Fairfax County, Virginia’s largest county, is contemplating changing its status from that of a county to that of a city.
[Fairfax County Executive Anthony H.] Griffin told the Board of Supervisors that city status would allow Fairfax greater autonomy over taxes and transportation. But it would also turn the tables on the nearby capital city: With 1 million residents, a new Fairfax City would dwarf the District of Columbia, which has fewer than 600,000.
. . .
“In reality, we do everything a city does aside from maintain the roads,” Griffin said. “I think there are substantial arguments to be made for conversion.”
Passage of a referendum voted on by the residents and approval by the state legislature would be required to effectuate the change.
Personally, I think this is stupid and the same result could be achieved by waiving, updating, revising or even outright rescinding the antiquated Dillon Rule. In fact, Republican members of the House of Delegates previously proposed turning road maintenance (as well as the money it spends on it and VDOT equipment) over to localities — exactly what Fairfax is looking for with this harebrained scheme.
But by all means Fairfax, go ahead and become a city. That will leave Prince William County as Virginia’s largest county and that is just fine by me.
Filed under: Dillon Rule, Fairfax Politics, Prince William County Politics, Taxes, Transportation






















