Five Asks of Our County Government and Each Other.
Ask the Board of Supervisors to require annual public disclosure of which land use deferral parcels are actively farmed vs. enrolled but idle.
Why Helpful? $1.26B in assessed value is deferred from county tax rolls for some parcels in land use protections. This means that property owner pays lower taxes and the loss of tax revenue gets shifted to those who pay full assessed value - mostly residential homeowners. Citizens who fund public services deserve full transparency to know if these land use tax deferred properties are actually working farms or if the taxpayer is subsidizing their rural views and landscape.
Ask the Board of Supervisors to commission to produce an updated agricultural economic impact study using current farm data — the last meaningful data is from USDA in 2022. This includes an updated COCS study.
Why Helpful? Fauquier leads Virginia in protected farmland. But 58% of farms sell under $10K/year and the average farm loses money. Does this sector need help? Facts — not assumptions — should guide how we support this sector. The study needs to include an updated Community Cost of Services Study (COCS) so citizens can see the cost of services across land use.
Ask the Board of Supervisors to publish annual estimates of Fauquier County housing capacity and population growth under current zoning and protection levels.
Why Helpful? Without trusted public data, fear fills the vacuum. Scare tactics are used to say we will be Loudoun County soon. Citizens cannot make informed decisions about their community's future based on worst-case scenarios from either side of the debate. Projections on how many houses could be built under what conditions and population growth can help bring a civic and respectful debate to the issue.
Ask the Board of Supervisors to publish an annual commercial and industrial land use report — how much is occupied, vacant, and what value it generates for the county.
Why Helpful? Less than 1% of Fauquier's land is zoned commercial or industrial. This places a large burden on homeowners to pay for county services. Citizens deserve to know whether the commercial and industrial land is working as hard as it can before any broader land use conversation happens.
Establish a broadly representative Citizens Advisory Group to develop a 50-year vision for Fauquier — with balanced membership across landowners, farmers, renters, young residents, and business owners.
Why Helpful? A vision built by all of Fauquier is harder to dismiss than one built by any single interest. The goal is not to pick winners — it's to make sure every citizen has a seat at the table.