The Manassas City Council on June 15, 2026, outlined its 2026 legislative priorities for the General Assembly, focusing on protecting water resources, streamlining local processes, ensuring tax equity, and enhancing quality-of-life measures.
City staff presented an initial set of priorities, which were later expanded during discussion. These will be addressed at a legislative breakfast scheduled for July 14.
Staff highlighted SNAP benefits administration, noting the city’s 4-5% error rate, which falls below the 6% threshold that triggers reimbursement penalties. “We’re hoping that our representatives of the General Assembly will recognize that there shouldn’t be a penalty to localities that are doing what they should as far as making sure that all of the SNAP benefits are appropriate, are legitimate,” the staff stated.
On franchise agreements for utilities, staff sought alignment with the simpler county process. Cities and towns currently face a 6-8 week timeline involving public submission, opening, review, hearing, and vote. The change, driven by airport operations needs, would not require new legislation but a charter amendment.
A major focus was reclaimed water and wastewater discharge involving the Upper Occoquan Service Authority (UOSA) and Fairfax County. Staff explained that the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors recently passed a resolution seeking to limit the use of Manassas wastewater discharge, effectively claiming it for Fairfax Water. The city advocates flexibility in using treated reclaimed water for industrial purposes, which could free up potable supplies.
Manassas currently produces about 13-14 million gallons per day, with upgrades planned to increase capacity to 18 million gallons. Staff and council members tied this to the $2 billion Micron expansion announced in May 2026, which is producing the most advanced 1α DRAM chip on U.S. soil. Speakers described the project as a national priority with potential security implications.
Discussions underscored upstream-downstream tensions. Glenn Simpson, a longtime Utilities Finance Manager with the City of Manassas, referenced Fairfax Water statements that the Occoquan Reservoir supplies 40% of Fairfax County’s water and that capacity limits exist for both reclaimed water and residential needs. Council Member Sonia Vásquez Luna echoed the need to continue advocating for Manassas’ water rights, noting the city’s investments in UOSA facilities that benefit Fairfax without equivalent local cost-sharing.
Regarding tax policy, the council discussed exemptions for data center equipment under consideration at the state level. Council members supported broadening advocacy to include removing bank equipment tax exemptions for localities. Speakers referenced Senate hearings and called for proactive engagement with State Senator Danica Roem (D-Manassas) and others to ensure logical policy extensions.
Additional priorities added during the meeting include enabling municipalities to use cameras with microphones to enforce noise violations — a resident quality-of-life issue — and reconsidering legislation that would allow a voter-approved 1% local sales tax referendum for school construction.
Council also received a utility update on the Prince William Street substation outage, which remains under investigation. Service is being backfed from other city substations, with a backup transformer available. Housing legislation impacts, including those related to modular housing and accessory dwelling units, are under review by planning staff and advisory bodies.
