Manassas City Council Candidate Survey: Budget and Taxes

As we get closer to the start of early voting for the Fall 2024 election, Potomac Local News is dedicated to informing the community about candidates vying for one of three open seats on the Manassas City Council and the mayor’s seat. To help voters make an informed decision, we are continuing a new feature series, “One-Question Manassas City Council Candidate Survey.” This series will run throughout the campaign season, offering insights into each candidate’s stand on key issues affecting our city. Our first one, which ran last week, focused on affordable housing.

The candidates are given 10 days to respond to a Google Form, and their answers will be compiled into a single post on PotomacLocalNews.com. This format lets voters quickly compare the candidates’ views on critical issues, helping them make an informed choice come election day.

Today's Topic: Budget and taxes. The candidates were asked: With the recent discussions around budget priorities and potential tax increases, what are your budget priorities, and how would you work to balance fiscal responsibility with the needs of the community? Mayoral candidates Xiao-Yin “Tang” Byrom (R)

As a business owner of 25 years, budgeting comes very natural to me. I must stay within budget and provide excellent service to my customers. The city should as well, and not raise taxes that put an additional burden on the citizens. Of all the things the mayor does, none are more important than being fiscally responsible and upholding the trust you put in me to be a good steward of your tax dollars. I feel budget priorities fall into two categories. “NEEDS” and “WANTS” The “NEEDS," like water, sewer, electricity, police, fire, rescue, education, transportation and rainy-day funds, top the list. In these vital areas, it is important that we have the best equipment, the best managers and the best trained staff possible. We should not be second best to anybody anywhere. These are investments in our community I would not waiver on as your mayor. The “WANTS” are the areas where our citizens really get a chance to weigh in. Do you want to allocate your resources to more sidewalks, parks, arts, tourism, recreation, etc.? My preferences are not important next to the wants of the citizens I represent, like you. Come budget season, elected leaders should do more listening than talking. I promise I will make your voice heard.

Byrom, the owner of Tang’s Bridal and Alterations in the Canterbury Village shopping center at 8675 Sudley Road, opened her Manassas store as an alteration shop in 1999. She eventually expanded her business to include bridal and formal wear. Her business employs 17 people. Michelle Davis Younger (D-Incumbent)

NO RESPONSE

Davis-Younger is seeking a second term as mayor, after being elected in 2020. She owns and operates a Human Resources Consulting firm located in Historic Downtown Manassas called The1ForHR, LLC, which focuses on career coaching and resume writing. City Council candidates Lynn Forkell Greene (R)

Our city continues to face multiple challenges: improving schools, enhancing public safety and investing in infrastructure. As your City Council member, I will work collaboratively to find the right balance, ensuring our tax dollars are used effectively and transparently. Community input is crucial; decisions should echo the collective voice of our residents, guiding our choices rather than merely following procedure. Every voice matters. I am committed to advocating for policies that benefit all residents of Manassas City. In 2022, I stood with many residents and proudly voted for a 15% tax reduction/refund on personal property taxes, which was ultimately unanimously approved by our City Council demonstrating my leadership and dedication to providing much-needed relief and fairness to our community. I will strive to harmonize the cadence and number of simultaneous long-term projects, reduce unnecessary spending, and address organizational strategy for long-term success and sustainable growth. Let's continue our efforts to build a more prosperous Manassas City, where our tax dollars foster the well-being and equitable growth of our entire community.

Lynn Forkell Greene is seeking to regain a seat on City Council, where she served for 14 months, from fall 2021 to December 2022. Forkell Green served the remainder of Davis-Younger’s term, a seat vacated when Davis-Younger was elected mayor. She is an administrative director for a nonprofit. Forkell Greene and her husband share four adult children and three grandchildren. Before announcing her re-election bid, Forkell Green was a freelance reporter covering city issues for Potomac Local News. Ashley Hutson (D)

The city’s budget must consider the needs of the community today while investing in the vision of the community 25+ years from now. Investments in the future are not only in infrastructure but people. I would prioritize investment in our schools and social/safety services. As we continue the search for a city manager and housing coordinator, I want to ensure the city has the best people working to address the needs of our residents. We must invest in our schools to retain great teachers and strive for graduating seniors to be prepared to join the workforce or continue education. Upcoming budget cycles will be especially exciting as the City of Manassas will receive its first revenue from data centers. I hope the city is able to maintain or reduce the tax rate while investing in community vitality. Through my service on the Community Advisory Committee to the National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board, I’ve been involved in initiatives examining the region’s travel habits and traffic struggles, balanced with assessing achievable solutions. The Greater Prince William region is predominately car-dependent, but because Manassas is geographically small and dense, investments in multi-use development, multi-modal transportation and regional connectivity will serve our residents long into the future. As such, I am proud to see Manassas earn the distinction of “Bicycle Friendly Community” and I’m eager to see the impacts of the growth of Manassas Airport. Since the beginning of my campaign, I have been asking residents and business owners what they like about Manassas and what they would change. Once elected to Council, I intend to listen to residents and contemplate their needs while seeking achievable solutions.

Hutson is seeking her first term on City Council. She is the director of Member Engagement of the Heavy Construction Contractors Association in Manassas. Hutson has served on the Manassas Board of Building Code Appeals, Washington Council of Governments Transportation Planning Board and Community Advisory Committee. She graduated from Osbourn Park High School and Christopher Newport University. Stephen Kent (R)

The 2022 Community Satisfaction Survey is a good indicator of how Manassas residents are feeling. Your priorities are my priorities. Residents are least satisfied with the quality of public education (41%) and the flow of traffic within the city (38%). I want to see the Godwin Extension from Sudley to Compton Avenue built, reducing traffic on 28 and improving walkability in downtown. I will work with our friends at the Board of County Supervisors to make sure this happens and Manassas is less stuck in endless traffic. School quality can be radically improved by investing $25.50 per student for a partnership with Yondr, a phone-storage technology company that is helping school districts create cell-phone free educational environments. It's having a hugely positive effect on performance in core academic subjects and behavioral reports. Manassas can do this for grades 6-12 about $100,000, less than what we spend in a year on weapon detection devices inside Osbourn High School. I will make sure th School Board has the funding they need to include phone pouches and tools for implementing device storage safely during the day. This will improve school quality and honor our citizen's tax dollar investment in education. On taxes, the current City Council voted in June not to lower property taxes. Homeowners can expect to pay about $266 more this year on average for their tax bill. I think that is unacceptable while the people of Manassas are being crushed by inflation in every other part of their budget. The arrival of data centers in Manassas in not popular, but if they are going to go up and it is happening, they should benefit the people of Manassas by reducing the tax burden. Renters would benefit too. When landlords costs go up, so does the rent. Manassas is doing well financially, thanks to market forces and national trends pushing investment and workers out of the D.C. area and into our area. This is good news and a better time than ever for a tax cut.

Kent is seeking his first term on City Council. He is an author and public relations professional. He and his wife, Melony “Mel” Kent, share a child. Mel Kent ran for the city school board in 2022. Mark Wolfe (D-Incumbent)

My priority has always been to build and maintain the quality of life in Manassas while keeping taxes as low as practicable. In all my years of service, every member of Council has taken this responsibility of budgeting the public money very seriously. It is important to remember that no one person determines the budget, it takes a compromise of at least four Council members. That is four members with varying perspectives and priorities about Manassas. But the most important thing to remember in our budgeting is that there is no free lunch. To do more, costs more. If you say that want more police officers, more street paving or higher teacher pay, then that money has to come from increased revenue (higher taxes) or cutting an existing service. If someone is promising to lower your taxes, ask them which specific cuts in services they would propose to the rest of the Council. Over the years, the political move of a few Council members has been to agree with the proposed changes to the budget from the service side (more firemen, adding a recreation program, etc). Then, after months of work, state that they want a flat tax bill and that we should cut millions from the draft budget. And worse, not offering any proposals as to what to cut, expecting the rest of the Council to do their work. They close by voting against the tax rate (your bill) while they take credit for the increased services delivered to the residents of Manassas. It might be good politics in some circles but it is certainly bad governance. Our citizens deserve better.

Wolfe is seeking a fourth term on City Council. He has lived in the City of Manassas since 1990. Wolfe has executive leadership experience in the corporate and nonprofit sectors and is currently the chief operating officer of MovieComm. Amy, his wife of 36 years, is the artistic director and CEO of Manassas Ballet Theatre. They have two children, both of whom graduated from Osbourn High School. Tom Osina (D-Incumbent)

My budget priorities are continued economic prosperity by decreasing the tax rate yet providing necessary funding to retain city, fire, police and EMT employees, supporting extra money for teacher salaries, developing an ongoing repair/rebuilding program of school buildings and making sure that recent property purchases are strategically planned to give sound growth opportunities in the future. Over the next four years additional budget items that are on the horizon include a parking garage at City Hall, Fire/Rescue Station 1 at the old Marsteller site, renovation of Public Works & Utilities facility, substation maintenance improvements, new Air Traffic Control Tower at the airport and sewer capacity expansion to keep up with growth. My frequent visits to various neighborhoods to hear resident concerns, attending various functions to learn of business concerns, listening to different community conversations events along with semi-annual Town Halls are the major ways I stay aware of the pulse of our city. Of course, I have publicized my email address [email protected] and cell number 571-621-4069 as ways to reach me as well.

Osina is seeking his second term on City Council. He and his husband have lived in the Georgetown South community for more than 20 years. He is the father of two grown children. Robyn Williams (R)

As a member of the Manassas City School Board, I am familiar with the challenges inherent in creating a balanced budget that meets current obligations while planning for the future. On Manassas City Council, the priorities I consider critical to the quality of life of our citizens are, a rigorous and vital primary and secondary education system, public safety and crime reduction, and retention of our valuable civil servants. In my recent conversations with constituents, education and crime are often cited as serious problems which impacts their quality of life. Our Manassas City budget must ensure that the salary and benefit package we offer to police, first responders, and teachers is commensurate with that offered by our neighbors. High-level positions in the city remain vacant, which suggests that our current budget priorities may require reassessment. It is essential to review and identify areas where budget reductions can be made to optimize our financial resources effectively. Finally, budgets must respect the taxpayer. Manassas City is taking in plenty of revenue to meet its obligations to our citizens without increasing taxes on them, especially at a time in which inflation is taking a huge bite out of their household budgets.

Williams is seeking her first term on City Council. She has served two terms on the Manassas City School Board. Williams holds a bachelor's of science in economics from George Mason University. He found her background in finance and economics valuable on the MCPS School Board, in addition to her more than 10 years as a broker/owner of Redstone Realty, specializing in residential real estate. Williams’ public service in Manassas began with the Beautification Committee, where she served as a member and eventually chairperson. She also volunteered as a teacher assistant at Haydon Elementary for several years and taught modules in schools through the Prince William Soil and Water Conservation Department. Stay tuned as we continue this series with topics such as power outages, parking issues, city management and staff retention, budget and taxes, public school performance, and data centers. We aim to provide a comprehensive look at each candidate’s platform, ensuring voters have all the information they need to make a thoughtful decision. We hope this series will engage the community and foster a more informed electorate. Check back for new insights and updates from your Manassas City Council candidates. Early voting starts  Sept. 21, and Election Day is Nov. 5. Be sure to subscribe to our FREE news email. Each week, we will pose a single question to all candidates running for the Manassas City Council.