Deuce Point: Indoor Tennis Referendum Postponed For Now, RA Assessments Rise $25

A referendum asking Reston residents to vote on building a $3.8 million indoor tennis facility at Lake Newport has been taken out of the Reston Association budget for next year. The referendum, which is required for the RA to move forward with the project, could still be scheduled if the RA Board decides to put the idea to a Reston-wide vote, though we're now likely looking at 2013 before that happens -- if it happens at all.

RA Director Mike Collins explained on the fancy "Face Book":

The referendum was scratched for budgeting purposes, but we can find money to pay for it if we decide to move forward. No firm date for a decision on that. Since 2009, RA has spent about $14K on preliminary design work and financial consultants.

In the meantime, RA assessments will rise $25 to $565 next year. The increases, board members said, are necessary to maintain Reston's existing infrastructure. As Director Cheryl Beamer said during last night's budget meeting:

"If the money is not there, we may get into a situation where a pool has to go without a jacuzzi if it is not in the budget. That is not how Reston is run. Since I have been on the board, there has not been a vision of anything new in Reston. We are barely taking care of what we have now. Ten dollars now could save us from raising fees $40 a couple of years from now - or closing a pool because we couldn't possibly raise fees enough to cover the cost."

People will undoubtedly complain about the assessment increase, but we think the RA needs to continue looking ahead, not just kick the can down the road maintain the status quo. Given the influx of people expected to come to Reston -- even considering just the projects already on the way through the planning process -- it's probably time for the board to start developing a vision for "something new," whether it's indoor tennis or something else.