For years, pleasure boat owners have found a safe tax harbor in Prince Willam County.

They’ve docked their boats there, in part, because the personal property tax rate on boats, trailers, and other recreational vehicles has been so low — $0.0001 per $100 of assessed value

On Tuesday, boat owners flooded the Prince William County Government Center on Tuesday after Board of County Supervisors Chair At-large Ann Wheeler proposed hiking the personal tax to the highest allowable by law — $3.70 per $100 of assessed value.

The tax hike would mean hundreds, if not thousands of dollars more boat owners would need to pay, per year, to own their boats. That’s on top of what they pay put fuel in them during the boating season, and to pay to store them.

County officials say they generate more needed money for the county schools. It’s one of the multiple taxes they’ve proposed to increase next year.

The advertised real estate tax rate of $1.17 per $100 of assessed value the board voted on was 2.5 cents higher than the $1.145 proposed by the County Executive. Every penny added to the proposed $1.145 tax rate raises an additional $6.5 million in county tax revenues. At a rate of $1.145, the average real estate bill would be $4,432 annually, an increase of $242 which would raise the average house payment by about $20 each month. The current real estate tax rate is $1.125.

The board also voted to advertise a $33 motor vehicle licensing fee; the current fee is $24. Additionally, the board advertised a motorcycle licensing fee of $20; the current fee is $12. Those proposed increases would bring in an additional $3.5 million in county revenue.

The proposed budget includes a $.05 increase in business tangible personal property taxes for computer and peripheral equipment, to bring it to $1.30 per $100 of assessed value. The board’s advertised rate for computer and peripheral equipment is $1.35.

The higher taxes had boat owners, and residents driving full-speed ahead working to urge elected leaders to “sink” the boat tax.

“The boating industry is not doing well. Please don’t make me close my doors and let 50 of my friends go to go find a job somewhere else,” said Carlton Phillips, owner of Prince Willam Marina near Occoquan.

“In the last four days I’ve lost two boat deals because of the possible tax,” said William “Bill” Garber, owner of Holly Acres boat and RV shop in Woodbridge.

Supervisors said they received thousands of emails pertaining to the higher boat tax in the days leading up to the meeting. The outcry prompted Wheeler to issue a “directive” to county staff to break out the tax on boats and leave it unchanged, at $0.0001 of assessed value.

Brentsville District Supervisor urged Wheeler to go a step further by also reducing the proposed Real Estate tax rate, leaving it at $1.125 per $100 of assessed value. “This will still generate $54 million more because your (housing) assessments are going up.”

Wheeler declined to take that additional step. While the Board of County Supervisors may choose to adopt lower tax rates as it continues its budget deliberations through the end of April, but it can’t pass rates that are higher than what’s been proposed.

“I ask that in the future, that when you come to a rash decision, you stop and think. Please ask us about the boat business and partner with us,” said Terry Hill, owner of Hampton’s Landing Marina in Woodbridge.

Last year, the Board of County Supervisors under different leadership, on a project spearheaded by then Woodbridge District Supervisor Frank Principi, partnered with Hill and other area marina owners on a $1 million project to dredge the mouth of the county’s Neabsco Creek where it meets the Potomac River. The Coast Guard closed the channel of the Neabsco Creek when it in 2018 deemed the channel too shallow for boats to navigate and subsequently ordered it temporarily closed.

It reopened when the dredging project was completed in June 2019.

It’s been two and a half years since leaders approved a new animal shelter they said was desperately needed.

A shovel has not yet touched the dirt, the shelter is $1.6 million over budget, and the dogs are now barking. “This is a hot mess,” said Neabsco Supervisor Victor Angry.

Originally budgeted at $15.1 million, construction on the 29,783 square-foot dog pound was set to begin by 2019 at the latest, and open in 2021, one year after the existing animal shelter reached the end of its “useful” life.

Supporters of a new shelter said the existing 45-year-old shelter at 14807 Bristow Road near the county landfill was too, old, too small. In 2015, it was the center of a virus that infected multiple animals that were forced to be put to sleep.

In September 2017, the Prince William County Board of Supervisors approved a new shelter that would replace the old one. It would boast 106 double-sided cat kennels, 56 dog kennels, have a quarantine room for sick animals, a dedicated room that a veterinarian could use, a dedicated animal adoption room, offices and workout space for staff, and a community room for events.

Alexandria-based Cole and Denny Architects said they would design a building that would serve county residents for at least 25 years.

The Board of Supervisors selected a design for the new shelter from four options presented to it then by the architects. The firm had designed a government-run animal shelter in neighboring Fairfax County, a building that some sitting Prince William Supervisors at the time called too extravagant for their taste.

On Tuesday, it was that same architect firm that county staff placed some of the blame on for the project’s rising costs. “The errors seem to be on the part of the architect,” said Occoquan District Supervisor Kenny Boddye.”Moving forward, maybe we can do a better job vetting these folks.”

Prince William County Deputy County Executive Rebecca Horner on Tuesday briefed elected leaders on the project. She said the project team originally balked at Cole and Denny’s desire to make changes to the interior finishes in the building, the sprinkler system, changes to the building’s mechanical and electrical systems, and axing a plan for a staff gymnasium.

In 2017, Supervisors balked at the $15.1 million price tag. It came at a time when Prince William County’s neighbor to the south, Stafford County, was putting the finishing touches on its newly constructed,17,500 square foot animal shelter. It has 82 kennels for dogs and cats and, at $5 million, was 70% cheaper to build.

On multiple occasions, Horner said, emails from the Prince William County public works staff were sent to the architectural firm to request mobilization on their end. Those revisions and were necessary all necessary in order for budding permits to be issued. That permitting process was only supposed to take six months.

When reached for comment for this story on Tuesday, Cole and Denny Architects had none. A representative from the firm was not present Tuesday during the Board’s discussion.

Horner urged officials to stay the course and continue working with the firm. “We have been updating the board every quarter,” said Horner. “Nobody seemed to think this would be a complete systemic issue. If the goal is to construct this project, we should stick to this architect company to avoid adding at least 18 months to the process.”

“I did feel at the time that this was way over-engineered from the beginning,” said Gainesville District Supervisor Peter Candland, who was one of the Supervisors on the Board that selected the animal shelter design.

“I think it’s a little unfair to pin on the architect. He’s not here. These issues don’t seem to be new, county staff should be more vigilant in terms of the process,” said Coles District Supervisor Lesli Vega.

Six months into the design and value engineering process, Potomac Local was contacted by multiple representatives who sit on the county’s citizen Animal Advisory Board, which works with the county police department to manage the animal shelter. They were ringing bells, saying the county was not going to build the animal shelter to the size and scoped promised by the Board of County Supervisors.

A county spokesman at that time told Potomac Local News that staff was diligently working with the architectural firm, was moving ahead with the permitting process, as well as working on putting the project out to bid.

“We need to decide who’s going to be held accountable for this situation,” said Peter Candland. “There has to be better safeguards put in place to avoid these delays.

While there’s no firm construction start date, Horner assured county leaders that it is in the final stages of contract negotiations with Culpeper-based contractor Taft Construction, which at $13.2 million, submitted the lowest bid to build the shelter.

The current county animal shelter sees at least 41,000 visitors per year and handles more than 4,100 animals annually, according to 2017 figures. The original building was built in 1975 and renovated in 1990.

*This article has been corrected.

The observation tower overlooking the Manassas Regional Airport has reached the end of its useful life.

The nearly 60-year-old structure is wrought with issues, to include the air conditioning not being able to keep pace with the heat generated by the electronics inside the tower, to the most serious: those in the tower can’t get a full view of the airport’s runway, which was extended by 500 feet in 2012.

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The one thing city leaders in Manassas don’t want is tall buildings that loom over people as they walk on downtown sidewalks.

In the city’s new comprehensive plan, a vision for 2040, the city wants all buildings that line streets to be constructed in a way so that a three-story portion of the building abuts the street, while a “step back” portion of the building rises as high as five stories.

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It’ll be the evening of January 21 when the Prince William Board of County Supervisors takes up the discussion of gun rights for the third time in the past two months.

At its first meeting of the New Year on Tuesday, the Board voted unanimously to wait on a proposed resolution that urges legislators in Richmond to pass a red flag law allowing judges to temporarily restrict the gun rights of those they deem a threat to themselves or others.

The resolution also calls for more state funding to help combat the state’s growing mental health crisis that, over the years, has taken many county police officers off the streets to temporarily monitor those that are suffering from mental illness.

The resolution was authored by the Board’s new Chair, Ann Wheeler, who this month brought Democratic control of the Board of Supervisors, taking over the seat from the long-serving Republican Corey Stewart who did not seek reelection last year.

Gainesville District Supervisor Peter Candland argued that because the resolution had just been introduced, it could not be voted on the same day. That would be in keeping with a four-year tradition on the Board, he said. Supervisors agreed to take up the measure again at its 7:30 p.m. session at the McCoart Government Center, at 1 County Complex Court in Woodbridge on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2020.

Supervisors decided to add the evening session onto its regular meeting calendar as it did not have an evening session scheduled until February 4. Supervisors on Tuesday held a special closed session meeting at 7 p.m. which was used as an opportunity to discuss how the elected leaders would be protected during public meetings, said Brentsville District Supervisor Jeanine Lawson.

Prior to the decision to delay the vote, more than 300 passionate residents wearing bright orange stickers that stated “Guns Save Lives” packed the government center in opposition to the resolution. More than 130 spoke their minds to the Board of County Supervisors.

“Red flag laws will be used to seize arms from those who make unpopular statements,” warned John LaRoe, of Haymarket. A temporary detention order now used by police is a more effective tool in dealing with those who may be a threat to themselves or others, he added.

“We believe in gun safety training and practice. We have the right of the people to keep and bear arms and that right will not be infringed,” said Ed Hunter, who identified himself as a Northern Virginia resident.

Colin Robinson, of Haymarket, spoke in support of the resolution and stuck out his tongue when exiting the Board Chambers, in front of more than 200 people who opposed it. Before that, he told the Board, “… the first and second amendments are not a guarantee…the founders didn’t anticipate AK47s, bump stocks, TV, any number of things that affect the right to bear arms. Hiding behind the 2nd amendment is ridiculous. I Don’t know where all of these folks were when we were voting in November. Every democrat ran on some sort of gun control measure. And now we’re here to give it to you. It will be reasonable,” said Robinson.

The resolution comes less than a month after the Board of County Supervisors declared Prince William a “constitutional county,” which means its leaders support the 2nd Amendment as written in the U.S. Constitution. Tuesday’s resolution was not designed to repeal the December action.

It does, however, urge members of the Virginia General Assembly to address gun violence prevention in Virginia by passing gun safety legislation that includes:

• Properly allowing an appropriate court of law to temporarily limit an individual’s access to firearms when they have been deemed a threat to themselves or others
• Eliminating potential background check loopholes by requiring background checks for all gun purchases through a Federal Firearms license
• Supporting laws to limit child access to firearms to reduce adolescent suicides and accidental adolescent shootings
• Additional funding from the Commonwealth for firearms safety education across the Commonwealth
• Waiving sales tax on gun safes and gun safety locks to help promote such safe gun handling practices
• Strong penalties for adults that allow unsafe access to firearms by children

Sanford Williams will continue to lead the Manassas City School Board as its chairman in the New Year.

He, as well as Vice-Chairman Kristen Kiefer, will carry over their titles from the previous year.

The Board also took action to reauthorize School Superintendent Kevin D. Newman’s ability to move faculty from school to school as long as there is no change in the employee’s pay.

From school documents:

A Division superintendent shall have the authority to assign to their respective positions in the school where they have been placed by the School Board, all teachers, principals, and assistant principals…

Schools spokeswoman Almeta Radford states in an email to Potomac Local the move is standard procedure.

“It’s just the Board’s statement authorizing the Superintendent to make moves deemed necessary during a school year.”

The School Board also decided to retain the legal services of Sam Anderson, of the Richmond-based Sands Anderson law firm.

When it comes to the city’s voice on the Virginia School Board Association, Manassas leaders appointed the newest Manassas City School Board member Lisa Stevens as the voting member to the VSBA. Stevens was elected in November 2019.

The Board also set its meeting schedule for 2020. Board member Tim Demeria moved to approve school board regular meeting time and dates to take place on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month, with the exception of meetings in April, July, November, December and January 2021.

The city of Manassas School Board held its Annual Organizational Meeting Friday, January 3 at the school division’s central office at 8700 Centreville Road. The meeting took place in the board meeting conference room of the central office, starting a couple of minutes past the 5 p.m. scheduled start time.

Manassas City Superintendent Kevin Newman, Clerk of the Board Alba Garza, as well as Manassas City School Board members Sanford Williams, Tim Demeria, Sean Albrecht, Robin Williams, Lisa Stevens, Suzanne Seaberg were in attendance when the meeting was called to order. School Board member Kristen Keifer sent a message to Garza explaining that she would be late due to a schedule conflict, she arrived before the meeting was adjourned.

A total of seven people are elected to serve on the Manassas City School Board.

“Heinous” and “callous” were the words used by Prince William police Chief Barry Barnard to describe the murder of a food delivery worker who was shot and killed at a Manassas-area Denny’s restaurant. 

Yusif Ozgur, 56, was shot early Thursday inside the restaurant and was taken to a local hospital where he died from his gunshot wound. Another 34-year-old man, of Rixeyville, was also shot and remains hospitalized. Both were shot in the upper torso, said Barnard. 

Officers were called to a report of an armed robbery at the restaurant located at 8201 Sudley Road near Manassas at 2:25 a.m. Thursday. The investigation revealed that two armed men entered the restaurant, where one brandished a handgun while the second suspect was armed with a baton. 

The two demanded patrons and restaurant employees lie on the floor, and to hand over their cell phones and wallets. The men then tried to rob cash from the registers. 

However, police said no money or property was taken from the restaurant or its patrons. A total of 23 people were in the restaurant during the incident, said Barnard. No one tried to intervene, and police did not say if any patron was armed with a concealed weapon.

Murder victim unknowingly held the door for his killer

Before the two fled the scene, a second suspect shot the 34-year-old man who police said had been cooperative with the robbers. He had been sitting with his back toward the restaurant booth on the floor, as the robbers had demanded. 

As the two men fled through the main entrance, they encountered Ozgur, the second male victim, who was walking into the Denny’s and unknowingly held the door for the suspects as they fled. One, armed with the baton struck the victim in the head, and the second, armed with a handgun, shot Ozgur in the upper torso, said Barnard.

Ozgur, a worker for an online food delivery service, had just arrived at Denny’s to pick up an order for delivery.

Officers, including a police K-9, and troopers from the Virginia State Police searched for suspects at the scene but did not locate them.

Some people escaped

Video surveillance footage released by the Prince William County Police Department shows the two suspects entering through the main lobby and walking through the aisles of the main dining area after announcing their demands. After just a few minutes, footage showed the suspects eventually returning to the main lobby to use the same door to exit.

• There is currently no evidence of resistance or intervention from patrons and restaurant staff. 
• Police said that some unidentified persons managed to escape the incident through other doors of the restaurant. 
• There is no evidence of employees or patrons being armed at the time of the incident.

The two suspects who fled the scene on foot are described as two black males in their late teens to early 20’s, 5-feet, 10-inches tall, 180 pounds, last seen wearing all black or dark-colored clothing. 

At a press conference Thursday at the Prince William police Central District Station in Woodbridge, Chief Barnard gave his condolences to the victims’ families.

“I’m feeling very angry. [The shootings are] hard to understand,” said Barnard. “This tears us all apart in this community, in this police department, when something like this happens.”

Barnard urged anyone with information on this crime to come forward. “If you know people who were out unusually late last night…people who were are not out typically after midnight, someone who has come into cash recently, if you have any type of suspicions, any type whatsoever, please call us,” said Barnard. 

The FBI has stepped up, offering a $10,000 reward for any information leading to the arrest and conviction of suspects in the case.  Anyone with information are encouraged to contact the Prince William police tip line at 703-792-7000 or submit a web tip.

Case possibly linked to other armed robberies 

The descriptions of the suspects match those of three other armed robberies that happened this week in Prince William County. Chief Barnard revealed that there is information that leads them to believe that there is a possible connection between this morning’s incident and three other armed robberies that occurred in Prince William County this week:

• Armed Robbery – On December 24 at 12:10AM, officers responded to the Walgreens located at 14095 Jefferson Davis Hwy in Woodbridge (22191) to investigate a robbery. A store employee reported to police that two masked men entered the business and approached the counter. During the encounter, one of the suspects brandished a firearm and escorted an employee to the back office where he demanded money. The other suspect demanded money from the cash registers. Both suspects fled on foot prior to police arriving at the business. No injuries were reported. A police K-9 searched for the suspects who were not located.
  • Suspect Descriptions:
    • A light skinned black male, approximately 5’10”, with a thin build, curly brown hair and brown eyes, last seen wearing a black mask, a long black jacket, gloves, skinny jeans and grey tennis shoes.
    • A light skinned male, approximately 5’10”, with a thin build, last seen wearing a black mask, a long black jacket, gloves, jeans and red/black/white Nike sneakers.

• Armed Robbery — On December 23 at 1:13AM, officers responded to the Comfort Inn Suites located at 7530 Williamson Blvd. in Manassas (20109) to investigate a robbery. An employee reported to police that two unknown men entered the hotel lobby where one suspect went to the back office and approached an employee. During the encounter, the suspect brandished a firearm and demanded money. The second suspect went behind the counter, opened the cash register and took money before both men fled on foot, No injuries were reported. Officers, including a police K-9 and helicopter assistance from Fairfax County police, searched the area for the suspects who were not located.
  • Suspect Descriptions:
    • A black male, 5’10” in his mid-twenties, wearing all black clothing with his face covered.
    • An unknown race male wearing all black clothing.

• Armed Robbery — On December 21 at 1:02 am, officers responded to the Bowl America located at 10641 Balls Ford Rd. in Manassas (20109) to investigate a robbery. The manager reported to police that the business was closed with employees still inside when two masked men entered and approached the counter. During the encounter, one of the suspects brandished a firearm and demanded money from the cash registers. The other suspect pulled out a baton and retrieved the money from the cash registers. Both suspects fled on foot prior to police arriving at the business. No injuries were reported. A police K-9 searched for the suspects who were not located.
  • Suspect descriptions:
    • 2 black makes, both approximately 5’9”, with thin builds. Both suspects were last seen wearing all black clothing, masks and gloves. 

Residents can expect to see police presence in vigilance while the Prince William County Police Department actively investigates this homicide.

The Prince William County Planning Commission on Wednesday recommended the approval of a new “Charlie Boone Memorial Skate Park” located near the intersection of Old Bridge and Smoketown roads. The 5.5-acre parcel will be addressed as 12490 Everest Peak Lane. 

The Board of County Supervisors will have the final say over whether or not the park can be constructed. 

The public park will feature a variety of dirt jumps, cement structures for riding BMX bikes and skateboards, public benches, as well as a peripheral walking trail. The public park will have two entrances, one off of Smoketown Road and a pedestrian entrance from the neighboring Occoquan Bible Church. 

• The park will be the only skate park in Lake Ridge and is one of three new parks coming to the area. 
• The two others include a wellness park funded by Kaiser Permanente at the corner of Minnieville and Harbor Drive, and a new trailhead/park name for the late Prince William County Circuit Court Clerk Michele McQuigg, at the intersection of Old Bridge Road and Oakwood Drive.

The Planning Commission had a busy agenda at its last public meeting of the year. Supporters of Charlie Boone Memorial Park filled the Prince William County Board Chambers, sporting Charlie Boone Skate Park t-shirts.

During the public hearing, nine citizens came forward to speak in support of the park, including David Schrok, a pastor at Occoquan Bible Church. Schrok said that the new park would be a benefit to the community, and could support various healthy activities, such as general fitness on its walking trail and soccer.

The case for the new park was originally scheduled to be heard at the October 2 Planning Commission meeting but was deferred by request of the county’s Parks and Recreation, to give more time to finalize a memorandum of understanding between the applicant, Charlie Boone Memorial Foundation, and the county. Prince William County Parks and Recreation had hoped to bring the MOU  to the Board of Supervisors November 19 closed session for review. 

The idea for the park was influenced by Charlie Boone, a Prince William County resident who died at age 22 in 2012. Boone was an active member of the local BMX bike and skating community. A year following his passing, Boone’s Mother, Wendy Boone learned that her son’s favorite spot to ride BMX was being sold, and the privately-owned land would now be subject to trespassing. The Charlie Boone Memorial Foundation set out to bring a public park for riders and their families to go within the Lake Ridge community.

• After hearing from the applicant and citizens, Commissioner Don Taylor, At-large motioned to close the public hearing. Taylor then proposed approval of the public facility review, which was seconded by Commissioner Rene Fry, Potomac District.
• The planning office staff recommended approval of the item with support showing that it is consistent with comprehensive plans in terms of the general location and characteristics, originally submitted on September 13, 2019.
• Chairman William J. Milne, Vice Chairman Rene M. Fry, and Commissioners Don Taylor, Patti McKay, Austin B. Hayes, Richard R. Berry, and Cynthia Moses-Nedd were in attendance. Commissioner Edgar Bruce Holley was absent from the vote. 

Before votes were taken, Commissioner Austin Hayes, Coles District said, “I can’t think of a prouder final vote from my time on this commission, then to be able to vote in support.” 

Taylor, suggested a round of applause from the Board Chambers just before the roll was called for the vote. The passing motion was met with a joyous and emotional final applause from attendees.

The Charlie Boone Memorial Foundation is continuing to raise funds and seek volunteers to help with the project. Patrons can donate electronically through the foundation’s website, cboonetrailsmemorialfoundation.org.

Boone says that they will work with Pillar Design Studios to finalize a master plan in January, which will determine construction start dates as well as the amount of funding needed to begin construction of the new park. Boone predicts that the cost of building the park will amount to upward of $500,000.

Boone says that they would like to start development as soon as possible. There is no projected opening date for the park at this time.

The Charlie Boone Memorial Park will feature a memorial bike and skate park at the intersection of Old Bridge and Smoketown roads in Lake Ridge. 

• The group that wants to build the park, the Charlie Boone Trails Memorial Foundation, is working toward creating a family-friendly park for recreational BMX biking, skating and other outdoor activities in  Lake Ridge. 

The idea for the park was influenced by Charlie Boone, a Prince William County resident who died at age 22 in 2012. Boone enjoyed riding BMX bikes and skating, and found solace in the local BMX and skating community. 

A year following his passing, Boone’s mother, Wendy Boone learned that her son’s favorite spot to ride BMX was being sold, and the privately-owned land would now be subject to trespassing.

• This left local riders with no safe, public space to hone their skills, said Boone Remembering the joy that her son found on those trails inspired his family to want to create a place for other riders and their families to go to.

The 5.5-acre park will feature dirt jumps and a cement structure for riding BMX bikes and skateboards and will also be surrounded by a walking trail, as well as public seating areas. 

• It will be the only skatepark in Lake Ridge if it’s built. 

Members of the Prince William County Planning Commissioner were supposed to hear the case on Oct. 2, but it was deferred from the meeting agenda. 

• Prior to the meeting, the Prince William County Planning office received an email from the county’s parks and recreation department requesting the commission defer the case to allow additional time to finalize a Memorandum of Understanding between the foundation and the county. 
• The land that will be used for the park is county-owned land, and the two groups are hammering out the details of how the park will be maintained after the new park is open.

Parks and recreation will bring the MOU to the Board of County Supervisors to review during its closed-session meeting on November 19.

If the Board of County Supervisors gives the go-ahead, the Planning Commission’s review of the Charlie Boone Memorial Park will be scheduled for a public hearing on December 18. 

• Residents will be able to attend and comment on the plans for the park.

With county approval, Boone says that they are aiming to start developing the park in the spring, and expect construction to take upward of a year to complete. 

• The foundation is continuing to raise funds to build the park, as well as gather volunteers to help with the project. The foundation does not currently have a projected opening date for the park. 
• Boone says that the foundation is working with Pillar Design Studios to design the memorial skatepark.