On Tuesday, the Manassas City Public School (MCPS) Board approved an additional 1.5% salary increase for employees in a unanimous vote.

Throughout a tight budget cycle, the Board was unsure if they would be able to fund a 5.5% salary increase due to budget constraints from both City Council and the Commonwealth. Many Board members had expressed a desire for a 7% salary increase to match other neighboring jurisdictions.

Prince William County Schools, for example, came to an agreement with the Prince William Education Association for a historic $160 million investment over a two-year period. This results in a 7% wage increase in fiscal year 2026.

Taft Kelly, MCPS’ director of finance, initially proposed that the Board implement salary lapses, which would replace retiring and more experienced staff with higher salaries with younger, less experienced staff members. Kelly, in previous meetings, said MCPS could save nearly $975,000.

With the approval of City Council‘s budget on June 9, MCPS was given an additional $1.7 million for the fiscal year, enabling the Board to provide a more than 5% increase over fiscal year 2025.

“In keeping with your list of priorities, we would like to use additional funding to compensate our employees,” he said. “We asked for $1.7 million to increase [salaries]. Obviously, we did not get that full amount, and so the amount that we are able to do is 1.2%.”

In total, MCPS is providing a 7% increase in staff salaries. New contracts, according to Kelly at an early June MCPS Board meeting, will be sent to staff before the end of July and early August with updated staff scales and salaries.

HAYMARKET, Va. – The Haymarket Town Council voted Monday night to adopt the town’s Fiscal Year 2026 budget and set the new real estate tax rate, concluding weeks of deliberation that included resident impact assessments and internal reviews of capital priorities.

The council unanimously approved three key resolutions during its June 2 meeting:

• Resolution 2025-006 amended the current fiscal year’s budget to reflect interest reallocation that will fund upcoming council and administrative expenses. This ensures year-end revenues are directed toward planned municipal operations and projects.

• Resolution 2025-003 established the town’s real estate tax rate at $0.098 per $100 of assessed value, a decrease from last year’s $0.105. Despite the lower rate, many residents will see slight increases in their tax bills due to rising home assessments by Prince William County. The rate was advertised and reviewed in public meetings, as required by state law.

• Resolution 2025-007 approved the FY2026 operating and capital improvement budget, which funds all town services from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026. Budget priorities include public safety, staff operations, planning, and capital projects like Town Hall site upgrades and infrastructure improvements. The resolution also affirmed the adoption process complied with Virginia Code.

Before the vote, council members examined how the tax rate would affect different neighborhoods. Some homeowners will see minor reductions, but those with recently renovated homes or higher market valuations may face increases averaging $5 to $8.

The council also addressed future service costs, especially for trash collection, which is expected to rise due to contractual hikes and the return of county tipping fees. The adopted budget anticipates these pressures while continuing investment in infrastructure and community amenities.

💰 The City of Manassas Park just dropped its proposed budget for FY2026, and let’s just say… your water, sewer, and stormwater fees are going up, but there’s a tiny silver lining when it comes to your real estate taxes.

Here’s the scoop in plain language👇

🏠 Real Estate Tax: A Penny Saved…

Good news first: your real estate tax rate is going down… barely.

• Current: $1.405 per $100 of assessed value

• FY26: $1.395 per $100

Don’t go spending that windfall just yet—it’s about $10 less per $100,000 of property value. But hey, we’ll take it!

🚗 Personal Property Tax: No Change

• Still $3.50 per $100 of assessed vehicle value.

Cars continue to hit your wallet the same way they did last year.

💦 Water & Sewer Rates: A Steady Climb

Residential Rates (per 1,000 gallons):

• Water: $4.07 → $4.68

• Sewer: $6.77 → $7.79

📈 That’s a 15%+ increase—so if your family’s running the laundry and sprinklers nonstop this summer, expect a noticeable bump.

Commercial Water/Sewer: Tiered Increases

Depending on usage, you’ll pay more across the board:

• Example (0–10,000 gallons):

  • Water: $6.14 → $7.06

  • Sewer: $8.88 → $10.21

ERU fees (based on meter size) also jump—larger businesses will feel this more.

💧 Stormwater Fee: Raining on Your Budget

• Annual Stormwater Management Fee:

  • $182.88 → $210.31 per ERU

  • That’s about a 15% increase

This fee helps the city manage runoff, drainage, and environmental protection. Necessary, but not exactly thrilling.

🗑️ Trash & Recycling: Slight Hike

• Curbside pickup: $24.86 → $27.35

• Dumpster service: $20.29 → $22.32

That’s roughly $2 more a month to take out the trash.

👵 Senior Tax Relief: More Savings

Seniors get a bit of relief:

• Discount: $6.77 → $7.44

A small gesture, but every dollar counts.

🧾 Final Word: What’s the Budget Outlook?

• City budget is shrinking this year:

  • FY25: $142M → FY26: $97.5M (↓31.5%)

• Schools get a slight boost:

  • Up about $2.3M to $64.8M

• Total budget drops by $45M overall—down 21.7%Agenda June 3 2025-2-4…

📣 Public Hearing: June 3, 2025

Starting July 1, 2025, your monthly bills in Manassas will look a little different—mostly upward. The city is planning to raise utility rates and emergency service fees to support its budget for the next fiscal year.

Let’s break it down so you don’t have to squint at a spreadsheet 🧾:

🔌 Electric Bills Are Getting a Jolt

• Residential customers will see:
  • Monthly base charge: up from $15.18 to $16.17
  • Energy charge per kWh: $0.0924 to $0.0984

It’s a 6.5% increase across the board, whether you’re running a household or a business.

🚰 Water Costs Are Flowing Higher

Your residential water bill is going up by 8.5%:

• Monthly charge: $10.94 → $11.87
• First 5,000 gallons: $3.50 → $3.80 per 1,000 gallons
• Over 12,000 gallons in summer: $3.87 → $4.20

Even if you aren’t watering the lawn, expect to feel this.

🚽 Sewer Rates Are Creeping Up, Too

Only by 3%, but still noticeable:

• Monthly sewer charge: $9.87 → $10.17
• Most flow charges up about 10–15 cents per 1,000 gallons

For families, this adds up over time.

🚑 Calling an Ambulance? Expect a Bigger Bill

Manassas is raising EMS transport fees significantly:

• Basic Life Support: $500 → $800
• Advanced Life Support Level 2: $800 → $1,200
• Mileage: $13 → $15 per mile

Even in emergencies, it pays to know the cost.

🏠 What About Property Taxes?

Your property tax rate isn’t going up—but the city expects to collect nearly $6.6 million more. Translation? Assessments likely went up. So your bill might, too.

✨ What Else Is Going Up?

The city is also raising fees for:

• Fire permits
• Recreation programs
• Airport hangars and rentals

🏗️ Why All the Increases?

It’s all part of a $513 million budget that includes:

• More funding for public schools (+$32M)
• Boosts to water and sewer infrastructure
• Investment in city vehicles, tech, and maintenance

The city also plans to rely less on savings to pay its bills next year.

📆 Want to weigh in? The public hearing is Monday, June 2 at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall.

💬 Let me know in the comments: How do you feel about the new rates? Is this investment worth the cost?

 

PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, Va. – For the final time in the fiscal year 2026 budget season, the Prince William Board of Supervisors debated the merits of the revenue-sharing agreement (RSA) it has with Prince William County Schools (PWCS), again.

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OCCOQUAN, Va. — A series of notable developments unfolded at the April 15, 2025, Occoquan Town Council meeting, including a leadership change and updates to the town’s ongoing budget planning.

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MANASSAS PARK, Va. — Manassas Park homeowners could see their tax bills rise by hundreds of dollars under the proposed Fiscal Year 2026 budget, despite a planned reduction in the city's real estate tax rate.

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STAFFORD COUNTY, Va. – Stafford County homeowners will see a higher real estate tax rate this year — $0.9236 per $100 of assessed value — as the Board of Supervisors adopted the Fiscal Year 2026 budget on April 15. Although the tax rate is three cents higher than last year, it remains two cents lower than the original proposal by the County Administrator.

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At the April 15 meeting, the Prince William Board of County Supervisors made its final changes to the fiscal year 2026 budget and tax rates.

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Commonwealth's Attorney Amy Ashworth went to the Prince William County Board of Supervisors asking for 24 more staff members in fiscal year 2026, repeating requests from years past.

Ahead of fiscal year 2025, Ashworth similarly requested more staff members despite the Board being reluctant to fund additional positions. In response, Ashworth sent a letter to the Board stating she would withhold prosecution of certain misdemeanor charges if the Board didn't approve her request.

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