Fairfax County Board of Supervisors

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors is the administrative body of Fairfax County. It is comprised of nine members elected by district, and a chair elected at-large.

Responsibilities and Structure

 * "The Board establishes county government policy, passes resolutions and ordinances (within the limits of its authority established by the Virginia General Assembly), approves the budget, sets local tax rates, approves land use plans and makes appointments to various positions. Board members are elected for four-year terms. Members may serve an indefinite amount of terms. The law requires that each district be of equal population, and that each board member be a resident of their respective districts and only be elected by residents of that district (except for the chair)."

History
The board was initially established in 1870 with six members, one from each of the magisterial districts: Centreville, Dranesville, Falls Church, Lee, Mount Vernon, and Providence. The chairman of the Board of Supervisors was selected from among its membership for a one year term.

The Mason district was added as part of the county's redistricting plan of 1953.

Scandals rocked the Board of Supervisors in 1966 and 1967, in which both current and former members of the board were accused of taking bribes. Robert C. Cotten, Stuart T. DeBell, A. Claiborne Leigh, William H. Moss, John P. Parrish, and John L. Beerman were all charged, with Cotten, Leigh, and Parrish convicted on Federal charges.

The fallout from the scandal nearly resulted in the Board of Supervisors being stripped of their power to make zoning decisions. The Commonwealth enacted new laws requiring that supervisors disclose in sworn affidavits any direct or peripheral business interests in rezoning cases.

The adoption of the urban county form of government in 1967 caused significant change in the organization of the board. The Falls Church district was disestablished, and the new Springfield and Annandale districts were created. Additionally, the position of Chairman of the Board of Supervisors, which was previously selected from among the board members, became an at-large office.

However, the chairman was only allowed to cast a vote in case of a tie between the other members of the board. This lack of power and frustration with the low pay of the part-time office led to the first two chairmen, Frederick A. Babson and Dr. William S. Hoofnagle, resigning the office before their elective terms were completed. This was changed in 1972 when a proposal to give the chairman a full vote was overwhelmingly approved by county voters.

The creation of the Sully district in 1991, along with the renaming of the Centreville district to Hunter Mill and Annandale district to Braddock resulted in the composition of the board as it exists today.

Priorities

 * "A Quality Education System
 * Safe Streets and Neighborhoods
 * A Clean, Sustainable Environment
 * Livable, Caring and Affordable Communities
 * A Vibrant Economy
 * Efficient Transportation Network
 * Recreational and Cultural Opportunities
 * Taxes that are Affordable"