Fairfax Redistricting Committee To Seek Input At Next Meeting

FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA — As the Fairfax County Redistricting Advisory Committee prepares to redraw new electoral boundaries for the Board of Supervisors and School Board districts, the next meeting will be focused on public input.

The committee's second meeting will be held at 6 p.m. on Aug. 17 at the Fairfax County Government Center, 12000 Government Center Parkway, Conference Room 11. Over the two hours, the meeting will be focused on hearing feedback from residents and organizations. Input may be provided in person, by phone, by video or in writing. The meeting will also be available live online through Fairfax County Government Channel 16.

In particular, the committee wants feedback on how many districts there should be for the Board of Supervisors and School Board, what communities or neighborhoods should be included in a specific district, what is important to understand about a community and its challenges and needs for representation and the upsides and downsides of the current electoral boundaries.

The redistricting process is mandated every 10 years with new U.S. Census data. The current boundaries of the Board of Supervisors and School Board districts were set in 2011. The Board of Supervisors has 10 members, with nine supervisor districts and one at-large chairman. The School Board has 12 members and a non-voting student representative, with nine district representatives and three at-large members. The committee can begin redrawing boundaries once U.S. Census data is released, expected in mid-August.

The timeline adopted by the Board of Supervisors calls for the committee to draw proposed districts from Aug. 30 to Sept. 17. The Board of Supervisors will schedule a public hearing for Nov. 9, where the committee's recommendation for the electoral boundaries will be presented. The Board of Supervisors will consider adopting the ordinance on redistricting the electoral boundaries on Dec. 7. If approved, the county attorney will submit the adopted redistricting plan to the Virginia attorney general for certification on Dec. 21, and redistricting would be complete after state certification on Feb. 20, 2022.

The Aug. 17 meeting won't be the last chance for public input. The public will be able to submit their own boundary maps and provide feedback on the committee's proposed maps, likely in late August or early September. The Board of Supervisors public hearing will also include public input.

For more information, visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/redistricting.