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Chairman's Summary - 2012 Board Retreat

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors held a retreat on Monday and Tuesday, Feb. 6-7. The two-day meeting, at the Workhouse Arts Center in Lorton, was an opportunity for the Board to consider its priorities and set a course of action for a sustainable future.

It was announced that no votes would be taken during the retreat, and some issues may be discussed again at future venues.

Chairman's Summary

Chairman Bulova gave a brief overview of the two-day retreat.

Credit Rating Agencies

Need to strike a right balance with overflow funds.
- Need to have enough money set aside to respond to emergencies, but not enough to be seen as having too much money.

Transportation

Devolution and other projects are being pushed to local level.
Meals tax could be a source of funding for road maintenance, education or tax diversification.
- Community engagement is key if it were to be placed on a bond referendum.

Land Use Process

Moving away from greenfield model and we want to have a more useful process.
We don’t want to lose process of engagement in the transition to a new model.

Engagement

We are becoming more diverse.
We want to make sure we are taking advantage of new and emerging technology, but there will always be great value in personally engaging.
Establishing a portal of engagement is a good recommendation.

Board Priorities

The priorities adopted three years ago are still relevant and will be maintained.
The discussion over the course of this two-day retreat aligned well with our stated priorities.
The Board’s eight priorities are:
- A Quality Education System.
- Safe Streets and Neighborhoods.
- A Clean, Sustainable Environment.
- Living, Caring and Affordable Communities.
- A Vibrant Economy.
- Efficient Transportation Network.
- Recreational and Cultural Opportunities.
- Taxes that are Affordable.