Michelle Davis Younger on School Performance, Economic Growth, and Why She’s Seeking Another Term as Mayor

In her first interview with Potomac Local News since being elected four years ago, Mayor Michelle Davis Younger (D) shared her vision and priorities for her November 2024 re-election campaign.

Davis Younger emphasized the importance of voter participation, urging residents to exercise their right to vote. “It’s so important to get out and vote,” she stated. “No matter what, we all want what’s best for our community.” Davis Younger is vying for a second term as mayor and is challenged by longtime city businesswoman  Xiao-Yin “Tang” Byrom (R).

Declining schools 

The mayor addressed ongoing concerns regarding Manassas City schools and acknowledged their performance. In a report released last month by the Virginia Department of Education, the average pass rates for city schools have declined in history, math, and reading, improved in science, and stayed the same in writing.

The most significant decrease was in history, from 62% in the 2022-2023 school year to 58% in 2023-24. That should be a concern for every leader,” she said, pointing to efforts to provide additional funding, including $1.5 million for teacher pay to attract and retain quality educators. Davis Younger highlighted the need for support for students learning English as a second language and stressed collaboration between the city council and the school board.

“We have been putting money aside… so that we can build a school every 10 years,” she noted, clarifying the city’s approach to funding education.

In almost every subject, the city schools lag more than 20% behind state averages. While the city school board manages the school division, Incumbent Democrats Mark Wolfe, Tom Osina, and newcomer Ashley Hutson, all running for city council on the Democratic slate with Davis Younger, told Potomac Local News they would not be open to discussing school improvement benchmarks when the city council decides on how much funding it will provide the school system during Spring 2025 budget deliberations.

“Spending more money is not necessarily a guarantee of improved performance. Less funding will almost guarantee less performance. What’s going to happen if less funding is the people who make a difference? Your high-quality teachers are going to bail, and it becomes a race for the exits,” Wolfe told Potomac Local News.

Economic development, data centers, rising tax bills 

Regarding downtown development, Davis Younger is credited with brokering the nearly $6 million deal for the city to purchase and demolish the Old Towne Inn, a 1960s-era motel in the heart of downtown. She expressed optimism about a potential new hotel on the city’s vacant footprint, stating, “We had community meetings, and that’s what the community said they want.”

The hotel property is one of several that the city has bought and sold under Davis-Younger, including the Manassas Shopping Center, which the city aims to sell to its preferred buyer for use as a mixed-use development with affordable housing, and the Marsteller Middle School property on Sudley Road, which will be used to build a new fire station and convert the old school into a community center.

Discussing Manassas’s growth, the mayor acknowledged the addition of data centers, of which the city has four so far. “We’ve been very thoughtful about where we place them,” she remarked, emphasizing that the developments would bring economic benefits and jobs, which are crucial for the city’s growth.

The mayor explained that the city’s approach to handling these new funds would depend on various factors, including the timeline for when all the data centers are fully operational. “It’ll happen, but it’s several years from now when they’re all in place,” she noted.

Over her four years as Mayor, both residential and non-residential properties have faced rising tax assessments, resulting in larger tax bills for homeowners and businesses alike. The average residential bill increased by $878 between fiscal years 2021 and 2025, while the average commercial bill grew by $2,393 during the same period.

Mayor Davis-Younger acknowledged the significant financial impact data center projects could have, potentially generating millions in annual revenue for the city. However, she was cautious in discussing any direct plans for tax cuts.

“I didn’t say that,” Davis-Younger emphasized when asked if she planned to reduce taxes. “I’m just saying when those revenues come in, those are things that we have to look at.”

The server farms are located on or being built on Godwin and Dean drives and at the city’s regional airport. The number of server farms in the 10-square-mile city pales compared to the number of data centers in neighboring Prince William County, which has seen a proliferation of server farms over the past 10 years and will soon have more than anywhere else in the world.

The mayor pointed out that while data centers often face criticism for their limited job creation, they offer substantial economic benefits, including revenue generation for the city. “These developments can bring in three to $6 million annually,” she explained, indicating that such income could eventually contribute to potential tax adjustments or other community improvements.

Davis Younger emphasized the importance of balancing economic growth with community needs. “We know the concerns of people with noise and different things like that,” she stated, noting that the city is committed to addressing these issues as development progresses.

Vacancies

Under Davis Younger, several city department leaders have left the city, including longtime City Manager Patrick Pate, who served for an unprecedented decade. Mayor Davis Younger acknowledged that high turnover can challenge effective governance and service delivery. “It’s a concern for us, as continuity in staffing is vital for maintaining quality services,” she stated.

She explained that the city has focused on retention strategies to improve employee stability. These include competitive compensation packages, professional development opportunities, and fostering a positive work environment. “We want to ensure our staff feels valued and invested in, which ultimately benefits our community,” said Davis Younger.

Police Chief Douglass Keen has served as interim city manager for a year and told Potomac Local he wants to return to his role as police chief as soon as the council hires a permanent city manager. “I will be honest in my opinion, in retrospect, we probably dragged the process out a little bit more than we should have just because of where the calendar was and different things. However, as we went through the process, we had 50 or 60 people apply. So we had a large pool. But we didn’t find a good fit…” said Wolfe.

Keen has recently been charged with reclaiming the city’s popular First Friday events for families. In text messages, Keen said underage drinking and alcohol violations had plagued the monthly event. Meanwhile, the city council has discussed potential changes in managing the event.

Davis Younger has received criticism for putting her political party above streetlight issues and shunning others who posted support for her political appointments on Facebook. She has become a fixture at the White House locally and took credit for luring the then-Biden-Harris campaign to the Hylton Performing Arts Center in January 2024 for the duo’s campaign kickoff.

Davis Younger is an entrepreneur who owns a human resources consulting firm, The1FORHR, LLC.