Comments on: Fun With the Constitution

By: Xrlq

Xrlq — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 23:35:18 +0000

Spencer, that's close but not quite right. Cities are not inside counties, but towns are. I'm only aware of two other independent cities in the U.S., Baltimore, MD and Carson City, NV, though any distinction between independent cities and the consolidated City and County of San Francisco is arguably a matter of semantics.

By: James Joyner

James Joyner — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 18:47:50 +0000

spencer: Yep, it's not like anything I'd seen before. What's especially amusing is that there is the City of Alexandria (aka Old Town Alexandria) and then there is the large part of Alexandria that is in Fairfax County but not part of the City. Quite strange, really.

By: spencer

spencer — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 18:44:35 +0000

For those not familiar with the very unusual political arrangements in Virginia it may be the only state with only two levels of government.
In VA you are either in a county or a town(city)
but the town or city is never in a county.
The typical arrangement is for 3 levels of government with towns and/or cities also being in a county.

By: James Joyner

James Joyner — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 17:31:04 +0000

DCL/Tim: You're right. I knew that, really! What I get for posting in the middle of the night with insomnia!

By: TimC

TimC — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 16:58:30 +0000

As an Arlington County, VA resident, I must point out that the retrocession was of Alexandria and Arlington County, not Fairfax County. This is very evident when you view a map of DC/NoVA and see how Alexandria/Arlington complete the square on the VA side of the Potomac River.

By: DC Loser

DC Loser — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 16:42:05 +0000

I think you meant Arlington County, and not Fairfax County? Arlington is that missing corner of the square that was returned to VA.