A Penny For Your Thoughts

Fairfax County government often is used as an example to demonstrate how a local government can do things right. This week, several council members from the Korean city of Busan visited Fairfax County, and learned more about our government structure and financial and political systems. Supervisor Joan DuBois (R-Dranesville) and Supervisor Dana Kauffman (D-Lee) joined me on Tuesday to meet with the Korean delegation, who were winding up a 10-day visit to the United States and Canada, and discuss how Fairfax County works.

The port city of Busan, which was formerly called Pusan, sits on the southeastern coast of the Korean peninsula and is home to about four million people. The Busan international harbor handles 80 percent of Korea’s exported domestic goods and is the third largest container port in the world. The city is preparing for the 2005 meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation APEC group which includes the United States, and brings in world leaders for its annual meetings along the Pacific Rim. The Busan government structure includes a mayor and a council of 75 individuals, only five of whom are women. About one-half of the council members are elected proportionally, with several political parties represented. The remainder of the council is appointed. According to one council member, their elections sometimes receive a good deal of pressure and participation by members of the legislature who have a vested interest in the outcome, even at the most local level. The majority of the visiting delegation serves on the Busan planning committee, although one man serves on the construction and public works committee.

Most of the questions from the Busan visitors centered around the organization of the Board of Supervisors and its relationship with constituents and the county workforce. They wanted to know where the budget comes from, how many staff members work in each Board member’s office, and how often the Board meets. They were interested that Board meetings are televised live on the county government cable channel. Although much of our discussion was assisted by an interpreter, one female council member spoke English very well and had a great sense of humor. It appeared that many members of the delegation understood some English but were more comfortable speaking in their native language. At the end of the visit, the Busan visitors presented a miniature Korean bell that commemorates their city. Supervisors DuBois, Kauffman, and I will present the bell to Chairman Gerry Connolly and the full Board at our meeting on September 13.

The Busan delegation indicated that their Fairfax County visit was the best! Fairfax County enjoys a prominent position in the Washington region, but it is nice to know also that, internationally, Fairfax County is regarded as a prominent jurisdiction for visiting local government officials to examine and learn more about best management practices that they might take back for use in their own jurisdictions.