If members of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors know this editorial page’s inclinations at all, they probably expect to see a blistering editorial attacking them for putting in place big pay raises for those on the dais after the November general election.
To quote Gomer Pyle: Sur-prise, sur-prise, sur-prise! We actually think it’s not such a bad thing to bump up supervisor pay.
In an 8-2 vote on March 21, supervisors agreed to increase the existing pay rates ($95,000 for district supervisors and $100,000 for the chair) to just over $123,000 and $138,000, respectively.
Naysayers came out of the woodwork, claiming that’s a whole lot of money for a part-time job and contending that the big jump was outrageous considering more limited raises being provided to county staff.
Except that it isn’t really a part-time job, no matter the technical classification; being a Fairfax supervisor requires, or at least should, full-time care and attention to the duties involved.
(We would have a problem with those supervisors who take the pay increase but continue working outside gigs; those who run for office this year know what to expect and should be prepared to give the job their full and undivided attention.)
Furthermore, state law prohibits elected bodies from enacting these raises willy-nilly; for the most part they only can be acted on in the year of a general election for the body, going into effect the following year, so that incumbents, technically, aren’t raising pay for themselves but for their successors. (Which in many cases will turn out to be themselves, but that’s up to the electorate.)
Miss that statutory window of pay-raise opportunity, and it is four more years before the matter can be addressed. It already has been eight years since the last bump up in supervisors’ pay, and most likely it will be eight years before the next one takes place.
There are plenty of reasons to be critical of the current Board of Supervisors. But last week’s action on pay raises either isn’t one, or is so far down this list it’s not worth getting worked up about. Take it from us, as we’re the people who love to get worked up about things.
