Businesses Urge Supervisors to Run County Full Time
Chamber Cites Vast Size of Jurisdiction

By Lisa Rein
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, April 5, 2006

Fairfax County has 1.1 million people, the country's 12th-largest school district, the region's largest mall and a hub of multinational corporations filling more office space than in San Diego or Pittsburgh.

But its elected representatives work part time as they oversee a $5.5 billion budget, each serving 115,000 constituents.

Now the county's largest, most influential business group says it's time Fairfax gets representation befitting its size: a full-time, professional Board of Supervisors.

"As much as we relish the tradition of the citizen-legislator, the fact is that they are full-time supervisors," said William D. Lecos, executive director of the Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce, which proposed the change at a budget hearing this week. "It's one thing to be the Bland County Board of Supervisors with a population of 16,000. It's another thing to manage the largest jurisdiction in the state."

Beneath the surface of the chamber's recommendation is a debate that has been bubbling quietly as Fairfax has grown into a behemoth -- whether the county's form of government has the accountability needed for a jurisdiction its size.

U.S. Rep. Thomas M. Davis III (R-Va.), a former Fairfax board chairman, called the idea the beginning of a "healthy debate to have at this stage in the county's growth." But he said that if Fairfax wants to examine how government truly serves its residents, it should go much further and consider modeling itself after Montgomery and Prince George's counties, with a full-time, elected county executive who is accountable to voters.

"In my judgment, that is where they ought to be," Davis said. "You know where the buck stops. It solves the problem of accountability. Right now, decision-making is diffused between 10 people."

Some proponents of a change said the chamber's suggestion is a good start. Although the board sets policy and direction for the county, the government of 12,000 workers in hundreds of agencies is run day-to-day by a powerful executive who is appointed, not elected, leaving a buffer between voters and their elected officials.

"Clearly, if you're full time, then the only thing you'll be doing is the business of governing," said Supervisor Gerald Hyland (D-Mount Vernon), who said he has little time to devote to his outside law practice. "That does make you 100 percent accountable."

Lecos said a full-time system would draw a larger pool of qualified candidates to an office that many potential public servants don't consider because they could not support a family on a supervisor's salary. Three supervisors faced no opposition in 2003.

A full-time board also would remove any appearances of conflicts of interest between a supervisor's county work and outside employment, Lecos said.

The state -- and every county and city in Virginia except Richmond -- is governed by part-time lawmakers. It's the Jeffersonian ideal of a politician who is not above the people he represents.

In small communities, that works fine. But in Fairfax, where the supervisors serve as the point person between their constituents and the government, it's understood that they serve full time and then some, setting policy and responding to constituents as they travel from parades to ribbon-cuttings to community meetings. Just three of the supervisors have outside jobs.

The council position pays $59,000 -- $15,000 less than the Montgomery County Council, $16,307 less than the Prince George's council and $33,000 less than the D.C. Council, which represents a city with about half of Fairfax's population. The chamber's proposal would come with a pay raise, and the board is considering giving itself a raise, independent of the suggestion.

The change proposed by Lecos would not need approval from the Virginia General Assembly because Fairfax sets the salaries of its representatives, and the state code does not address whether local officials serve full or part time.

A change such as the one proposed by Davis would need legislative approval.

"I think most people are a little surprised to learn that these are part-time jobs," said board Chairman Gerald E. Connolly (D), who, like several of this colleagues, is intrigued by the idea of full-time board members. "The question is: Shall we acknowledge that reality?"

The county considered a switch 14 years ago to a full-time board, with enhanced powers for the chairman. But the idea had no traction. In some quarters, it still doesn't. And it is unclear when, or if, the board would consider the proposal.

"I don't think they should change it," said Del. Vincent F. Callahan Jr. (R-Fairfax). "They spend their time going to ribbon cuttings and civic association meetings. I would submit that I put in as many legislative hours as they do." Callahan is paid $17,640 for his legislative duties.

Supervisor Elaine N. McConnell (R-Springfield), who owns five private schools but does not run them day to day, said qualified candidates would hesitate to run for supervisor if they couldn't devote time outside to earning private-sector salaries.

"They would have to give up four years from a business," she said.