Voices of Fauquier

Our Community

Fauquier County is an historic and quaint community located in Northern Virginia and is a part of the Washington, DC Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). Located in a rapidly developing area, Fauquier County has experienced significant growth over the last two decades. According to the US Census, between 2000 and 2010, Fauquier County’s population grew by 18.3 percent or 10,064 persons,[1] with over 50 percent of this growth occurring in the county’s service districts (Bealeton, Marshall, New Baltimore, Opal, Remington, and Warrenton). With growth and the rapid changes occurring throughout the MSA comes the need to plan for the future - given the uniqueness of Fauquier County’s physical and cultural landscape, Fauquier County residents and neighbors engaged during this process recognize the need to preserve this culture while also developing a vibrant community that attracts residents both young and old. They also recognize that developing a proactive and thoughtful community vision is key to creating a community where everyone thrives.

Our People

Residents who live and work in Fauquier County have been empowered to become involved in shaping the future of their community. Educational institutions like Fauquier County Public Schools (FCPS) and Lord Fairfax Community College (LFCC), organizations such as the Path Foundation, various non-profits, and county officials recognize the need to adequately provide access to opportunity to all community members in Fauquier County. The Voices of Fauquier collaboration is part of a long history of conversations around better understanding the community and prioritizing equity as it moves forward.

Our Values

Kindness

Compassion

Education

Respect

Open-mindedness

“The Voices of Fauquier”  Process

In late 2018, a group of residents comprised of representatives from FCPS, LFCC, the Department of Health, and local nonprofits engaged with The Spark Mill, a Richmond, VA - based consulting firm, to better understand various voices throughout the community. The goals of this process were to: 

1. Identify opportunities to enhance the quality of life for all individuals and families throughout the county

2. Engage diverse voices throughout the community

3. Understand what community members view as important issues to tackle

4. Identify transformation opportunities to guide this work throughout Fauquier County

After conducting a series of interviews, a community survey, and demographic analysis, all of the information gathered was digested and categorized into 5 core themes, 4 transformation opportunities, and a series of recommendations for key stakeholders throughout the county. These findings are highlighted in the full report.  

Why Fauquier County, Why Now?

From 2010-2017, the population of Fauquier County increased by 6.5%, higher than the growth seen throughout the state of Virginia, which was 5.9% (Fauquier County Government).  With growth comes the need to assess current infrastructure to ensure that development continues to meet the needs of a growing population. More importantly, successful economic development means making your county attractive to employers and also equipping your residents with resources to be successful.  Our county also sees this as an opportunity: In June 2019, Fauquier County held an Economic Summit where state and county leaders stated that the county was working to attract new businesses to service districts and help existing businesses grow.

Here is how our county’s demographics are changing:

• From 2014-2018, the Hispanic/latino population has increased by 20% (US Census)

• From 2008-2018, the number of students that qualify for free or reduced lunch has increased by 8% and is projected to climb (Virginia Department of Education)

• In 2006, an Affordable Housing Task Force Report which found that, “95% of the full-time permanent (FTP) employees of Fauquier County General Government, at fiscal year (FY) 2007 salary levels, cannot afford (based on their individual salaries) to purchase a home in Fauquier County at the 2004 median housing sales price.

Simply put, ensuring sustainable development means equipping your residents with the tools and resources to contribute to the county’s growth and prosperity:

Why Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Matter to Our County’s Future?

• Diversity spurs economic development and homogeneity slows it down (Next City)

• The country is becoming increasingly diverse, and diverse communities represent a key part of our economic future: Between 2010 and 2050 the non-Hispanic white population is projected to decline by 6%, while the African-American population is projected to grow by 37%, the Asian population by 102%, and the Latino population by 121%.

• Income inequality, geographic concentrations of the poor, city-suburb disparities and racial segregation are all associated with slower growth over the last three decades. Economists at the Cleveland Federal Reserve have found that high levels of racial inclusion and progress on income equality also correlate with strong economic growth. Regions with higher levels of income inequality and racial segregation are less resilient to economic downturns.

• Among the fastest growing businesses are minority-owned enterprises. Immigrants in particular tend to have high rates of entrepreneurship (Diversity and Inclusion for 21st Century Economic Development, 2017)

What Now?

Given the commitment that Fauquier County residents have to ensuring that residents a thriving community and equitable community, county leaders and decision-makers have an opportunity to use this information to inform current and future decisions.

Establishing a Shared Language [3]

In order to advance conversations and action regarding equity and access to opportunity, it is important to develop shared definitions through Fauquier County:

Diversity - There are many kinds of diversity, based on race, gender, sexual orientation, class, age, country of origin, education, religion, geography, physical, or cognitive abilities.

Inclusion - Being included within a group or structure. More than simply diversity and quantitative representation, inclusion involves authentic and empowered participation, with a true sense of belonging and full access to opportunities.

Equity - fairness and justice and focuses on outcomes that are most appropriate for a given group, recognizing different challenges, needs, and histories. It is distinct from diversity, which can simply mean variety (the presence of individuals with various identities). It is also not equality, or “same treatment,” which doesn’t take differing needs or disparate outcomes into account. Systemic equity involves a robust system and dynamic process consciously designed to create, support and sustain social justice

Justice - the collective responsibility of a free and just society, to ensure that civil and human rights are preserved and protected for each individual regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, nation of origin, sexual orientation, class, physical or mental ability, and age.

Race - While often assumed to be a biological classification, based on physical and genetic variation, racial categories do not have a scientific basis. However, the consequences of racial categorization are real, as the ideology of race has become embedded in our identities, institutions, and culture, and is used as a basis for discrimination and racial profiling

Class - the system of ordering a society in which people are divided into sets based on perceived social or economic status.

 
[1] Comprehensive Plan – Population and Demographics

[2] In 2019, led by a team of consultant, The Voices of Fauquier planning team administered a community survey where residents of Fauquier County were asked to identify core values.

[3] Adopted from Race Forward: Race Reporting Guide https://www.raceforward.org/sites/default/files/Race%20Reporting%20Guide%20by%20Race%20Forward_V1.1.pdf

https://dornsife.usc.edu/assets/sites/242/docs/DiversityInclusion_Benner_Pastor_ACCE_2017.pdf