Though the Virginia General Assembly won’t convene for another six months, Reston Association is starting to lay the groundwork for a major advocacy push.
The homeowners’ association recently issued a request for proposals seeking research and communications firms that could assist it in lobbying state lawmakers, particularly regarding the expected return of legislation to make Fairfax County eligible for a casino.
The request was sent out to “a few firms” suggested by RA’s current lobbyist, Lamar Consulting, according to an update that RA CEO Mac Cummins is slated to deliver at the Board of Directors meeting tomorrow (Thursday).
“Staff expect responses in the coming weeks and will return to the Board of Directors with a contract for consideration this summer,” the update says.
The board directed RA staff to solicit bids for communications and “opposition research” firms “in regards to the casino proposal” at its April 25 meeting. The motion by At-Large Director John Farrell was approved unanimously and without discussion.
Farrell’s motion and the update from Cummins indicate that the search for a consultant was specifically motivated by RA’s “anti-casino effort,” but if a firm is hired, it would provide support on other issues as well, RA communications director Cara O’Donnell says.
The move follows the adoption of a new strategic plan in February that made enhancing partnerships and advocacy a main objective, including by supporting grassroots advocacy and building relationships with public officials, media and other homeowners’ associations.
“As part of that, the Board has directed staff to research proposals from agencies that specialize in government and community advocacy and research to assist staff in strategic responses and community coordination as we strengthen efforts to represent and advocate for our members at the regional and state levels,” O’Donnell said in a statement to FFXnow.
RA’s board quickly announced its opposition to the possibility of a Fairfax County casino after Patch reported that the developer Comstock was considering one near the Wiehle-Reston East Metro station. Though the bill proposed by state Sen. Dave Marsden earlier this year narrowed the potential sites to Tysons, Reston residents and community groups have remained involved in advocating against a casino.
While that bill was under consideration, the Reston Citizens Association partnered with other organizations, including the McLean Citizens Association, to form a No Casino Coalition. The coalition appeared at last month’s ViVa Vienna festival — where there was also a pro-casino booth sponsored by the Virginia Players Alliance — and earlier this week, it launched a petition urging the county’s Board of Supervisors to oppose a casino.
The county board sent a letter to General Assembly leaders in January expressing skepticism of a casino, but stopped short of taking an official stance. Some supervisors, including Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn, said they oppose having a casino in Fairfax County, while others stressed a need for local officials to be included in the conversation.
Public meeting possible, senator says
Marsden’s legislation, which was refined from a bill introduced and quickly withdrawn in 2022, would’ve added the county to Virginia’s list of localities eligible for a casino, but voters would still need to approve a referendum to allow a development. The Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee voted on Feb. 6 to table the bill until 2025 after a subcommittee recommended conducting a more in-depth analysis.
Marsden says he’s “not going ahead without local support,” but he maintains that the county should at least have a conversation about a casino and other options for shoring up its commercial tax base, which has been struggling since the Covid pandemic.
After approving a 4-cent increase in the real estate tax rate this spring, the Board of Supervisors directed staff to research alternate revenue sources, including a possible meals tax, as the county seeks to ease the tax burden on residential property owners.
“The fundamental change in our revenue structure has been so significant,” Marsden said, noting that the county reported a 17.2% office vacancy rate earlier this year and recently lost out on the FBI’s new headquarters.
In addition to a casino, the development that Comstock is reportedly considering in Tysons would include conference center, arts venue and hotel. According to Marsden, the former Aston Martin and Bentley auto dealership at 8546 Leesburg Pike is “still available” as a potential site.
Since the end of the General Assembly’s 2024 legislative session, Marsden says he’s met with “a couple of local government officials” to discuss the casino proposal, and he’s planning to make presentations in front of citizen groups.
“I do want to have a public meeting sometime this summer,” he told FFXnow. “We need to consider all the options.”
Correction: Though it’s listed as a “partner in opposition” on the No Casino Coalition’s website, Reston Association is not part of the coalition.
