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Focus on debt, need for more businesses in Manassas Park top Rishell’s list

Jeanette M. Rishell is running for Mayor of Manassas Park. She currently serves as a council member on the city's Governing Body.
 
Rishell looks to unseat longtime incumbent Mayor Frank Jones.

We sent a questionnaire to Rishell and Jones. Rishell's responses are below: 

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PL: What are the top three major issues facing Manassas Park residents?

Rishell: City debt service will spike by almost $2 million for the fiscal year 2018. The need for commercial business development. Adequately funding the City’s core services.
 

PL: What concrete solutions do you propose to address these issues?

Rishell: There have been, and will continue to be, ongoing efforts to refinance the City’s debt. This will cover a portion of the debt spike in 2018 and 2019 and is an important part of the effort because the debt service will level off for several years before dropping.

I have thoroughly analyzed each budget so far and will continue to do so, because we must determine the difference between our wants and our needs.

Also, I will emphasize commercial business development. When I first came onto council, I was surprised that the City did not have an economic development brochure to promote the City’s assets across all of Northern Virginia. We have a brochure now, and we also have an Economic Development Manager whose primary responsibility is to try to bring business into the City. I will encourage all Governing Body members to work in cooperation with our new Economic Development Manager. I will work to create a more formal outreach plan consisting of more active participation in Chamber of Commerce events, visitation to local businesses to receive their input and ideas, and of course contact and visitation to new businesses who may wish to locate into Manassas Park. If this is not sufficient, we will try additional measures TBD.

It’s important that we begin to be more proactive to bring in the revenue that is needed to support our schools and other core services. Currently, the City is heavily dependent upon residential taxation, so business revenue will help make a living in our City more affordable.

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