New Magisterial District Map Approved By Fairfax Supervisors

FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA — A new map of magisterial districts adopted by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Tuesday has minimal changes, moving seven precincts to other magisterial districts.

The vote resulted from a redistricting process that began earlier this year to redraw Board of Supervisors and School Board districts in Fairfax County. The redistricting of the local election districts is mandated by law every decade after the U.S. Census to ensure fair representations as populations change. This will not impact state legislative and congressional districts, which are determined by the state.

The map adopted by the Board of Supervisors was submitted by a member of the public with minor modifications. It maintains nine magisterial districts, while some of the proposed maps had included 10 or 11 districts.

The changes will include:

• Fort Buffalo Precinct moving from Providence to Mason District
• Penderbrook Precinct moving from Providence to Springfield District
• The portion of Woodburn Precinct east of the Capital Beltway moving from Providence to Mason District
• Irving Precinct moving from Springfield to Braddock District
• West Springfield Precinct moving from Springfield to Lee District
• Compton Precinct moving from Sully to Springfield District
• Saratoga Precinct moving from Mount Vernon to Springfield District

Residents can see a detailed map here.

"Extensive outreach in the redistricting process has been a longtime priority for our Board and produced a fair, nonpartisan, and transparent process," said Chairman Jeff McKay in a statement. "These small adjustments aim to take population changes into account while minimizing the disruption to the daily lives of our residents and keeping communities together."

Springfield District Supervisor Pat Herrity voted against the redistricting ordinance, commenting on a lack of public engagement.

"The plan that was approved ignored the preferred nine district plan recommended by the Redistricting Advisory Committee (RAC) in the public process," Herrity said in a tweet. "The approved plan significantly impacts the Springfield Magisterial District, yet the adopted plan was not published nor shared with me until after close of business the night before the vote despite over 70 percent of the changes being in Springfield [District]."

Braddock District Supervisor James Walkinshaw noted the population deviation between the districts with the smallest and largest population is 4.58 percent, below the required 10 percent. The seven districts moved is also three fewer than the last redistricting process in 2011.

"Politics and partisanship play no role in our redistricting process," Walkinshaw stated. "Throughout our work, the citizen-led Committee, county staff, and most of my colleagues were focused on following the law and doing what was best for the people we represent, rather than enshrining anyone's personal or political preferences into a map."

The redistricting process was led by a 20-member Redistricting Advisory Committee appointed by the Board of Supervisors over the summer to recommend new proposed maps. There were 24 proposed maps submitted by the committee, and 40 maps were submitted by the public. The committee reviewed the all 64 maps and the county's current 247 precincts, producing a final report to the Board of Supervisors. The Board of Supervisors then held a public hearing on redistricting on Nov. 7.

According to 2020 Census data included in the committee's report, these are the population counts of current magisterial districts:

• Braddock: 125,180
• Dranesville: 127,980
• Hunter Mill: 129,651
• Lee: 124,377
• Mason: 119,417
• Mount Vernon: 130,320
• Providence: 139,267
• Springfield: 122,623
• Sully: 132,050

After the Board of Supervisors adoption of a new local election map, it will be submitted to the Virginia attorney general for certification. After review, district changes will go into effect immediately. The estimated date for changes to take effect after state certification is Feb. 20, 2022.

The Board of Supervisors also extended the committee's work to evaluate the names of magisterial districts. That brings in the question the name of the Lee District, which may reference Fitzhugh Lee, a former Virginia governor, Confederate general and relative of Robert E. Lee. The Fairfax County School Board had renamed Robert E. Lee High School in Springfield as John R. Lewis High School in 2020. Separately, a Confederate Names Task Force appointed by the Board of Supervisors recently recommended renaming Lee Highway and Lee-Jackson Memorial Highway. The Redistricting Advisory Committee is tasked with reporting back on the name evaluations after March 1, 2022.