Draft 2026–27 Reston Association budget proposes higher assessment, ramps capital funding

Reston Association staff on Aug. 27 presented a draft biennial budget for 2026–27 that would raise the association assessment and increase planned capital contributions over the next several years.

At the meeting staff said the draft first proposal would raise assessments and that the increase is driven by three main factors: capital funding increases, inflationary pressure on operating costs (notably insurance and benefits) and several programmatic and maintenance items. One staff presenter summarized the draft as “we’re at $9.23 right now, dollars 75 increase or 8.8 percent,” language used during the meeting by the presenter to convey the scale of the change for this draft cycle.

Staff also described a capital funding plan that phases an increase toward roughly $3.7–3.75 million annually by 2028, using a ramp‑up approach to make year‑to‑year assessment changes smoother. The draft budget includes offsets from unallocated capital reserves in 2026 and 2027 while the association moves toward the higher recurring capital contribution.

Key capital drivers staff highlighted included: further testing and repair work at Lake Newport pool (staff said tests would be performed in September after summer repairs); a multi‑year Lake Newport tennis project with cost estimates around the $1.9 million range; and Hook Road park improvements, including a permanent restroom whose early cost estimates came in higher than expected. Staff said condition assessments done this year have improved planning and that additional facility and bridge condition work continues.

Staff outlined the board’s review process: a public hearing on Sept. 11 (a listening session beginning at 6 p.m.), a fiscal committee review on Sept. 17 and further board input in late September before a second draft is prepared. Directors and staff agreed implementation details and benefit and insurance estimates would be refined in subsequent drafts.

Directors debated the proposal’s scale and the tradeoffs. Several board members urged staff to seek operational efficiencies, consider fee‑structure adjustments, and provide more detailed line‑item drivers in follow‑up materials. Others said keeping up with asset maintenance and reserves is a priority after years in which assessments rose below inflation in some periods.

What’s next: staff will provide options and a “cafeteria” set of choices for the board’s Sept. 25 meeting and will collect public comment during the Sept. 11 hearing. The budget process will produce a second draft for board review later in the fall.