Reston Referendum May Miss Quorum
The outlook for Reston Association's four-year effort to revise the community's governing documents for the first time in 22 years is increasingly dim, say association officials. The 60-day voting period on the revisions was scheduled to end today and the number of ballots turned in is still short of the 40% of Reston homeowners required to make it valid.
Officials say that if the revisions are not approved, the association would be severely hampered in its efforts to provide the services and upkeep of facilities the community requires. The association has taken advantage of a one-time-only opportunity to offer a ten day extension for people to vote, but they aren't optimistic that, given all they have already done to get people to respond, that the extension will be enough.
An earlier story on the referendum is here.
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March 31, 2006; 11:01 AM ET
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Posted by: Sick of Fairfax Taxes | March 31, 2006 1:54 PM
It is sad that the members of RA have not shown enough interest to even cast a vote in the governing documents after their elected representatives dedicated many hours in hammering out the proposed revision. Perhaps, the "community" of Reston is now only a faded dream of the founder and the long time residents. Perhaps, most of the current residents and homeowners of the area subject to the current governing documents are quite content with living in a plain old suburb.
The RA put together the revision based on some key assumptions on what the RA membership value. Perhaps, the values they assumed are not widely held at all. Maybe, the vote should be about questioning those assumptions. Restonians may not care to be a community at all. Maybe, REston is just another slice of suburbia.
Posted by: NonRestonian | April 1, 2006 4:29 AM
To: NonRestonian
Yes, it is sad.
But it might be logical. For a long time, I have thought the Northern Virginians are a little chalenged when it comes to money.
Just as one observation (check this yourself, it's easy), there are several gas stations in my area. One is consistently 10 to 20 cents higher than the others. All stations are close together. Consistently, vechicles line up to get the more expensive gas - Hummers and all.
Explain that to me.
Next, property taxes have gone throgh the roof in Fairfax County. I don't think over 10 to 15 people have even noticed. My 2006 property taxes are going up nearly 20%. Our Supervisor-in-Chief is paying little or no increase in taxes. I don't think anyone has even noticed.
In short, citizens are not tuned.
Posted by: Sick of Fairfax Taxes | April 1, 2006 12:59 PM
If only all losing politicians had this option, "Keep the polls open til I get the answer I want!" Or maybe on the SAT or SOL, if you answer wrong just keep guessing till you get it right. There something sinister about extending the deadline so that you can hopefully change the outcome.
Grow up and accept the fact that people do NOT want RA to have MORE control than they already do over our lives, money and property!
Posted by: Vote Til Win | April 6, 2006 7:04 PM
The comments to this entry are closed.
I see that Reston has the same problem we have in Fairfax County - voters who don't vote and folks that just, in general, don't give a hoot.
That's dangerous. Voters who don't vote invite politicians to take over. That's not good.
George Bernard Shaw said it best. He said that democracy "ensures that we shall be governed no better than we deserve."
How true that is! Look at the train wreck we have in Fairfax County.