Dranesville District Faces Slight Changes in County Redistricting

The once-a-decade rewrite of county supervisor districts is likely to have little effect on McLean residents.

Fairfax County gained 112,000 new residents in the past 10 years and is now the address of 1.0 million people, according to the 2010 U.S. Census. That growth was distributed unevenly among the county's nine-supervisor districts. Generally the population growth was in the northern half of the county. Braddock District grew by a sluggish 5.4 percent while Hunter Mill, centered in Reston and Vienna, grew by 15.6 percent.  That means each district should have 120,192 people each.

Dranesville's population stands at 116,567. Five of the county's nine districts have populations exceeding 120,192, the target size for each district.

An Advisory Citizen Redistricting Committee created by the Board of Supervisors presented 25 plans to the supervisors March 28, three of which were designed by the public. Former Board of Supervisors Chairman Katherine Hanley lead the committee.

"We only have to move 6 or 7 precincts to get in compliance with the new census figures," said Dranesville Supervisor John Foust. "Dranesville has to pick up some population. Most of the discussion has been that the Coates precinct will be moved from Hunter Mill to Dranesville. Coates is in the Herndon area, on the south side of the Dulles Toll Road.

"There is a plan (9A3) that moves Coates to Dranesville and another plan (9A4) that moves Coates to Dranesville and returns the Colvin precinct to Hunter Mill from Dranesville," Foust continued.  ". . . I am not sure what the consensus of the Board will be but my impression is that these two plans are getting the most attention. We will make a decision at the April 26 Board meeting."

At last week's public hearing on the proposed redistricting plans before the Boar of Supervisors, two people spoke asking to remain in the Dranesville District.

Susannah Rosenberg, of Shouse Village Association said Plan 23 kept Shouse in Dranesville but  two plans proposed  moving it into the Hunter Mill district.

 “We have a Vienna address but we have closer ties to McLean. Our children go to McLean Schools. . . part of the Lewinsville Coalition” and serve on the McLean Planning Committee, Rosenberg said. "I would urge you. . . not to move us out of Dranesville”

 Dan Langer who lives in Herndon said one of three public plans moves Herndon out of the Dranesville district and into to Hunter Mill. “We feel much more aligned with Dranesville," he said.

Frequently Asked Questions about Redistricting

Is there a specific number for how many people should be represented per district?
No. State and federal law requires the population among districts must be as equal as possible, but the population per district will be determined by how many electoral districts are drawn. For example, a plan with five districts (plus an elected at-large chairman) would have a much greater population per district than one with 11 districts (plus an elected at-large chairman).

What happens if board members no longer live within the new electoral districts?
Redistricting will affect the election districts for many county boards, authorities and commissions, including the Board of Supervisors and School Board. If as a result of redistricting board members no longer live in the district they were elected to represent, they will continue in office until they’re term expires. At the end of the term, a new member will be elected from the new district.

Does redistricting affect school boundaries or police, fire and human service districts?
No. These boundaries are unrelated to the electoral districts for the Board of Supervisors, and the redistricting will have no affect on school boundaries or police, fire and human service districts.

Hunter Mill experienced the most rapid growth among all districts in the past decade, increasing 15.6 percent or 17,056 people, for a total of 126,594 residents.