| Big Fight Looming at RCC By Jason Hartke - March 29, 2006 As chair of the Reston Community Center Board of Governors, Joseph Lombardo had two extra minutes at Monday’s public hearing to speak to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. Rather than comment solely on a change to the RCC borders, the focus of the public hearing, Lombardo chose instead to direct attention to upcoming issues. First, he urged that the county put the border change on hold until after the RCC elections in October. The reasons for the request extend from the partisan divisions on the nine-member board. Lombardo leads an anti-tax, conservative majority on the board made up of Mary Buff and three, newly-elected non-Reston residents — Kevin Deasy, George Lawton and Peter von zur Muehlen. With the county’s decision Monday to shrink the tax district borders, Deasy, Lawton and Von zur Muehlen will be forced off the board in July. With the alliance intact through October, Lombardo hoped to move on what he told the Board of Supervisors were “three major issues that, if left unresolved, will further undermine public support for RCC.” Lombardo suggested that many people in the tax district want the county to assume responsibility for funding the RCC. He said that opponents to this scenario argue the RCC offers “unique” programming. Lombardo said, however, the RCC is “hardly unique” and said a referendum on the tax district would help resolve the issue. If Lombardo has his way, he would also like to see a reduction in the tax rate. With his majority intact for the next three months, he plans to introduce a “permanent, 30 percent reduction in the tax rate,” which could result in programming cuts or large fee increases. The county, however, must approve any change to the tax rate. Foreseeing action by a lame duck board, many Reston residents have cried foul. “They should not be making fundamental changes to the RCC on their way out the door,” said Reston resident William Penniman. For some RCC board members, this was the first time they heard about the proposals. “These are issues that have not been handled by the board and should be handled there before they are addressed elsewhere,” said Terry Smith, RCC board member, upset that Lombardo had sprung these issues at Monday’s hearing. © 2006 Connection Newspapers. All Rights Reserved. |