Manassas Park is leaving the Prince William library system, too

The Park joins Manassas City, as both are exploring the option of opening its own libraries.

In June 2019, the Park voted to let the current Prince William County Library agreement expire and to negotiate a new one.

• The current agreement between the two cities and the Prince William County Public Library ends July 1. 
• “We value the service provided by the Prince William Library System leadership and employees to our residents and our decision has nothing to do with the great service and hard work and dedication of their staff,” Palko said. “We are currently negotiating a partnership model vs. a one-system model [with Prince William County].

Why it matters: For years, Prince William County, Manassas, and Manassas Park have labored under a shared-services agreement that allowed residents of both cities to use county libraries.

• Both cities paid the county for use of Prince William’s libraries, and the current agreement is set to expire July 1.

Despite both cities pulling out of the agreement, the library system says it remains focused on serving the community.

• “The Prince William Public Library System continues our commitment to offer quality experiences and services to the greater Prince William community,” Prince William County Public Library spokeswoman Rachel Johnson told me. 

Manassas Park plans to open a library starting next year, with limited services at first but increased services are their financial position improves. 

• While Manassas Park does boast a large community center, we don’t yet know where the city might open its new library.

Palko said the city will explore the use of private vendors to help manage the library, but it will ultimately be under the city’s Parks and Recreation Department.

• Neighboring Manassas City is also looking to open its own library in the city, under a new agreement with a private operator.

Manassas Park is in debt, and this largely factored into their decision to pull out of the agreement with Prince William County’s library system.

• “We have controlled or reduced spending across the board to deal with our high annual debt payments from debt incurred in the 2000’s,” said Palko. 
• Palko explained that the city will be able to start spending more again starting in 2023.
• “But until then we will need to find cost savings measures to get us to that point. The City does not have a Rainy Day fund right now,” Palko said, explaining that “with a recession likely prior to 2023, “we need to take all measures to prepare ourselves.”
• That includes reduced library spending.

Palko cited rising costs as one reason the city is pulling out of the county library agreement.

• “The County charge for the Library service increased from $450K to $530K this past year. This is a fixed expenditure that the City has no control over.” Palko said.

Central Library, located on Mathis Avenue in Manassas, is the oldest library in Prince William County’s Library System, and is, currently, the library branch most used by residents from both cities

• Palko also said that Manassas Park wants their own library in their jurisdiction and eventually downtown Manassas Park, across from City Hall in City Center.

While the city says it plans to officially break up with the county library system, there still may be opportunities for the city to continue working with the county’s libraries. 

• “Our goal is to actually remain within the PWC Library system in some form, and the City is currently in negotiations,” Manassas Park Mayor Jeanette Rishell told me. 
• She admits the city doesn’t yet know what form that will take.

How much money will the city save by pulling out of the county agreement?

• Palko said that is yet to be determined.