Why Shared Purpose Initiative exists

Northern Virginia keeps growing. That is not a policy choice. It is what happens to a region with the jobs, the schools and the location this one has. The policy choice is whether the homes, roads, power and employers that growth needs get built here, or whether we say no and watch the costs land on the people who already live here.

Too often, the answer is no, and it is a no decided in advance. A higher-density housing proposal, a road widening, a substation, a cell tower, a data center: whole categories of projects get rejected on sight, before anyone has read the staff report or asked what the specific project would pay for. Saying no does not stop growth. It moves the cost.

Where the cost shows up

It shows up on the tax bill. Arlington's office values fell 19% in a single year, and the County Board raised the real estate rate 2 cents in April. Fairfax closed a $292.7 million budget gap with the county's first meals tax, and staff forecast another $131.5 million gap for the year after. When the commercial tax base shrinks and nothing replaces it, homeowners pay the difference.

It shows up in the schools. Fairfax County Public Schools paused teacher hiring this year. Arlington's budget proposal paired a tax increase with closing a library. Fairfax's union contract raises may not be honored if the revenue is not there.

It shows up on the road. The D.C. region ranked No. 1 in the country for worst traffic in 2025, and Virginia faces a $1.7 billion shortfall in highway maintenance.

And it shows up in who can afford to stay. Fairfax County created three times as many jobs as homes over a decade. A gap like that does not go away because a board votes no on the next subdivision. It pushes teachers, nurses and young families to the next county out, or out of the region.

What we intend to do

Most of the opposition to new projects grows in an information vacuum. Residents hear the scariest version of every proposal and almost never hear what it pays for. So most of our work is education.

• We publish the numbers. Our Data Bank collects county budgets, state reports and two years of local coverage, every item linked to its source. Where businesses carry more of the tax base, homeowners pay a lower rate. We can show that locality by locality.
• We get the word out. When a decision is in front of a board, we tell residents what it is, what the budget numbers say and where to speak.
• We argue for standards the community sets. On data centers and other large projects, we ask localities to look at the industry's best practices on water, cooling, noise, backup power and siting, decide which ones the community wants, and write them into ordinance. Every developer meets them.

We take people's concerns seriously. Someone who loves their neighborhood and does not want it replaced by something that does not fit deserves a real evaluation of the project in front of them. What we oppose is the no that was decided before anyone looked.

This is a long-term project. It is not tied to one project or one election. If you live in Northern Virginia and you are tired of watching your bill go up for the same services, sign up. We will send you the facts before each decision.