About Fairfax County Government

Fairfax County operates under the urban county executive form of government, an optional form of Virginia county government, and like other Virginia local governments, Fairfax County has limited powers.

More specifically, Virginia courts have concluded that local governments in Virginia have only:

Those powers that are specifically conferred on them by the Virginia General Assembly
Those powers that are necessarily or fairly implied from a specific grant of authority
Those powers that are essential to the purposes of government — not simply convenient but indispensable

This doctrine of limited authority for local governments is commonly called the Dillon Rule.

The powers of Fairfax County’s government are vested in an elected Board of Supervisors consisting of nine members elected by district, plus a Chairman elected at large. Each supervisor represents one of the following nine magisterial districts of Fairfax County:

Braddock
Sully
Lee
Dranesville
Mason
Springfield
Huntermill
Mount Vernon
Providence

The law requires that districts be of approximately equal population and that each Supervisor (other than the Chairman) be a resident and qualified voter of his or her district, and be elected only by voters living in that district. All voters in the county may vote for the Chairman. The Board elects the Vice Chairman annually from among its members at its first meeting in January.

Board members are elected for four-year terms. There is no legal limit to the number of terms a member can serve. The next scheduled Board election will take place in November 2011, with Board members taking office in January 2012.

At its regular meetings, the Board of Supervisors:

Establishes county government policy
Passes resolutions and ordinances (within the limits of its authority)
Approves the budget
Sets tax rates
Approves land use plans
Makes appointments

These actions are taken in open meetings which the public is encouraged to attend. These actions are taken in open meetings, which residents are encouraged to attend. All discussions are held in public, with the exception of issues exempt by the Virginia Freedom of Information Act, such as legal or personnel issues.

The Board appoints the county executive, who is the administrative head of the county government and is responsible for the administration of all of the affairs of the county which the Board has authority to control.