County Has New Longterm Plan to Boost Economy

Fairfax County officials have unveiled a new plan that will “strengthen Fairfax’s economy for the 21st Century.”

While Fairfax County boasts one of the strongest and largest economies in the region, a new strategy will ensure that that the economic climate remains strong in the 21st Century, said a release from the county. The proposed plan offers high-level policy recommendations to expand and diversify the economy. focusing on six goals to accomplish this.

“The new plan is an emphatic leadership statement that recognizes the critical importance of economic success for the county’s future,” said Dranesville District Supervisor John W. Foust, who chairs the board’s Economic Advisory Commission. “We need all of our community partners — businesses, citizens, academia, the Fairfax Economic Development Authority, county government and our regional partners — pulling in the same direction to be successful.”

The six goals:

• Further diversifying our economy
• Creating places where people want to be
• Improving the speed, consistency, and predictability of the county’s development review process
• Investing in natural and physical infrastructure
• Achieving economic success through education and social equity
• Increasing the agility of county government

This plan was created by the 50-member, board-appointed Economic Advisory Commission, along with county staff. The group broadly sought input to craft the plan, obtaining feedback from more than 250 participants. Among those giving feedback: various members of the community, including business, community, and civic leaders, local chambers of commerce, area colleges and universities, and local residents.

Foust said the county needed refreshed economic efforts because of recent events in the DC Metro area in the last few years, including fewer federal jobs due to the recession and sequestration; slow wage growth; job recovery that focused on new employment sectors like health care; and higher office vacancy rates

The plan was delivered to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors during their meeting last week. The supervisors are expected to vote on adopting the plan on March 3.

To see more details, click on the presentation attached to this story above.