Turning Fairfax County Into A City Has Little Support

VIENNA, Va. (WUSA) -- Cities and towns across Virginia take care of their owns roads. They have the money to do it.

According to Fairfax County Chairman Sharon Bulova, cities and towns get twice the funding per lane miles than counties do.
That's one of the reasons Fairfax County is looking into becoming a city.

Resident Tim Larson thinks it's a good idea, "I think we're not getting our fair share from Richmond. I'm OK with changing to a city."

But switching to a city status could negatively affect the towns of Vienna, Herndon and Clifton.

Vienna Mayor Jane Seaman says, "We have our police force, hate to see that go away. Our response time is quicker, and we control our own zoning. We don't want to give that up to another jurisdiction."

Vienna resident Megan Burns worries Vienna would lose its small town feel if Fairfax County became a city.

"That would be a shame," she says.

For the county to become a city, some seemingly insurmountable steps would have to be taken. First, the board would have to agree to study it. Then, they'd have to agree to do it. Finally, the legislature would have to agree to allow a referendum to ask the voters.

McLean Supervisor John Foust said, "I doubt whether the legislature would agree to it and whether voters would approve it."

Foust calls the debate an "unfortunate distraction" from the immediate problem of transportation funding. Fairfax County is projected to receive no state money for secondary road improvements next year.