Department Resources

Ways to Provide Public Hearing Testimony

There are multiple ways that members of the public can provide testimony on public hearings. Written, phone and video testimony are encouraged to help keep the community and staff members safe as we continue to make adjustments in the context of the coronavirus pandemic.

Speakers List

To be added to the Speakers List for the public hearing of which you’d like to testify, use the speakers sign up form or call the Department of Clerk Services at 703-324-3151, TTY 711 to get started.

Use the Speakers Sign-up Form

You may provide your written testimony by e-mail or mail.

Deadline: the Clerk accepts written testimony until the public hearing is closed.

E-mail

Submit written testimony, including attachments, to ClerktotheBOS@fairfaxcounty.gov.
Mail

Testimony can also be mailed to the Department of Clerk Services at 12000 Government Center Parkway, Suite 552, Fairfax, VA 22035.

Once you’ve signed up to provide testimony you can indicate that you wish to do so by phone when the Department of Clerk Services contacts you to confirm you are testifying.

Deadline: to testify by phone, you must sign up before 12 p.m. on the day of the meeting to be added to the Speakers List. If you are providing testimony by phone you will receive a call, originating from 703-324-1000, just before your turn. For the best connection into the meeting use a land line or, if using a cell phone, do not use the speaker function while testifying.

During a Public Hearing: You can also call in to speak by calling 703-324-1020. Please note, if you have not registered in advance, you will be queued up after all registered speakers have spoken.

Members of the public can submit recorded video testimony via YouTube for any public hearing. Comments must be limited to issues relevant to the public hearing matter.

If you are registering to testify via video, please note:

Requests must be fully completed by 9 a.m. the day prior to the hearing.
Comments must be limited to issues relevant to the public hearing for which you are testifying.
Individuals are given three minutes to speak; if you are the spokesperson for a group you have five minutes to speak.
Videos must be uploaded – to and playable from – YouTube without advertisements.
Videos must be standard YouTube submissions, not YouTube Shorts.
Videos must have audio levels between -15dB and -3dB to be discernible in the Board Auditorium and on cablecast. Volume levels in YouTube can be checked by right-clicking on the video and selecting “Stats for nerds."

You must sign up on the Speaker’s List prior to submitting a video by calling the Department of Clerk Services at 703-324-3151, TTY 711 or by signing up here.

Deadline: to testify by video, you must sign up and submit your video by 9 a.m. the day prior to the public hearing.

In-Person Public Hearing Testimony

Deadline: individuals wishing to provide testimony in person must sign up by 12 p.m. on the day of the hearing to be added to the Speakers List.

When meetings are held electronically, no in-person testimony will be heard, but there are several alternative ways that you can testify on any of the Public Hearing items scheduled, see above for more information.

While individuals may appear and be heard at an in-person meeting, those who wish to testify are encouraged to sign up in advance of the meeting to be added to the Speakers List. You may also review technical guidance on presenting in-person at the Government Center Board Auditorium:

Presenting In-person at the Government Center Board Auditorium

Speaking Time

At regularly scheduled Board meetings, several public hearings may be scheduled, including public comment time, which is generally the last public hearing of the day. The Board will hear public comment on any issue except: issues under litigation; issues that have been scheduled for public hearing before the Board; personnel matters or comments regarding individuals.

All public comment speakers are given 3 minutes each to testify, with a maximum total number of 10 speakers to be heard per public comment time. Public comment speakers may address the Board only once during a six-month period. All other public hearings allow for speakers to have 3 minutes to testify if speaking as an individual and 5 minutes if speaking on behalf of an organization.

ADA Accommodations

Fairfax County is committed to nondiscrimination on the basis of disability in all county programs, services and activities and supports the Americans with Disabilities Act by making reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities. For other accommodations, please call the Department of Clerk Services at 703-324-3151, TTY: 711 as soon as possible but no later than 48 hours before the public hearing.

All full Board of Supervisors meetings are televised on Channel 16 and streamed live online with closed captions provided in English and Spanish (los subtítulos en español). Meetings are also available to view on demand following the meeting.

Copies of the full text of proposed ordinances, plans and amendments, as applicable, as well as other documents relating to the Board of Supervisors meetings, are online, but are also on file and available for review with the Department of Clerk Services. To make arrangements to view the documents, please contact the Department of Clerk Services at 703-324-3151, TTY 711.

Clerk Services

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