Apparently, public information doesn’t come cheap in Dumfries.
The town collected $24,000 in revenues from Freedom of Information Act requests, and other miscellaneous fees in the Fiscal Year 2020, which ended June 30. The line item amount represents a 944% increase over what the town had anticipated for the year, which was $2,500, according to a preliminary budget report provided to the town council.
In the Fiscal Year 2018 budget, the town stated it collected $1,397 for the same line item.
Potomac Local News asked town manager, Keith Rogers, about the increase. He declined to explain why the number increased by such a large amount, but did offer this statement via email:
“I assume that the report you reference is an unreconciled, unaudited report that was provided to the Council on June 30th. This report simply provides a snapshot at a given time of spending levels.
Miscellaneous revenue is funding received that is not anticipated or otherwise accounted for. The majority of the funds in this line are related to electronic and credit card payment processing fees.
As is standard, these processing fees are collected at the time of payment and passed on to the credit card and electronic payment vendors.”
Dumfries is one of four towns in Prince William County, including Haymarket, Occoquan, and Quantico. In Occoquan, FOIA revenues are flat.
“We have not collected any FOIA revenues in FY 2020, according to our Treasurer, and we have not budgeted any for FY 2021,” Occoquan Mayor Earnie Porta told Potomac Local News.
Potomac Local News got a similar explanation from a Manassas City spokeswoman, who told PLN the city shows a $0 balance for FOIA requests. PLN got a similar explanation from the Prince William County Government, too.
“The county does not track total FOIA costs collected. Also, FOIA charges reflect the county’s actual costs in responding to FOIA requests, so they are not really anticipated budget revenues,” said Prince William County FOIA officer Rob Skoff.
Virginia law allows public bodies like the Dumfries Town Council to charge reasonable fees to recoup the actual costs incurred for duplicating, supplying, or searching for the requested records. However, the law prohibits localities from charging more than what it actually costs to make copies of records.
In May, Rogers slapped Potomac Local News with a $400 fee when it requested to see the salaries of the town’s more than 20 employees, including officers and support staff at the town’s police department. This same information had been presented as line items in the town’s Fiscal Year 2019 budget but was excluded the following year.
“We made the change because, when employees knew how much each other made, it caused tension among our employees,” Dumfries Mayor Derrick Wood told Potomac Local News.
Councilman Charles Brewer told Potomac Local News that he and five other council members asked Rogers multiple times to provide the town council with the current salary information of town employees, presented in the same line item format that was used in 2019. Rogers has not delivered the information, said Brewer, and Rogers has declined to comment on the matter.
Potomac Local News declined to pay the town’s FOIA fee and has yet to receive employee salary records.
Potomac Local News requested the salary information for all employees of the three other towns in Prince Wiliam County. All three — Haymarket, Occoquan, and Quantico — provided salary information of all of its employees to Potomac Local News.
No jurisdiction charged a fee.
Reporter Megan Dietrick contributed to this report.
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Following Monday evening’s winter storm, school divisions across the region have announced closures for Tuesday, January 7, 2025, due to hazardous road conditions and ongoing winter weather concerns. Below is a roundup of closures and policies for the affected school systems:
Prince William County Public Schools
All schools and offices will be closed Code Red on Tuesday. Inclement Weather Employees are the exception and should follow their assigned schedule.
Stafford County Public Schools
Schools will be closed on Tuesday due to adverse weather and an extended winter storm warning. All activities and events scheduled for the day are canceled. Tuesday was originally a professional learning day, so students were not scheduled to attend.
Manassas City Public Schools
Schools and offices will be closed Tuesday. Code BLUE is in effect for employees.
Fredericksburg City Public Schools
Schools will be closed, and buildings will remain closed as crews work on clearing parking lots and sidewalks. Essential personnel will be contacted by their supervisors for report times.
Manassas Park City Schools Closure for Tuesday, January 7, 2025
All Manassas Park City Schools will be closed on Tuesday, January 7, 2025, due to snowy conditions. **Code RED** is in effect for employees.
King George County Schools
Schools will be closed Tuesday. Code 1 is in effect for 12-month employees.
Fairfax County Public Schools
All schools and central offices will be closed on Tuesday.
University of Mary Washington
All UMW campuses, including Fredericksburg, Stafford, and Dahlgren, will be closed all day Tuesday following the January 6 snowstorm.
Stay tuned for updates on reopening plans and further weather developments. Stay safe!
More as we get them.
The Manassas City Council meeting originally scheduled for January 6, 2025, has been postponed to Monday, January 13, 2025. The meeting will feature the swearing-in of elected officials, administered by the Honorable Jacqueline Smith, Clerk of the Circuit Court.
Mayor Michelle Davis-Younger, who won re-election in November 2024, will take the oath of office for her second term. Joining her will be Councilman Tom Osina, beginning his second term; Councilman Mark Wolfe, embarking on his fourth term; and newly elected Councilwoman Ashley Hutson, serving her first term on the council. All four ran as Democrats in the 2024 election.
Manassas Park Resident Jose Rafael Lizama pled guilty Friday, January 3, 2024, to felony Involuntary Manslaughter stemming from a December 2, 2023 crash where Lizama admitted to striking and killing pedestrian Justin Burns, 39, of Blackstone, Va.
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Lizama appeared with an interpreter, and his lawyer stood before Judge Angela Horan and took responsibility for the 11 p.m. crash in front of Old Towne Sports Pub in Manassas.
During Lizama’s preliminary hearing in May 2024, Prosecutors presented evidence, including a nearby homeowner’s security camera footage that caught Lizama’s van traveling at a high rate of speed, striking Burns as he crossed the street in an unlit area of Center Street.
(FXBG Advance) – Prior to ever publicly addressing questions about the removal of Mary Becelia from the Central Rappahannock Regional Library’s Board of Trustees for alleged misconduct, the Stafford Board of Supervisors presented Becelia with a “Settlement Agreement, Release, and Covenant Not to Sue.”
Start 2024 on the right foot by prioritizing your mental health and well-being. At Peaceful Mind Solutions, we understand how challenging life can be—whether it’s managing stress from work, family dynamics, or navigating the complexities of the world around us. Our team is here to help you create balance and find the peace you deserve.
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Experience the passion and drama of Puccini’s “The Girl from the Golden West”.
Featuring special guest musicians from The Chesapeake Youth Orchestra, this performance brings Puccini’s masterpiece to life with an extraordinary cast.
Featuring:
