At the Monday night meeting, Manassas City Council unanimously approved its fiscal year 2026 budget, totaling more than $512 million and following months of meetings.
The budget will take effect on July 1; though the real estate tax rate will remain flat at $1.07 per $100 of assessed value, property assessments are increasing an average of 8%. The average increase for a homeowner’s tax bill is expected to be about $406 starting July 1.
Police Chief Douglas Keen, when presenting the budget proposal in February — as he was the interim city manager — said there was a decrease in the city’s operating funds in fiscal year 2026 by about 2%.
“This decrease is due to the large use of one-time funds for capital projects in the previous year, primarily the purchase of Marstellar [Middle School] and the Manassas Shopping Center,” Keen said at the February meeting.
City Council also approved a higher personal property tax rate of $1.28 per $100 of assessed value, an increase from the advertised $1.25. This could add $91 to the average homeowner’s tax bill, along with the fire levy at $0.19 and a utility increase of about $22.
“The entire region is seeing these increases with some jurisdictions recommending a 9% or higher increase over last year,” Keen said.
Council approved more than $69 million in capital improvement program funds (CIP) for projects across the city. The body approved $21 million in transportation improvements, including $3.5 million to Liberia Avenue and $10 million to the Godwin Trail.
A majority of the CIP funds are going toward improvements to the Manassas Regional Airport; $22 million is slated for an air traffic control tower, with $10 million toward renovations to an existing runway.
$2 million in CIP funds are slated for Manassas City Public Schools (MCPS) improvements, including a roof replacement at Osbourn High School, districtwide technology upgrades and bathroom upgrades at Metz Middle School.
Council also approved $160 million to be given to MCPS for the upcoming fiscal year, an increase from the proposed $151 million by MCPS staff in February. The MCPS Board approved its budget in late March not yet knowing what Council or the Commonwealth would fund. At a Tuesday meeting, the School Board met to revise its budget.
MCPS, in its initial budget process, struggled to fund all of its priorities, including additional English as a Second Language teachers, a social worker, a speech-language pathologist, a new diesel school bus and intervention services.
MCPS requested $184 million from City Council in late March, not yet knowing what Council or the Commonwealth — which provides around 50% of the district’s funding — would fund. At a Tuesday meeting, the School Board met to revise its budget.
