City passes $1.015 tax rate

By Kipp Hanley

Published: April 28, 2008

The Manassas City Council passed its fiscal 2009 budget and tax rate Monday with one last second change.

The council kept the real estate tax rate of $1.015 per $100 of assessed value. However, councilman Jonathan Way’s amendment to increase the fire levy from 9 cents to 10 cents was approved 4-2 on Monday.

Only councilmen Marc Aveni and Andrew Harrover voted against the levy rate increase. The increase in the levy was approved with the intention of adding three more career fire & rescue employees to the eight the council approved in the budget.

The extra penny will provide approximately $470,000 of the near $1 million needed to fund these positions during fiscal 2009. The rest of the money will be coming from leftover funds from the 2008 budget.
Because the leftover money from 2008 is one-time money, the council will have to find a way to continue to fund these additional three positions in future years, said city finance director Pat Weiler.

The original $1.015 tax rate and 9-cent levy would’ve added approximately $165 to the average tax bill. The increase is a result of declining assessments, which went down nearly 19 percent in the city in 2008.

The 2009 budget also included the hiring of two police officers to train them in the Immigration & Customs Enforcement 287(g) program. One of the recommended hires, however, would not start until January.

The council also recommended approval for a financial analyst and one patrol officer.

Councilman Andrew Harrover’s strategic plan for the city, called Manassas Next, was also approved. Part of Manassas Next included $200,000 in this year’s budget for the development and initial staffing of a science and technology program in the city school system, $325,000 for Battle Street improvements and $25,000 for economic development.

Various other items of note in the budget included a 20-cent increase (from $3.05 to $3.25) to the personal property tax, a 3 percent cost of living and 2 percent merit salary increase to all city employees, a $25 per hour increase to the city attorney and a funding increase of $250,000 per year for the elderly relief program.

Also on Monday, council approved the five-year Capital Improvement Program budget for longer-term projects as well as a pay and classification plan for a new combined fire and rescue chief. The personnel committee recently voted 3-0 to approve the position as listed.

That position, according to police chief John J. Skinner, will likely be advertised by May with the intention of hiring in six months time.

Potomac News and Manassas Journal Messenger staff writer Kipp Hanley can be reached at 703-369-5738.