Residents voiced strong opposition during the March 4, 2025, governing body meeting after the city voted 4-3 to disband the 50th Anniversary Planning Committee. The decision, made without public comment beforehand, drew sharp criticism from former officials and community members who accused the governing body of a lack of transparency and disregard for volunteer efforts.
Laura Hampton, a former governing body member, condemned the decision, stating that it was based on misinformation and made without consultation.
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During a tense Manassas Park Governing Body meeting on March 4, Mayor Alanna Mensing raised a pointed question about the city treasurerâs plan to publish the names of delinquent taxpayers.
"It is a shame tactic, right? You are putting out people's names to kind of compel them to pay so that they're not publicly shamed. And so does that actually work?"
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The Manassas Park Governing Body has appointed Kevin Moreau to fill a vacant seat on the Governing Body (City Council) following the recent election of Alana Mensing as mayor. Moreau will serve as an interim council member until a special election fills the vacancy.
During a short meeting on February 13, 2025, council members voted in favor of Moreauâs appointment, with one abstention. Moreau was selected from a pool of applicants, including former council members and community leaders seeking to serve the city.
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Updated âMembers of the community gathered to honor the Manassas Park police department for their diligent efforts in the investigation of Mamta Kafle Bhatt, a mother who has not been seen since July 2024. The recognition ceremony highlighted the role of law enforcement in uncovering key evidence in the high-profile case.
During the ceremony, 11 officers from the Manassas Park Police Department were presented with traditional Topi headdresses provided by Kafle Bhattâs Nepalese family. Sunita Basnet Thapa, a coworker and mentor to Kafle Bhatt during her nursing career, explained the cultural significance of the Topi. âThe headdress is traditionally presented to Nepalese men to identify them as honorable and hardworking,â she said.
This ceremony represents how far the police relationship with the community has developed. Early into the disappearance, residents harbored animosity toward what they perceived as police inaction and organized rallies and search parties to put pressure on local officials during the 22 days of her disappearance before police arrested the missing womanâs husband, Naresh Bhatt, on August 22, 2024.
Holly Wirth, another coworker of Kafle Bhatt, emphasized the importance of recognizing police contributions at this stage of the case. âWe donât have closure. We donât have full justice. The truth is, what we have is only the work you did to bring us to this point. What happens now is really out of the control of the Police Department,â Wirth said.
Mamta Kafle Bhatt was last seen on July 30, 2024. Early in the investigation, police determined she was presumed dead. Her husband faces multiple charges related to her murder. Law enforcement alleges that Mamta was killed in her home, her body dismembered, and the remains disposed of in various trash receptacles across Northern Virginia.
A search of the home found what police describe as large pools of blood in the master bedroom and bathroom that had been cleaned; however, crime scene investigators used technology that allowed them to see where blood had been.
A significant development in the investigation came when the police obtained a warrant for GPS data from the coupleâs Tesla. Police allege the data shows Naresh Bhattâs movements in the days after she was last seen as he disposed of evidence. Forensic analysis matched DNA found on a reciprocating saw in the home to hair from Kafle Bhattâs hairbrush, further substantiating the charges. Despite the GPS data, no human remains have been found despite dozens of searches.
Naresh Bhatt, a former contractor for the U.S. Secret Service, remains in custody at the Prince William Adult Detention Center without bond. Initially charged with concealing a dead body, the charges were later upgraded to include first-degree murder and defiling a dead body.
CourtTV, a cable TV broadcaster providing legal analysis of live court cases, has petitioned the Circuit Court to televise the trial. As of now, the court has not scheduled a hearing to address this request.
Bhattâs trial is scheduled to begin September 8, 2025, and is expected to last 16 days.
The City of Manassas Park has two terms expiring. Manassas Park School Board term expires June 30, 2026.
? The City of Manassas Park has two terms expiring. Manassas Park School Board term expiring June 30, 2026. Interim appointment Manassas Park Governing Body due to Alanna Mensing winning seat as Mayor. Resumes accepted until 4pm on January 7, 2025. https://t.co/9Gfsk9Ubhz pic.twitter.com/jF9oDymMTL
â City of Manassas Park (@ManassasParkGov) December 12, 2024
Manassas Park is set to begin a new chapter in its leadership by hiring Carl Cole as its new City Manager. Cole, who will assume his role on January 13, 2025, brings over 25 years of public sector experience, including significant leadership roles in city management and law enforcement.
According to Acting City Manager Keith Nguyen, Mr. Coleâs base salary will be $215,000. Acting City Manager Keith Nguyen emphasized that the Governing Body conducted an extensive vetting process to identify the best candidate for the position. âThe Governing Body went through an extensive vetting process and picked the best candidate for this job,â Nguyen stated.
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Following the Tuesday, November 5, 2025, General Election, Manassas Park will see a new mayor and a fresh face on the city council. Democrat Alanna M. Mensing, who ran unopposed, will assume the mayoral role, succeeding outgoing Mayor Jeanette Rishell. Mensing received 83.87% of the vote, marking a significant shift as Rishell, mayor since 2016, did not seek re-election this year.
Mensing, who has been involved in city government, brings a wealth of experience to her new role. She has served as Vice Mayor from 2022 to 2024 and has been a city council member since 2019. Additionally, she sits on the Manassas Park Planning Commission and previously served a term on the cityâs school board. Outside of her public service, Mensing is a self-employed music teacher, offering lessons to local children and teaching piano at the Manassas Park Community Center from 2015 to 2020. She has resided in Manassas Park since 2009.
Democrat-endorsed Stacy J. Seiberling, who received 22.53% of the votes, will join the council. She brings a strong background in public service and local involvement. Seiberling has been a Manassas Park resident since
1999, serving on the Manassas Park School Board and the cityâs Social Services Committee. She also has extensive experience in IT solutions, government management, and project management and holds a PMP certification. As a council member, Seiberling intends to prioritize fiscal responsibility, improve government transparency, and focus on community-driven solutions.
Returning to the council are two incumbents, Yesenia E. âYesyâ Amaya and Darryl G. Moore were re-elected. Amaya, originally from El Salvador, has been a Manassas Park resident since 2001. She brings business experience from owning and operating a bakery in Prince William County and an event venue with her sister. She captured 26.51% of the vote. Moore, a seasoned policy expert with 13 years in management with the Oakland Housing Authority and former Berkeley, California, city council member, garnered 26.25%.
Independent candidate Laura H. Hampton lost her re-election bid. Hampton, a lifelong Manassas Park resident, has served on the council since 2021. She is well-known for her advocacy work, including founding local initiatives like the Manassas Park Community Maintenance Group and Keep the Park Beautiful.
This election ushers in a blend of continuity and new perspectives for Manassas Park. Mensing is poised to lead the city into its next chapter as mayor, and Seiberling is adding her expertise to the governing body. The new council will focus on local issues, aiming to make the city a better place to live and work.
Federal and state
Democrats kept their stronghold in Manassas Park as Vice President Kamala Harris and Democratic candidates continued to secure significant leads over their Republican counterparts despite a stronger showing from former President Donald Trump in neighboring Prince William County.
In the Presidential race, Harris captured 58.57% of the vote in Manassas Park with 3,341 votes, while Trump followed with 38.50% and 2,196 votes. The outcome highlights the challenges Republicans face in gaining traction in this Democratic-leaning area, even as Trumpâs performance across Prince William County showed marked improvement over previous years. According to the Virginia Public Access Project (VPAP), Trump narrowed the Democratic lead in Prince William County, winning 40% of the vote compared to his 36% share in 2020. Vice President Harris, meanwhile, won 57% of the county, a six-point drop from President Joe Bidenâs 2020 win.
In the race for U.S. Senate, winning incumbent Democrat Tim Kaine maintained a comfortable lead, receiving 63.38% of the vote (3,545 votes) in Manassas Park. Republican challenger Hung Cao garnered 36.15% (2,022 votes). Kaineâs stronghold reflects the Democratic presence in this Senate seat and adds momentum for his party at the state level.
For the 10th District House of Representatives seat, Democratic candidate Suhas Subramanyam received 59.40% of the Manassas Park vote, totaling 3,281 votes. His Republican opponent, Mike Clancy, received 39.95%, or 2,207 votes. This demonstrates a similar trend to the Senate race, with Democratic support prevailing in the district. Subramanyam will replace the retiring Jennifer Wexton (D) who did not seek re-eleciton.
These results come amid a new alliance for local Republicans. In October, the Prince William County Republican Committee announced that it merged with the Manassas Park Republican Committee. The consolidation aims to strengthen the Republican base in Prince William County and Manassas Park as the party seeks to build on Trumpâs gains.
During the session, Roem expressed her ongoing efforts to collect community input to shape her legislative agenda effectively. "I am in my information gathering phase," Roem stated, explaining her approach to understanding the specific needs of the communities she represents, including Manassas Park, the City of Manassas, the town of Haymarket, and Prince William County.
Roem reassured the council of her support for local projects, such as the much-needed streetlight improvements along Manassas Drive. She asked for updates on federal grants applied for and the amount of city money already allocated to the project to determine how much state coverage is needed.
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In a recent session held on October 1, 2024, the Manassas Park Governing Body debated an amendment to the Park Center development contract, allowing the construction of 110 residential apartments before an initially planned office building. This decision represents a significant shift from the original development agreement, adapting to the altered landscape of office space demand due to increased remote work.
The original contract stipulated the construction of an office building before any residential developments could commence. However, citing financial and market constraints, including difficulties securing loans for office space development, the city is now poised to prioritize residential construction.
