The Reston Citizens Association board of directors held elections for six posts last weekend during the Reston Festival.
All of the elections were uncontested. Voting took place at the RCA booth set up at the Reston Town Center during the festival.
Incumbent president Mike Corrigan was re-elected with 90 votes. The other incumbent, John Fay (Lake Anne/Tall Oaks), was also re-elected with 27 votes.
Susan Merk, who was appointed to the board earlier this year, was elected as an at-large board member with 86 votes.
Newcomers to the board — Colin Mills, Rod Koozmin and Debbie Moore — were also elected last weekend.
Receiving 24 votes, Mills became the South Lakes RCA board member. Minus his college years at the University of Virginia, Mills has lived his entire life in Reston. The 26-year-old has supported township since he first learned about it several years ago and thought running for the board was a good way to get involved.
“There is no single voice that speaks for Reston,” said Mills, explaining why Reston should become a town. “This is the biggest and best chance to get this done.” Mills said that he is looking forward to helping people learn more about the advantages of becoming a town.
Koozmin, elected as the Hunters Woods board member, received 21 votes. A 15-year Reston resident Koozmin, 56, is a retired small businessman. He said he now has time to give back to the community. He recently learned about RCA’s effort to incorporate Reston. “I heard what they had to say at one of their meetings and I was impressed,” said Koozmin, who decided a few days later to run for the position, interested in helping Reston become a town. “The people of Reston should have some sort of democratic way to influence decisions.”
Moore, elected as the North Point board member, received 12 votes. Moore, a Reston resident for the past nine years, said that she’s followed the town issue for a long time. “It’s just recently come to a boiling point, but there needs to be even more awareness,” she said.
Moore, who has been active in the community as a volunteer at her church, sees this moment as an important one in Reston’s history. “I wanted to be part of this transition in Reston’s history,” she said.
THE RCA HASN'T LET ELECTIONS slow them from their goal of Reston township. On June 22, RCA sent a letter to Supervisor Cathy M. Hudgins (D-Hunter Mill) outlining its plan for incorporation and its hope to work closely with the county as the process moves forward.
The letter is clear to point out that Reston would maintain most of its county services, but would take over planning and zoning, what Corrigan called an “inexpensive but important function.”
The letter preceded a meeting RCA board members had with Hudgins on July 6. In the meeting, specifics of what a Reston town charter might look like were discussed.
“[Hudgins] has yet to take a position on anything specific,” said Corrigan. “The county has been careful not to say they are opposed to it.”
Calling the meeting “professional and helpful,” Corrigan is optimistic that with continued talks the effort will gain the support it needs from the county.
Meanwhile, RCA’s effort to demonstrate public support for incorporation is growing by way of the pen. Last month, RCA started a petition for Reston residents who support township. Last week, RCA collected nearly 300 signatures.
At the festival, RCA also reached out for community views by conducting a poll. The results showed 92 of 149 Reston respondents (62 percent) were “in favor of having a referendum on Reston becoming incorporated as a town.”