Reston Association members would pay $900 a year under a draft 2027 budget that CEO Peter Lusk presented to the board on Thursday, Oct. 8.

The proposed assessment is a $10 increase from the current $890 rate, or 1.1%. That would be the smallest hike since 2021, FFXnow first reported. Last year's jump was far steeper: the 2026 rate rose 5% from the 2025 assessment of $848.

The board had directed staff to cut operating expenses by 2-3%. To get there, staff identified savings across several areas. The biggest: eliminating the chief operating officer position, which saves $270,000 according to a staff memo. Lusk himself held the COO role from 2023 until the board named him permanent CEO in July. The memo noted the $270,000 figure is not equivalent to the position's salary.

RA also expects to save about $100,000 by shifting its activities guide from print to digital. A small number of paper copies will still be available at RA headquarters at 12001 Sunrise Valley Drive. Other reductions include changes to aquatics staffing to trim overtime, cuts to seasonal human resources and IT staff, and revisions to the capital improvement program that reduce the assessment-funded share by $400,000.

Chief Financial Officer Ed Vroom told the board the small increase drew mixed reactions. "First thing that people say, 'Wow, that's not very much,' and some people were concerned that's a little too low," Vroom said at the Oct. 8 meeting. "And what allowed us to keep it relatively low is that we did have a number of efficiencies."

Not all spending fell. The budget adds $50,000 for tree maintenance and removal, $7,500 for a study of sediment in RA's artificial lakes aimed at understanding seasonal algae blooms, funding for staff pay raises, and higher costs for benefits, insurance, utilities and inflation. Camp costs also rise with additional weeks for art, mini day and tennis camps.

Vroom noted that more members have been paying assessments on time, which slightly reduced revenue from late fees.

Margaret Perry, the board's apartment owners' representative, said she supported a smaller annual increase but wanted assurance it would not lead to a much larger hike later. RA's five-year forecast projects the assessment climbing 6% to $954 in 2028, though Vroom said that projection does not account for investment earnings or additional efficiencies staff hopes to find.

Pool visits also came up at the meeting. RA's 15 pools drew 102,326 visits in 2026, down from 119,456 in 2025, even though more recreation passes were distributed. The pools were open about 200 fewer hours.

The board is expected to take up the budget again on Thursday, Oct. 22. The RA budget calendar adopted on April 15 lists that date for board guidance on a second draft, with final adoption scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 19.