Manassas declares a local state of emergency in wake of cornavirus

Manassas City is now under a local state of emergency in response to the spread of Chinese coronavirus.

The declaration comes as officials in neighboring jurisdictions Fredericksburg, and in Prince William, and Stafford counties made identical declarations yesterday.

States of emergency have also been declared at the federal and state levels.

A city press release states:

City Manager W. Patrick Pate has signed the Declaration of Local State of Emergency for the City of Manassas in response to the Centers for Disease Control’s new guidance on social distancing in groups of no more than 10 people to help slow the spread of COVID-19 or the Coronavirus.

The City of Manassas Declaration is effective as of 12 p.m. on March 17, 2020. This will allow the City to prioritize resources, seek intergovernmental resources, handle procurement issues, coordinate an effective response and work to help City residents respond to this pandemic emergency.

“We know folks are nervous during this crisis and we want to let them know that we are here with them through it all. Manassas City Police and Fire & Rescue will be on the job to help those in need. However, if what you need them for is not an emergency, please use social distancing methods and give them a call on the non-emergency line before you call 9-1-1.”

The following steps have been taken to date in the City of Manassas:

• All City Council meetings have been canceled through April 1
• The Manassas Museum is closed
• The Manassas Regional Airshow schedueld or the first weekend in May has been canceled as have events in Historic Downtown
• The Runway 10K, 5K and fun run has been postponed
• The City is asking residents to call ahead before coming to any City building as we may be able to handle your request or concern over the phone.
• Bill payment can be completed online.
• There will be no utility shut offs during this time of crisis
• Trash and recycling will be collected on a regular basis at this time

The declaration comes as elected officials on the Manassas City Council held a meeting last night, Monday, March 16, 2020, to discuss the matters of the annual city budget. Specifically, to set an advertised property tax rate of $1.480 per $100 of the assessed value of every home in the city.

At that rate, if approved by the city council in April, residents will pay on average $220 more in property taxes than they did a year ago. The average property tax bill will be $5,881.

Olivia Aveni Briscoe contribued to this report.