Supporters of Reston self-governance are pressing on with their efforts to incorporate the area as a separate town, despite an abundance of bureaucratic and legal hurdles.
Now an unincorporated community in northwest Fairfax County, Reston could gain its own mayor and town council, as well as other municipal functions, if a referendum passed to establish it as a town.
“It would simplify and streamline the governance of Reston,” said Mike Corrigan, president of the Reston Citizens Association, which is pushing for the referendum. More than 600 residents, he said, have signed signatures in support of the referendum.
But creating the town is not going to be easy.
Self-governance would likely strip many responsibilities from the Reston Association — a similarly named but separate homeowners association that represents about 60,000 area residents.
There are also two Virginia laws that would need to be surmounted barring Fairfax County from establishing any new towns, said Senior Assistant County Attorney Michael Long. The state legislators, who would ultimately have to approve putting the question of town status on the ballot, have also mandated that the Reston Citizens Association seek out the support of other community groups and resolve organizational issues.
“We really want some evidence that there is a broad base of community support for it,” said Del. Kenneth R. Plum.
Plum said he wants to see the idea endorsed by the Reston Association, as well as the local chamber of commerce and community center.
The exact scope of the potential new Reston government is yet to be determined. Corrigan expects some county functions, like police and planning and zoning reviews, would be left to the county.
The project has been in the works for more than a quarter century; a similar referendum failed in 1980.
The Reston Association will hear out the proposal in the next two months, said CEO Milton Matthews.
Towns incorporated
Fairfax County contains three incorporated towns: Clifton, Herndon and Vienna, as well as two independent cities: Falls Church and Fairfax.
