Manassas City Council held a public hearing on the city's budget, as residents once again are facing the prospect of paying more in taxes.
The hearing held Monday, April 22, 2024, focusing primarily on proposed tax increases, notably in real property taxes. The proposal suggests a flat tax rate of $1.26, sparking a range of reactions from residents, each echoing their unique perspectives on the matter.
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The Manassas City Council has voted to adopt an advertised property tax rate of $1.28 per $100 of property value, a decision that could lead to increased tax bills for homeowners and potentially higher costs for renters as landlords pass on the additional expense.
During the council session Wednesday, March 6, 2024, Interim City Manager Douglass Keen suggested a proactive approach, recommending an incremental increase to allow for flexibility in adjusting the rate before final approval. Council members engaged in a thorough discussion regarding the potential impacts of the proposed rate.
Council member Pamela Sebeksy expressed concerns about future financial stability, citing declining revenue from gas taxes and the need to prepare for unforeseen circumstances. Others, like Council member Theresa Coates Ellis, advocated for maintaining a flat tax rate, while Councilwoman Sonia Vasquez Luna emphasized the importance of raising taxes to safeguard against future uncertainties, such as another pandemic.
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Interim City Manager Douglas Keen presented the proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2025 to the Manassas City Council on Monday, February 26, 2024, outlining a comprehensive plan to address various community needs and priorities.
During his presentation, Keen highlighted several key achievements from the previous fiscal year, including the successful establishment of businesses like Micron and Olde Towne Inn and the commemoration of Manassas' 150th anniversary. He also referenced the findings of the 2022 Manassas Community Survey, which informed the strategic priorities outlined in the proposed budget.
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During the Manassas City Council meeting on February 13, 2024, three residents voiced their concerns about the use of horse-drawn carriages in the city, urging for a ban on the practice. The speakers, identified as Asteria, Moshe, and Prius Xena, presented arguments against the continuation of horse-drawn carriage rides, emphasizing both animal welfare and public safety.
"Horse-drawn carriages provide rides to Downtown Manassas visitors each year in December," noted Asteria, a resident living off Liberia Avenue. "But every year, these rides pose significant risks to both horses and pedestrians. Horses are prey animals, easily spooked by the noise and commotion of city streets. It's time for the council to prioritize safety and put an end to this dangerous practice."
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The Manassas City School Board and Council held a joint meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2024, to discuss future plans for the new Jennie Dean Elementary School following the Board’s design approval on Feb. 13, 2024.
Council and board members met to move the process along and hopefully reach an agreement on a Special Use Permit (SUP) the School Board must obtain from the City Council before school construction may begin. Obtaining an SUP will move the decision to approve the designs and construction to the Planning Commission and then the City Council for a vote.
The meeting began with School Board Chair Suzanne Seaberg fielding questions from the Council about the approved design plan, E-2.5, including the size of the open field and the ability to use it for regulation games.
Councilmember Mark Wolfe said he did not like the school’s design.
“I don’t like it, but I’m willing to tolerate things or swallow, but I think the other issue becomes, obviously … what happens to the old facility,” Wolfe said. “I, for one — I’ll put it out there — I do not see a scenario where I’m willing to go forward with the school, and we retained old Dean.”
This comment sparked a debate between the Council and Board members, which lasted nearly the entire meeting; some members hesitated to move forward with a SUP without figuring out what would be done with the existing Jennie Dean building.
It’s unclear what will happen with the current Dean Elementary School, which dates back to the early 1960s. Councilmember Tom Osina said he wants to move forward with the process.
“I think the discussion about the old Dean and everything is an issue that is separate from the actual building of the school,” Osina said. “We can have future discussions on old Dean and share our thoughts. … I’d like to see us treat the two as separate for this meeting just so we can get this going into the SUP process.”
Officials said tearing down the existing Jennie Dean building would not be possible until the new one was built. Some council members requested language be included that the old building be torn down within 18 months of occupation of the new construction.
“My kids were in this school 30-plus years ago. It was a piece of crap then,” Wolfe, a member of Council since 2008, said. “Every time we talked about building a new Dean, the old Dean was going away because it was so bad.”
City Schools Superintendent Dr. Kevin Newman said he was baffled about what was being asked of him now. He expressed frustration with the city, citing the district’s compromises to accommodate requests but seemingly not pleasing the entire Council.
“Well, [design 2.5] was the compromise based on the direction that was given to staff to do,” Newman said. “So, whatever we’re doing going forward … just be clear on what you want your city manager and this superintendent to do so that we don’t have to come back in here and feel like we’re being chastised for doing what we were asked to do.”
Osina asked if the SUP could get started today and have further discussions in April when the SUP gets to Council. Councilmember Ralph Smith said tearing down old Dean is not a part of the discussion.
“All these arguments that we are hearing could perhaps — are good — arguments against tearing it down,” Smith said. “But, from what I’m understanding, that’s not the issue we’re posed at this moment of this joint [meeting].”
A new Jennie Dean Elementary School has been a sticking point between the School Board and City Council for about a decade. In years past, the City Council voted to raise taxes to fund the new school because the School Board does not have taxing authority; only the Dean replacement was put on the back burner to focus on other projects, like the purchase of 8700 Centreville Road, the city’s largest private office building, to house its administration.
Ultimately, the School Board opted not to purchase the building after a heated debate with the City Council. Some councilmembers questioned the school division’s motives for purchasing the building when it had previously inked a deal with the Council to occupy the city’s old police station on Fairview Avenue, which remains empty after opening a new public safety center in Fall 2023.
This year, the City Council transferred $200 million to the school division, equating to 47 cents on every dollar the city collected in taxes. The school transfer is the largest single allocation in the city budget.
Manassas City Public Works Director Steve Burke presented the annual report for the Public Works department to the Manassas City Council on February 13, 2024. The report highlighted the department's achievements in 2023 and outlined plans for the future.
Burke, who started in his new role in January 2024, began by acknowledging the contributions of the department's staff, including Scott Horan, assistant director Steve Schrank, fleet manager Mike Morgan, streets supervisor Doug McCauley, traffic control supervisor Glenn Martin, building and grounds manager Tim Fitzwater, and refuse and recycling coordinator Colleen Burroughs. He provided an overview of the department's responsibilities, which include maintaining streets, fleets, buildings and grounds, solid waste, and traffic signals, with a total of 58 employees and a budget of approximately $24 million.
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On February 20, 2024, the Manassas City Council will meet to discuss matters regarding education infrastructure and the development of the Jennie Dean Elementary School.
The agenda for the meeting encompassed various topics, including updates on the construction progress of the new Jennie Dean Elementary School. Furthermore, council members deliberated on the current condition of the existing school building and explored potential uses for the former Jennie Dean Elementary School building.
Among the proposed options were considerations for expanding Career and Technical Education (CTE), establishing a STEM Center, or accommodating alternative education programs. Additionally, the council reviewed the school replacement schedule to ensure timely and efficient infrastructure upgrades.
Another significant point of discussion centered on identifying a suitable permanent central office location to streamline administrative operations within the school district. Progress updates on the Osbourn High School Connector project were also provided during the meeting, highlighting the council’s commitment to improving educational facilities and resources for the community.
The Manassas City School Board unanimously approved plans for the new Jennie Dean Elementary School on Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024, advancing the project to the city’s Planning Commission for further review. This decision follows months of deliberation and planning to address the city’s educational needs. Previous reports by Potomac Local News highlighted tensions between the City Council and School Board regarding the project’s prioritization.
During a closed work session on Thursday, Feb. 8, 2024, the Board discussed various design options with Superintendent Kevin Newman, ultimately settling on concept E-2.5, which entails specific placements for the building, including a baseball field, playground, field, and bus loop.
The proposed two-story school, expected to accommodate 1,000 students, will feature advanced facilities such as an IT workspace, broadcast booth, and collaborative learning areas. Estimated at a cost of at least $87 million, the school will be situated within Jennie Dean Park, near the existing Jennie Dean school constructed in the early 1960s.
The project’s architects are evaluating potential sites adjacent to the current school, known as Dean Park, with the Planning Commission scheduled to review the plans on April 3, following the cancellation of the initial March 6 meeting. Approval from the Commission will precede a vote by the City Council, signaling the next steps in the development of this crucial educational infrastructure.
The joint meeting will take place at the John Conner III Public Safety Facility, Second Floor Policy Room, 9608 Grant Avenue, Manassas, at 5:30 p.m. The meeting is open to the public.
Manassas City Councilwoman Theresa Coates Ellis provided insights into the ongoing search for a new city manager and discussed the results of a recent city employment satisfaction survey.
According to Coates Ellis, the city's current state has significantly improved, with Police Chief Douglass Keen serving as the interim city manager. "They're a lot better now with Chief Keen on board as the interim. That was the best thing we could have, mean to get through a very, in my opinion, unstable time."
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The Prince William County Department of Transportation and the Prince William County Planning Office are gathering public input for a multimodal corridor study on Route 28 in the Yorkshire area.
This study, funded by an $80,000 grant from the Metropolitan Washington Council of Government’s Transportation Planning Board, explores cost-effective alternatives to enhance multimodal travel options over a two-mile stretch of Route 28.
A survey is available on the Yorkshire Multimodal Corridor Study page to facilitate public participation. According to the county government, the survey is crucial for the study’s development and will remain open until February 29, 2024. An open house is scheduled for February 15, 2024, at Yorkshire Elementary School, 7610 Old Centreville Road, Manassas, at 6:30 p.m.
The Prince William Board of County Supervisors County 2040 Comprehensive Plan, adopted by the Board of County, designated Yorkshire as an activity center when it approved its most recent comprehensive land-use plan in 2022.
Meanwhile, the county government is also considering constructing a four-mile Route 28 bypass, an extension of Godwin Drive, from UVA Prince William Medical Center in Manassas to Route 28 in Fairfax County.
Last fall, the Board of County Supervisors sunk an additional $1 million for the bypass project’s redesign. Transportation Director Rick Canizales raised uncertainties about Fairfax County’s commitment to the $300 million project.
Potential challenges include demolishing six homes in Fairfax County and 70 homes in Prince William County. Canizales told Prince William’s Supervisors in October 2023 that concerns have been raised about political hesitation for the project during an election year in Fairfax County. The bypass, discussed for over a decade, remains scrutinized for its future viability.
In 2020, the Board of County Supervisors unanimously decided to widen a nearly four-mile stretch of Route 28 in Yorkshire, between Liberia Avenue in Manassas and the Fairfax County line instead of building the bypass. The project had been estimated to cost about $400 million.
However, one month later, the Board overturned its decision in a 5-3 decision along party lines, with Democrats voting in favor, prompting a return to the Godwin Drive extension (Route 28 bypass). Former Chair At-large Ann Wheeler pushed for reconsideration and expressed support for the Godwin Drive extension and a future bi-county parkway connecting Interstate 95 in Dumfries to Dulles Airport in Loudoun County.
However, an $89 million funding allocation for the Godwin Drive extension faced potential withdrawal by Northern Virginia Transportation Authority Chair Phyllis Randall, who also serves as Loudoun County Board of Supervisors Chair At-large.
“I’m not going to allow this [funding] to be unappropriated for months and months,” Randall scolded during September 8, 2020, Board of County Superviosrs meeting, in which she and a delegation from the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority lined up to speak the board members, most of whom were just nine months on the job. “I will put forth a motion to disappropriate the project altogether.”
The threat also prompted a shift in support from the Manassas City Council, ensuring endorsement of the Godwin Drive extension two months after it initially voted to pull support for the bypass.Â
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