A Penny For Your Thoughts

Springfield Supervisor Elaine McConnell hosted the retreat at her “River’s Bend Guest Ranch” in the Shenandoah Valley. The 250-acre ranch is pleasant with lovely views of tree-covered hills in the distance, although in February the trees are leafless and you can see remnants of snow on the ground. The formal parts of the retreat were conducted in the dining room of the “bunkhouse,” a wooden frame building where Board members also stayed overnight. The room was snug but bright, with cold winter sunshine streaming in through the windows. A row of chairs on one side accommodated the press and public observers, while Board members and senior county staff sat at small round dining tables. Meals were cooked and served in the early 20th century farm house a couple minutes’ walk across an open yard. Horses and cattle could be seen in adjacent fenced pastures.

All ten supervisors participated in the retreat, led by Chairman Gerry Connolly. Each Board member spent a few minutes outlining priorities and goals for his or her district, followed by a similar exercise for the county as a whole. Whenever the conversation strayed to a tangent, Chairman Connolly gently would bring us back to focus. We filled up page after page of flip charts with ideas, issues, and proposals, and posted the papers around the room. Later sessions translated the flip chart notes into strategic planning, and explored linkages between the county’s mission, vision, and values in the forthcoming FY 2005 budget. Perhaps most surprising was the discovery that many issues for Board members are very similar, regardless of their district. Revitalization was a major theme throughout the meetings for almost every district. A lot of time was spent on issues that have environmental implications. Providing services for a growing senior citizen population also got attention. And, of course, the role of the school system always was in mind.

Based on all the information and ideas generated by Board members, the retreat was too short to do the analysis and prioritization that will be necessary to establish goals. I anticipate that a shorter day session, held in Fairfax County, will be scheduled in the not-too-distant future to review the work of the retreat and put together some goals and action plans for coming budgets. I will report on that exercise in a future column.