Fairfax County Board of Supervisors

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, sometimes abbreviated as FCBOS, is the governing body of Fairfax County; a county of over a million in Northern Virginia. The board has nine districts, and one at-large district which is always occupied by the Chair. Members may serve unlimited number of four-year terms, as there are no term limits.[1]

Fairfax County Board of Supervisors
Type
Type
Leadership
Chair
Vice Chair
Structure
Seats10
Political groups
Governing party
  •   Democratic (9)

Opposition

Length of term
4 years
Elections
Next election
November 7, 2023
Meeting place
Fairfax County Government Center
Fairfax, Virginia
Website
Fairfax County Board

The Board usually meets two Tuesdays every month in the Board Auditorium at the Fairfax County Government Center near Fairfax, Virginia. Members of the public are invited to attend these meetings.

The chair presides at all meetings, and has all of the powers of a member, including one vote. The chair, however, does not have the power to veto legislation. The Vice Chair is elected amongst the members annually at the first meeting of the year in January.[1]

Powers and responsibilities

Within the limits set forth by the Virginia General Assembly, the Board is responsible for setting local tax policy, approving land use plans and appointing officials to various county government positions, including a County Executive who prepares the annual budget and carries out ordinances enacted by the Board.[2]

The Board also controls by its appointment power the board membership of several locally important authorities, including the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority, the Fairfax County Park Authority, the Fairfax County Water Authority, and the Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority.[3]

The Board exercises its taxation power primarily by setting the county's real property tax rate, which accounts for more than 63% of the general fund revenue.[4] Other financially important tax rates set by the board include the personal property tax rate, which is applied to the value of vehicles in the county, and the business, professional and occupational license (BPOL) tax, which is applied to the gross receipts of businesses in the county.

History

The Board of Supervisors was established in 1870.[5]

Initially, the board had six members, one from each of the magisterial districts of Centreville, Dranesville, Falls Church, Lee, Mount Vernon and Providence, with the chairman elected from among the members of the board to a single year term.

In 1953, the county redistricted, forming the new Mason district from parts of the Falls Church, Lee and Mount Vernon districts and adding a seventh member to the board.[6] Charles B. Runyon was elected to a special at-large seat on the Board of Supervisors in a special election held on November 4, 1953.[7] The rather strange situation developed that there were now two supervisors from the Centreville and Lee districts, none from the Falls Church, Mount Vernon or Providence districts, and one supervisor at-large. This was remedied in the elections of 1955.

Confidence in the Board was greatly shaken in 1965 when Supervisors John P. Parrish and Stuart T. DeBell, as well as former Supervisors A. Claiborne Leigh, Robert C. Cotten and William H. Moss were indicted on bribery charges stemming from zoning cases that had come before the board.[8] On October 2, 1966, Parrish had himself suspended from his Mount Vernon District seat, and Centreville Supervisor DeBell followed suit on October 26.[9][10] Circuit Court Judge Paul E. Brown appointed Frank F. Everest, Jr, to replace Parrish on October 19 and, in one of his final acts, appointed C. Meade Stull to replace DeBell on November 4.[11][12] Following Federal trials that saw Leigh, Cotten and Parrish convicted on bribery conspiracy charges, Commonwealth's Attorney Robert Horan declined to further press the state bribery charges in December 1969.[13][14]

With the adoption of the urban county executive form of government in a 1966 referendum, the chairman became an at-large position directly elected by county voters with a four-year term.[15][16] The county was again redistricted, with the Falls Church district abolished and the new Annandale and Springfield districts created, creating a nine-seat board.

Elected in November 1967 following a tough campaign against Mason District Supervisor Stanford Parris and a last minute write-in campaign mounted by supporters of Vienna Mayor James C. Martinelli, Frederick Babson was the first person to hold the newly created chairmanship, from 1968 to 1970.[17][18][19]

Frustrated by the low pay of the office, Babson resigned from the Board in November 1969.[20] Fairfax County Circuit Court Judge Arthur W. Sinclair appointed Fairfax County School Board member William S. Hoofnagle to serve out the rest of Babson's term on December 10, 1969, and Hoofnagle took office in January 1970.[21]

Hoofnagle would be elected in November 1970 and again in November 1971 to a full four-year term, but resigned after nine months in September 1972, citing his need to travel in his position as an economist for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Privately, Hoofnagle had stated his frustration with the limited power of the position, which allowed him to vote only on matters before the board in the case of a tie.[22]

A special election was called to fill the chair for the remainder of Hoofnagle's term. In the November 1972 contest, Democrat Jean R. Packard emerged victorious from a crowded six-candidate field.[23] Importantly, Fairfax County voters also overwhelmingly approved a referendum allowing the Chair to have a full vote, rather than merely acting as a tiebreaker.[23]

It was to this newly empowered chairmanship that Republican Jack Herrity was elected in 1975 after serving a term as the supervisor from the Springfield district and the lone Republican on a board that was widely perceived as anti-development.[24]

With the 1979 elections of Republican Nancy Falck in the Dranesville District and Democrat Sandra Duckworth in the Mount Vernon District, as well as the reelection of Audrey Moore, Martha Pennino and Marie Travesky in the Annandale, Centreville and Springfield districts, respectively, the nine member board for the first time had a female majority as of January 1980.[25]

The resignation of Sandra Duckworth in August 1984 to follow her husband to Hawaii, where he had been named director of the Bishop Museum, cleared the way for a different majority to take over the Board of Supervisors.[26] In the November 1984 special election, Republican T. Ferrell Egge capitalized on independent Gerald A. Fill's acting as a spoiler to Democrat Gerald W. Hyland, giving the Republicans a 5-4 majority on the Board.[27] This was the first time in the 20th century that the Republicans held a majority of the seats on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors.

Jack Herrity served as chairman during Fairfax County's period of growth during the 1980s, when the County, previously known as a quiet suburb of Washington, D.C.; became the high population center of the Dulles Technology Corridor that it is known as currently. During that period of growth, the Board advocated for the construction of Interstate 66 inside the Capital Beltway and for the Dulles Toll Road, as well as for a major expansion of Tysons Corner, Virginia, which now is home to many employers in the information technology industry.[28]

In the 1991 redistricting, the Annandale District was renamed the Braddock District and the new Sully District was created in western Fairfax County, bringing the total number of seats on the board to ten.[29]

The elections in November 1991 created a Republican majority on the board for only the second time in the 20th century, with Thomas Davis becoming the chairman, Robert B. Dix, Jr. defeating long-time Centreville District Supervisor Martha Pennino, and Republican candidates taking the open Dranesville, Sully and Mason district seats.[30] Combining those victories with the reelection of Springfield Supervisor Elaine N. McConnell gave the Republicans a 6-4 majority.[31]

The Centreville District, which had not actually contained Centreville since 1971, was renamed the Hunter Mill District in 1993, fulfilling a campaign promise of Supervisor Robert B. Dix, Jr. [32]

The Board voted to make itself Virginia's first full-time local legislature in December 1993, subject to the approval of the Virginia General Assembly, which was not forthcoming.[33][34]

Chairman Davis was elected to Congress in 1994 as the representative from Virginia's 11th district, which necessitated a special election to replace him. In the February 7 election, Democratic Providence District Supervisor Katherine Hanley defeated Republican Springfield District Supervisor Elaine McConnell, necessitating yet another special election to fill Hanley's seat.[35] That election was won by Democrat Gerry Connolly, who defeated Republican Jeannemarie Devolites on March 28, 1995. Connolly's election created a 5-5 balance of Democrats to Republicans on the Board of Supervisors.[36]

The regular elections of November 1995 saw the Mason District seat on the board change hands when Democratic candidate Penelope A. Gross defeated Republican William B. Bailey by 327 votes, reestablishing the Democratic majority on the board by a margin of 6 to 4.[37]

In recent years, the chairmanship has acted as a stepping stone to higher political office: Gerry Connolly, the chairman from 2003 to 2007, now serves in the U.S. House of Representatives, as did Tom Davis, who was chairman from 1991 to 1994, and Katherine Hanley, who served from 1995 to 2003, and has since served as Secretary of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Pay history

While the position of supervisor is technically a part-time job, many supervisors devote 40 or more hours a week to fulfill all of their obligations. A December 1993 vote by the Board of Supervisors to officially make itself a full-time body was rebuffed by the Virginia General Assembly.[33]

In January 1968, the Board of Supervisors voted themselves a $2,500 pay raise, increasing their yearly salaries to $10,000.[38] The annual salary increased to $15,000 per year in January 1976.[39]

At their meeting on April 14, 1986, the Board voted 5-4 to increase their salaries from $21,589 to $35,000 per year. The approved plan also included automatic pay raises through 1991 to an eventual total of $45,000.[40]

The Board voted to increase the pay of its members from $45,000 to $59,000 per year in September 1998 by a vote of 6-3-1, with Hunter Mill Supervisor Robert B. Dix abstaining.[41]

In 2007, the board voted to increase the pay of members from $59,000 to $75,000 per year.[42]

In March 2015, the Board voted 6-4 to increase the pay of future supervisors by $20,000 per year, to $95,000, with the chairman earning $100,000 per year.[43]

In March 2023, the Board voted 8-2 to increase the pay of future supervisors by 30%. This adjustment would turn annual salaries from $90,000 to $123,283 for supervisors and from $100,000 to $133,283 for the chairman. Citizens spent hours protesting this raise during the meeting in which the raise was voted on.[44]

Membership

The board is currently controlled by Democrats,[45] who have nine out of the ten seats, and currently control both the Chairmanship and Vice Chairmanship. The board districts are divided so as to give every member an equal population to represent. The current districts and their Supervisors are:

County Board of Supervisors
Name Party First elected District
  Jeff McKay, Chairman Dem 2019 At-Large
  James R. Walkinshaw Dem 2019 Braddock
  John Foust Dem 2007 Dranesville
  Rodney L. Lusk Dem 2019 Franconia
  Walter L. Alcorn Dem 2019 Hunter Mill
  Penelope Gross, Vice Chair Dem 1995 Mason
  Daniel Storck Dem 2015 Mount Vernon
  Dalia A. Palchik Dem 2019 Providence
  Pat Herrity Rep 2007 Springfield
  Kathy Smith Dem 2015 Sully

See also

References
  1. "About the Board of Supervisors". Fairfax County. Retrieved March 16, 2010.
  2. "Office of the County Executive". Fairfax County. Retrieved April 20, 2010.
  3. Ceruzzi, Paul E. (2008). Internet Alley:High Technology in Tysons Corner, 1945–2005. MIT Press. pp. 118–120.
  4. "FY 2015 ADOPTED GENERAL FUND RECEIPTS" (PDF). Fairfax County: County Budget and Finance. Fairfax County. Retrieved 22 September 2015.
  5. "Chairmen of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors" (PDF). Fairfax County History Commission. Retrieved 12 September 2015.
  6. "Fairfax Plans Election for 7th Supervisor". The Washington Post. 3 September 1953. ProQuest 152583780.
  7. "Fairfax Tiebreaker Era Ended". The Washington Post. 7 November 1953. ProQuest 152508224.
  8. McLaughlin, Maurine (21 September 1966). "2 D.C. Men Indicted in Zoning Case: Total of 15 Charged As Jury Suspends Its Fairfax Probe". The Washington Post. ProQuest 142755909.
  9. "Suit Filed To Impeach Supervisor". The Washington Post. 8 October 1966. ProQuest 142853013.
  10. Yenckel, James T. (27 October 1966). "Supervisor DeBell Asks Suspension". The Washington Post. ProQuest 142817638.
  11. "Appointed". The Washington Post. 20 October 1966. ProQuest 142796246.
  12. Yenckel, James T. (5 November 1966). "Judge Appoints Stull To Succeed DeBell as Fairfax Supervisor". The Washington Post. ProQuest 142882166.
  13. McLaughlin, Maurine (19 April 1967). "Parrish, Parzow Get 2-Year Sentences". The Washington Post. ProQuest 143175533.
  14. Klose, Kevin; Mann, Jim (24 December 1969). "Horan Drops Zone Scandal Bribery Case". The Washington Post. ProQuest 143651276.
  15. "Voters in Fairfax Will Get 5 Ballots". The Washington Post. 13 October 1966. ProQuest 142900460.
  16. Burchard, Hank (8 February 1967). "Redistricting of Fairfax Offers Something to Please Everyone". The Washington Post. ProQuest 143222311.
  17. Dewar, Helen (7 November 1967). "Hot Issues Spark Vote In Virginia". The Washington Post. ProQuest 143033082.
  18. Corrigan, Richard (8 December 1967). "Babson Spent $14,713 on His Election". The Washington Post. ProQuest 143027229.
  19. Klose, Kevin (20 November 1969). "Babson Quits Board In Fairfax: Babson Quits Post On Fairfax Board". The Washington Post. ProQuest 143588884.
  20. Klose, Kevin (20 November 1969). "Babson Quits Board In Fairfax". The Washington Post. ProQuest 143588884.
  21. Bredemeier, Kenneth (11 December 1969). "School Unit's Hoofnagle Named Chairman of Fairfax Supervisors". The Washington Post. ProQuest 143666878.
  22. Bredemeier, Kenneth (19 September 1972). "Hoofnagle Resigns Fairfax Board Post". The Washington Post. ProQuest 148286655.
  23. Shaffer, Ron (8 November 1972). "Fairfax Race Won By Jean Packard". The Washington Post. ProQuest 148264953.
  24. Rosenfeld, Megan; Seaberry, Jane (5 November 1975). "Herrity Nips Packard In Tight Fairfax Race". The Washington Post. ProQuest 146325655.
  25. "Virginia Election Results". The Washington Post. 7 November 1979. ProQuest 147132736.
  26. Hockstader, Lee; Painton, Priscilla (7 August 1984). "Fairfax Supervisor to Resign, Setting Up Election Struggle". The Washington Post. ProQuest 138183856.
  27. Moore, Molly (8 November 1984). "Fairfax Democrats Concede Power Loss: County Becoming 'More Republican'". The Washington Post. ProQuest 138164650.
  28. "John F. Herrity". The Washington Post. February 2, 2006. Retrieved April 17, 2010.
  29. Anderson, John Ward (14 May 1991). "Fairfax Board Approves New District". The Washington Post. ProQuest 307415608.
  30. Baker, Peter (14 November 1991). "GOP Wins By Linking Democrats". The Washington Post. ProQuest 140354922.
  31. Seaberry, Jane (6 November 1991). "Republicans Gain Control Of Board". The Washington Post. ProQuest 307450130.
  32. Allen, Rick (1993-01-14). "CENTREVILLE DISTRICT RENAMED HUNTER MILL". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2015-09-13.
  33. Baker, Peter (1993-12-07). "FULL-TIME BOARD FOR FAIRFAX?". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2015-11-08.
  34. Lipton, Peter Baker; Eric (1995-02-02). "IT SOUNDS LIKE TROUBLE". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2015-11-08.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  35. Lipton, Eric; Shear, Michael D. (8 February 1995). "Fairfax Elects Democrat Hanley Chairman". The Washington Post. Retrieved 30 September 2015.
  36. Lipton, Eric (29 March 1995). "Democrat Wins Open Seat". The Washington Post. Retrieved 30 September 2015.
  37. Lipton, Eric (1995-11-16). "FAIRFAX VOTES FOR THE STATUS QUO". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2015-10-06.
  38. Klose, Kevin (14 January 1968). "Fairfax Board Is Best Paid in Area". The Washington Post. ProQuest 143570199.
  39. Grubisich, Thomas (25 April 1975). "Candidate Steps Aside In Fairfax: Candidate Steps Aside in Fairfax". The Washington Post. ProQuest 146233072.
  40. "Government Actions:Fairfax County". The Washington Post. 17 April 1986. ProQuest 138855906.
  41. Shear, Michael D. (29 September 1998). "Fairfax Supervisors Vote To Increase Board's Pay; 31 Percent Raise to Take Effect in 2000". The Washington Post. ProQuest 408402073.
  42. "Board of Supervisors Gives Themselves a 27% Pay Raise". The Centreville Independent. 5 March 2015. Retrieved 16 September 2015.
  43. "Fairfax County supervisors vote for $20K pay raise". WTOP. 4 March 2015. Retrieved 10 September 2015.
  44. "Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approve 30% pay raise". 25 March 2023.
  45. Gardner, Amy (May 7, 2009). "In Northern Va., Fatigue, Organization Worry Democrats". The Washington Post. Retrieved March 17, 2010.
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