June 1, 2026

By Mayor Derrick R. Wood

Last week, I stood before more than 100 residents, business owners, community leaders, elected officials, regional partners, and guests from around the world to deliver the 2026 State of the Town Address.

As I looked around the room, I couldn’t help but reflect on how much has changed.

Not just in our town.

But in our mindset.

One of the greatest lessons I have learned in leadership is that communities change twice.

First in people’s minds.

Then in reality.

Most people think transformation begins when the ribbon is cut, the building is completed, or the investment arrives.

But that’s not where transformation begins.

Transformation begins when people start believing that something different is possible.

Years ago, many people looked at the Town of Dumfries and saw limitations.

They saw traffic.
They saw challenges.
They saw a town that many simply drove through on their way somewhere else.

But I saw something different.

I saw significance.

I saw opportunity.

I saw a community with a remarkable history and an even greater future.

The truth is, Dumfries has never been defined by its size.

It has always been defined by its significance.

Long before America became a nation, Dumfries served as one of Virginia’s early ports of commerce and influence. Leaders connected to this area helped advance some of the earliest calls for independence from British rule. This community played a role in shaping history long before many people realize.

That history matters because communities that understand their history begin to recognize their potential.

And over the last several years, I believe something important has happened.

People have started believing again.

Residents have become more engaged.

Business owners have invested.

Community organizations have stepped forward.

Volunteers have continued to serve.

Town staff have worked tirelessly.

Town Council has remained committed to moving the community forward.

And together, we have begun writing a different story.

A story that includes the Town’s first bond rating in its 277-year history.

A story that includes two consecutive clean audits.

A story that includes more than $1.7 million in projected taxpayer savings through strategic financing.

A story that includes property values growing from approximately $485 million to more than $1.04 billion.

A story that includes new jobs, new investment, new partnerships, and new opportunities.

But none of those accomplishments started with concrete.

They started with belief.

Before people invest their money, they invest their belief.

Before businesses choose to locate in a community, they must believe in its future.

Before residents become engaged, they must believe their voice matters.

Before transformation becomes visible, it must first become imaginable.

That is why one of the moments that stood out most to me during this year’s State of the Town Address was hearing regional leaders recognize the progress happening in Dumfries.

Not because validation is necessary.

But because it confirms something many of us have known for a long time:

Dumfries is no longer a community defined by its challenges.

It is becoming a community defined by its possibilities.

And while I am proud of the progress we’ve made, I am even more excited about what lies ahead.

The revitalization of our waterfront.

The creation of new recreational opportunities.

The implementation of our Comprehensive Plan.

The work of our Economic Development Authority.

The investments being made in our future.

These are not isolated projects.

They are chapters in a larger story.

A story about a community rediscovering who it is and what it can become.

Seven years ago, many people asked:

“Can Dumfries really change?”

Today, I believe that’s the wrong question.

The question is no longer whether we can change.

The question is:

How far are we willing to go?

Because when a community begins believing in itself again, everything changes.

And if the momentum, partnerships, and commitment I witnessed during this year’s State of the Town Address are any indication, I believe the best chapters of the Dumfries story are still ahead.