the most consistent and effective representation that the temporary appointment should come from someone with whom I have already developed a good working relationship," Trenum said in a post on Facebook. "From the beginning I sought to leave partisanship out of this decision by selecting three volunteers who are not past or present members of any local party committee."

Trenum said he chose candidates that have extensive budget experience and have volunteered on school committees.

"They are all individuals who have consistently put students and teachers first," he said. "I would be proud to continue to work with any of these three citizens."

Furthermore, Trenum asserts that the informal decision is contrary to the legal advice he was given by the non-partisan Privileges & Elections Attorneys from the Division of Legislative Services.

"The fact that the Attorney General does not agree with their independent opinion is not my issue to resolve," he said. "An Attorney General’s opinion is not law, it is just an opinion, however we must move forward from here."

Trenum is hopeful that all will be resolved amicably since the Attorney General’s opinion allows for the school board to choose one of his candidates, whom he feels has the support of his constituents in the Brentsville District.

"I’m not asking for anything more than the support of my fellow Board members during this stressful time," he said. "By choosing from one of the three individuals whose resumes I provided to the entire board, we can ensure there will be an easy transition and a positive working relationship."