-- by David Swink, FCTA, 07/28/2014
FCTA has been appalled by the cost of government at both the Virginia and Fairfax County levels. We have already posted a document comparing budgets at the state level. We now compare the 134 local governing jurisdictions within Virginia (96 counties and 38 cities). We started by listing all the Virginia counties and cities and their populations. We then got an accurate count of the number of people on each local government payroll -- with data from the Census Bureau -- including those working in public schools, fire and safety, and the remaining general personnel. The total government payroll divided by the local population gives a general idea of the relative "efficiency" of the local government -- when compared to numbers from other jurisdictions.
Findings: The table below shows the results (with links to the original data). Local government employment averaged 3.71% for the counties and 4,50% for the cities. There was wide variance between jurisdictions of roughly the same size. Fairfax County -- by far the largest jurisdiction -- was a respectable 3.87%, with neighboring Arlington at 4.21%, Loudoun at 4.08%, and Prince William at 3.60%. (Fairfax County would need to drop about 1,800 positions to meet the all-state county average.)
However, with average local government "efficiency" in Virginia at 3.95%, Maryland (a very blue state) at 4.17%, and Texas (a very red state) at 4.22% -- a mere 0.27% variation -- we have not found this "body count" metric to be a major cost driver. So one must instead watch how those public servants are spending your money.
VaLoc:CoCity: Locality 2012 Pop(Est) GenGov + Safety + School = TotGov PctGov Va001:AccoCo: Accomack Co 33,359 254 106 992 1,352 4.05% Va003:AlbeCo: Albemarle Co 102,116 489 457 2,068 3,014 2.95% Va005:AlgyCo: Alleghany Co 16,191 162 98 429 689 4.26% Va007:AmelCo: Amelia Co 12,747 44 29 349 422 3.31% Va009:AmhrCo: Amherst Co 32,421 173 77 739 989 3.05% Va011:ApmxCo: Appomattox Co 15,166 88 43 404 535 3.53% Va013:ArlgCo: Arlington Co 221,275 4,032 1,176 4,109 9,317 4.21% Va015:AugsCo: Augusta Co 73,635 291 331 1,766 2,388 3.24% Va017:BathCo: Bath Co 4,669 31 23 165 219 4.69% Va019:BedfCo: Bedford Co 69,538 384 527 1,714 2,625 3.77% Va021:BlanCo: Bland Co 6,751 31 21 154 206 3.05% Va023:BoteCo: Botetourt Co 33,121 177 133 818 1,128 3.41% Va025:BrunCo: Brunswick Co 17,050 118 82 451 651 3.82% Va027:BuchCo: Buchanan Co 23,864 111 77 646 834 3.49% Va029:BuckCo: Buckingham Co 17,067 60 182 302 544 3.19% Va031:CampCo: Campbell Co 55,069 250 138 1,451 1,839 3.34% Va033:CaroCo: Caroline Co 28,967 173 96 649 918 3.17% Va035:CarrCo: Carroll Co 29,923 194 85 736 1,015 3.39% Va036:CCtyCo: Charles City Co 7,171 49 24 170 243 3.39% Va037:CharCo: Charlotte Co 12,421 105 48 346 499 4.02% Va041:CfldCo: Chesterfield Co 323,862 2,447 1,552 8,106 12,105 3.74% Va043:ClkeCo: Clarke Co 14,321 99 43 389 531 3.71% Va045:CragCo: Craig Co 5,229 22 17 130 169 3.23% Va047:CulpCo: Culpeper Co 47,789 401 206 1,234 1,841 3.85% Va049:CumbCo: Cumberland Co 9,836 49 27 221 297 3.02% Va051:DickCo: Dickenson Co 15,679 130 58 422 610 3.89% Va053:DinwCo: Dinwiddie Co 28,040 184 77 629 890 3.17% Va057:EssxCo: Essex Co 11,198 86 55 281 422 3.77% Va059:FrfxCo: Fairfax Co 1,118,683 9,677 4,487 29,111 43,275 3.87% Va061:FauqCo: Fauquier Co 66,526 496 282 2,062 2,840 4.27% Va063:FloyCo: Floyd Co 15,440 63 38 320 421 2.73% Va065:FluvCo: Fluvanna Co 25,982 126 40 557 723 2.78% Va067:FklnCo: Franklin Co 56,327 242 170 1,361 1,773 3.15% Va069:FredCo: Frederick Co 80,296 301 421 2,461 3,183 3.96% Va071:GileCo: Giles Co 16,962 129 70 387 586 3.45% Va073:GlouCo: Gloucester Co 36,905 210 121 877 1,208 3.27% Va075:GoocCo: Goochland Co 21,349 79 78 384 541 2.53% Va077:GrayCo: Grayson Co 15,188 80 45 416 541 3.56% Va079:GrneCo: Greene Co 18,752 80 38 539 657 3.50% Va081:GrnvCo: Greensville Co 11,892 80 98 393 571 4.80% Va083:HafxCo: Halifax Co 35,817 217 133 1,197 1,547 4.32% Va085:HnovCo: Hanover Co 100,588 748 762 3,012 4,522 4.50% Va087:HnriCo: Henrico Co 315,200 2,823 1,927 7,072 11,822 3.75% Va089:HnryCo: Henry Co 52,847 305 157 1,247 1,709 3.23% Va091:HighCo: Highland Co 2,236 19 16 66 101 4.52% Va093:IoWtCo: Isle Of Wight Co 35,378 235 95 896 1,226 3.47% Va095:JCtyCo: James City Co 69,061 732 467 1,905 3,104 4.49% Va097:KgQuCo: King and Queen Co 7,074 36 96 168 300 4.24% Va099:KgGeCo: King George Co 24,561 137 86 795 1,018 4.14% Va101:KgWmCo: King William Co 15,966 82 54 472 608 3.81% Va103:LancCo: Lancaster Co 11,238 70 54 256 380 3.38% Va105:LeeCo: Lee Co 25,542 74 67 840 981 3.84% Va107:LoudCo: Loudoun Co 337,248 2,332 1,452 9,991 13,775 4.08% Va109:LouiCo: Louisa Co 33,458 127 141 856 1,124 3.36% Va111:LubgCo: Lunenburg Co 12,606 61 44 298 403 3.20% Va113:MadiCo: Madison Co 13,208 60 35 308 403 3.05% Va115:MathCo: Mathews Co 8,899 42 29 287 358 4.02% Va117:MkbgCo: Mecklenburg Co 31,806 353 160 862 1,375 4.32% Va119:MsexCo: Middlesex Co 10,826 40 39 201 280 2.59% Va121:MontCo: Montgomery Co 95,352 658 331 1,710 2,699 2.83% Va125:NelsCo: Nelson Co 14,813 62 32 363 457 3.09% Va127:NKntCo: New Kent Co 19,124 124 95 419 638 3.34% Va131:NhamCo: Northampton Co 12,258 325 106 419 850 6.93% Va133:NhumCo: Northumberland Co 12,338 49 40 269 358 2.90% Va135:NottCo: Nottoway Co 15,883 131 57 360 548 3.45% Va137:OrngCo: Orange Co 34,203 163 213 797 1,173 3.43% Va139:PageCo: Page Co 23,932 124 124 630 878 3.67% Va141:PatrCo: Patrick Co 18,441 70 77 548 695 3.77% Va143:PittCo: Pittsylvania Co 62,737 195 160 1,208 1,563 2.49% Va145:PowhCo: Powhatan Co 28,133 99 76 680 855 3.04% Va147:PrEdCo: Prince Edward Co 23,187 184 98 419 701 3.02% Va149:PrGeCo: Prince George Co 36,986 117 493 909 1,519 4.11% Va153:PrWmCo: Prince William Co 430,100 2,611 1,765 11,109 15,485 3.60% Va155:PulaCo: Pulaski Co 34,761 290 150 848 1,288 3.71% Va157:RappCo: Rappahannock Co 7,448 33 29 194 256 3.44% Va159:RichCo: Richmond Co 9,047 33 122 171 326 3.60% Va161:RoanCo: Roanoke Co 92,932 972 513 2,244 3,729 4.01% Va163:RkbrCo: Rockbridge Co 22,360 107 93 461 661 2.96% Va165:RkhmCo: Rockingham Co 77,367 444 349 1,913 2,706 3.50% Va167:RussCo: Russell Co 28,440 140 104 850 1,094 3.85% Va169:ScotCo: Scott Co 22,770 100 58 563 721 3.17% Va171:ShenCo: Shenandoah Co 42,614 288 199 1,017 1,504 3.53% Va173:SmytCo: Smyth Co 31,782 374 113 772 1,259 3.96% Va175:SohmCo: Southampton Co 18,376 149 96 472 717 3.90% Va177:SpotCo: Spotsylvania Co 125,772 513 385 2,739 3,637 2.89% Va179:StafCo: Stafford Co 134,251 549 385 3,541 4,475 3.33% Va181:SurrCo: Surry Co 6,821 50 27 309 386 5.66% Va183:SusxCo: Sussex Co 11,945 90 68 265 423 3.54% Va185:TazeCo: Tazewell Co 44,289 363 172 1,109 1,644 3.71% Va187:WarrCo: Warren Co 38,037 207 173 821 1,201 3.16% Va191:WashCo: Washington Co 54,785 412 479 1,403 2,294 4.19% Va193:WestCo: Westmoreland Co 17,528 136 63 391 590 3.37% Va195:WiseCo: Wise Co 40,818 345 160 1,019 1,524 3.73% Va197:WythCo: Wythe Co 29,323 223 358 843 1,424 4.86% Va199:YorkCo: York Co 66,090 418 306 1,906 2,630 3.98% Va510:AlexCi: Alexandria 146,839 1,733 1,081 2,407 5,221 3.56% Va515:BedfCi: Bedford 5,930 121 30 0 151 2.55% Va520:BrisCi: Bristol 17,747 191 187 387 765 4.31% Va530:BuViCi: Buena Vista 6,772 68 26 235 329 4.86% Va540:CharCi: Charlottesville 43,966 930 268 1,086 2,284 5.19% Va550:ChesCi: Chesapeake 228,303 3,789 1,533 5,691 11,013 4.82% Va570:CoHtCi: Colonial Heights 17,502 120 140 542 802 4.58% Va580:CoviCi: Covington 5,818 76 30 173 279 4.80% Va590:DanvCi: Danville 42,944 732 463 1,256 2,451 5.71% Va595:EmpoCi: Emporia 5,719 78 43 0 121 2.12% Va600:FrFxCi: Fairfax City 23,398 248 166 0 414 1.77% Va610:FaChCi: Falls Church 13,179 182 65 473 720 5.46% Va620:FklnCi: Franklin City 8,510 128 214 260 602 7.07% Va630:FrbgCi: Fredericksburg 27,390 487 524 599 1,610 5.88% Va640:GalxCi: Galax City 6,928 166 42 206 414 5.98% Va650:HampCi: Hampton 136,632 1,284 963 3,878 6,125 4.48% Va660:HrbgCi: Harrisonburg 51,153 491 188 795 1,474 2.88% Va670:HopeCi: Hopewell 22,356 267 162 678 1,107 4.95% Va678:LexiCi: Lexington 6,988 138 68 67 273 3.91% Va680:LyncCi: Lynchburg 77,185 783 507 1,767 3,057 3.96% Va683:ManaCi: Manassas 40,663 272 181 1,098 1,551 3.81% Va685:MaPkCi: Manassas Park 15,871 98 65 384 547 3.45% Va690:MartCi: Martinsville 13,741 226 156 387 769 5.60% Va700:NNwsCi: Newport News 180,781 2,115 1,457 4,910 8,482 4.69% Va710:NofkCi: Norfolk 246,007 4,814 2,111 7,687 14,612 5.94% Va720:NortCi: Norton 4,065 72 29 125 226 5.56% Va730:PeteCi: Petersburg 32,161 439 397 640 1,476 4.59% Va735:PoquCi: Poquoson 12,117 75 52 320 447 3.69% Va740:PmthCi: Portsmouth 96,564 1,033 1,094 2,231 4,358 4.51% Va750:RadfCi: Radford 16,728 150 77 223 450 2.69% Va760:RichCi: Richmond 210,857 2,807 2,255 3,915 8,977 4.26% Va770:RoanCi: Roanoke City 97,764 963 852 2,085 3,900 3.99% Va775:SalmCi: Salem 25,052 381 246 612 1,239 4.95% Va790:StauCi: Staunton 23,933 186 274 671 1,131 4.73% Va800:SufkCi: Suffolk 85,194 740 582 2,236 3,558 4.18% Va810:VaBeCi: Virginia Beach 445,378 5,444 2,175 11,439 19,058 4.28% Va820:WaynCi: Waynesboro 21,084 176 97 522 795 3.77% Va830:WmbgCi: Williamsburg 15,107 208 199 0 407 2.69% Va840:WincCi: Winchester 26,923 320 433 738 1,491 5.54% Va000:AllCo: 95 Counties 5,681,379 41,838 25,559 143,158 210,555 3.71% Va000:AllCi: +39 Cities 2,505,249 32,531 19,432 60,273 112,686 4.50% Va000:AllJur: =134 All Juris 8,186,628 74,369 44,991 203,431 322,791 3.95% Va000:State: State Gov't 8,186,628 46,917 20,428 59,175 126,520 1.55% NOTE: All jobs are "Full-Time Equivalent Employment" "Safety" includes Police, Fire, Corrections, and Judicial
Helpful reference: American FactFinder Deep Linking Guide -- Version 2.6, March 22, 2013
