| Town
Plan Advances |
| Poll
Shows 62 Percent Support Referendum |
By Erick Soricelli
Observer Staff Writer |
| Ninety-three residents out of 150 voting in a Reston Citizens
Association poll support a referendum to decide on incorporating
Reston as a town, according to results released by the RCA
board July 11. |
| "It was a resounding positive vote," said RCA board president
Mike Corrigan. "We're certainly encouraged by it." |
| The poll was conducted at the 2005 Reston Festival as part
of RCA's latest effort to gauge where the community stands
on their "resTOWN in 2006" plan. Thirty-five residents voted
against the referendum idea and 22 said they weren't sure
or needed more information. |
| RCA has also started circulating a petition to urge the
Virginia General Assembly to approve a referendum. About 300
signatures from local residents have been collected so far,
according to RCA at-large director Sue Merk. |
| RCA board members say incorporating Reston into a town would
consolidate the planned community's government and give the
area a more effective voice in land-use, development, taxing
and regional issues via a mayor and town council. |
| According to RCA, a town government would assilimate much
of Reston Association, a private homeowner's association and
all of Reston Community Center, which has two Fairfax County-run
facilities. |
| RA and RCC board members are wary of the issue. "In terms
of services, I don't see it having a material impact," said
RCC board member Joe Lombardo. "It would give greater local
control of the operations of the RCC." |
| Lombardo added he isn't sure RCC's existing board of governors,
which oversee the facilities for the county, would be necessary. |
| RCA says all but RA's home covenant enforcement department
would transfer into a town government, which has caught its
board's attention. |
| Until RCA can better explain what would happen to RA, Lake
Anne/Tall Oaks director Robin Smyers said she was not sure
whether Reston should become a town. |
| Smyers said Reston is already well-represented with several
local and state leaders including Fairfax County Supervisor
Cathy Hudgins (D-Hunter Mill), Del. Ken Plum (D-86th) and
state Sen. Janet Howell (D-32nd). |
| While RCA found moderate support for a town from Reston
residents at two town meetings they hosted in June, their
idea worries some nearby residents. |
| RCA wants to include Small Tax District 5 in the town, which
covers most of Reston and stretches into parts of Oak Hill,
Herndon and Vienna. The district funds the RCC. |
| Residents in the outlying district areas say they're paying
for a community center they don't get information from, and
some in the district don't know where their tax dollars go. |
| "I'm very concerned that the organizers seem to be dragging
us into things and those of you who live in the Reston tract,"
John Okay of Herndon told the RCC board at its July 11 meeting. |
| Okay added some residents deliberately moved to Reston's
outskirts under the impression they wouldn't have to pay the
extra property tax. "The tax district was established for
a separate purpose," he said. "We wanted the independence." |
| RCA now wants to meet with RA and the Greater Reston Chamber
of Commerce sometime in July. They also hope to have a meeting
with county supervisors and officials in time to submit legislation
for a charter in the General Assembly's next session in early
2006. |
| "The trick is going to be the charter and negotiations with
the county," Corrigan said. "I have no idea how that's going
to work out." |
| The town discussions come as RCA adds three new members
to its board as a result of elections held at Reston Festival. |
| Rod Koozmin, Debbie Moore and Colin Mills were elected to
fill vacant seats as Hunters Woods, North Point and South
Lakes directors. |
| Corrigan, Merk and Lake Anne director John Fay were re-elected
to their seats. All six candidates ran unopposed. |
