New Board of Supervisors to take control Jan. 1

From the left: Walter Alcorn, Cathy Smith, Pat Herrity, Dan Storck, Penny Gross, Jeff McKay, Dalia Palchik, John Foust, James Walkinshaw, and Rodney Lusk. [Fairfax County government]

The new Fairfax County Board of Supervisors held an inauguration ceremony Dec. 16 for the newly elected board members. The new board officially takes office Jan. 1, 2020.

The board bid farewell to Sharon Bulova, who is retiring after serving 10 years as board chair. Voters in November elected board member Jeff McKay (Lee) as the new chair.

Rodney Lusk was elected to replace McKay as the Lee District supervisor.

Other newly elected board members, succeeding those who didn’t run for re-election, include:

• James Walkinshaw, replacing John Cook in the Braddock District,
• Dalia Palchik, replacing Linda Smyth in Providence, and
• Walter Alcorn, replacing Catherine Hudgins in Hunter Mill. 

Board members re-elected for another four-year term include Penny Gross (Mason), Pat Herrity (Springfield), John Foust (Dranesville), Dan Storck (Mount Vernon), and Kathy Smith (Sully).

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Bulova had been elected in February 2009 to fill then-board chair Gerry Connolly’s seat when he was elected to Congress.

In her final Bulova Byline newsletter, Bulova cites some of the board’s accomplishments during her tenure:

• Fairfax County navigated the financial crises caused by the Great Recession with the county’s coveted triple-A bond rating still intact.
• Metro’s Silver Line to Tysons and Reston opened, and the station at Dulles Airport will open next year.
• New land use plans were approved for Tysons and other aging commercial and industrial areas in need of revitalization.
• New police policies include more transparency and de-escalation tactics with a focus on the sanctity of life.
• The Diversion First program was adopted, which calls for people with mental illness or developmental disabilities experiencing an encounter with law enforcement to receive treatment instead of incarceration.
• The board updated the county’s vision for the environment to include a new focus on energy efficiency and climate.
• The board strengthened its collaboration with the school board in budget development, land use planning, and joint environmental initiatives.
• Homelessness was reduced by nearly 50 percent, through the use of a Housing First strategy.
• The board, in partnership with the school board, established the One Fairfax policy to ensure all residents have access to equitable opportunities for success.