How Much is Enough?

The contractors who looked into an indoor recreation facility for Reston reported that community centers typically recover 80-90% of their operating costs through fees and rely on tax revenue for the remainder. The Town of Herndon's policy is that fees will cover 65% of the Herndon Community Center's operating costs. The Fairfax County Park Authority covers 45% of its operating costs with fees. The McLean Community Center covers 30% of its operating costs with something other than tax revenue.

In 1986, the Reston Community Center Board decided that fees would cover no more than 25% of operating costs. In the most recent years, fees have covered only 16% of operating costs. One does not have to be Scrooge to wonder why the folks who use the Community Center should not pay for a larger share of the costs.