On Tuesday, May 19, the Dumfries Town Council will vote on whether or not to hire an Interim Town Attorney from Pandak & Associates.
At their last town meeting on Tuesday, May 5, the town council decided to fire their former attorney, Brendan McConnell. The motion was made by Councilwoman Selonia Miles and seconded by Councilwoman Cydny Neville.Â
The motion ended with a 5 to 1 decision to fire McConnell, with Councilwoman Melva Willis as the only holdout.Â
Councilman Charles Brewer was not in attendance.
McConnell had been working as the town attorney for about a month. When offered the chance to speak on his behalf before the vote, McConnell alluded to a disagreement as to the reason his contract was under consideration:
“I know I upset some people on the council a couple of Tuesdays ago in response to Ms. Willis’s and some of the other thoughts about whether the council could vote that night on the budget and I apologize to you for being mistaken as to my understanding of what was to take place that night … I understand Ms. Pandak disagreed … and I can assure the council I didn’t mean to upset anybody but I thought I had a duty to express my thoughts, my opinion,” said McConnell.
When asked for further details on McConnell’s firing, Mayor Derrick Wood did not respond to a request for comment. The town council is scheduled to meet in an emergency session, due to the coronavirus pandemic, during an online meeting on Tuesday, May 20 at 7 p.m.
State law allows governing bodies to hold emergency sessions if all agenda items are necessary to address the attack, emergency, crisis, or disaster, and the failure to act on these agenda items could result in irrevocable public harm.
Pandak and Associates currently provide legal counsel to the OmniRide Board of Commissioners. Pandak served as the Prince William County Attorney from 1989 to 2004.
Recent Stories
Community leaders, educators, and descendants of historical figures gathered Friday for the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the newly built Walker–Grant Middle School, celebrating what many called the start of a new era in Fredericksburg education.
The folks at Manassas Park City Schools just told Potomac Local News they were the target of a ransomware attack back in June—and some personal information might’ve been exposed.
A popular local pizza spot known for its mission-driven dining has officially closed its doors.
Power has been fully restored in Manassas after a brief outage Tuesday morning that affected parts of the city’s west side.
SAVE THE DATE
September 11, 2025
Location: Sport Rock Climbing Center
9811 Washingtonian Blvd Ste 300, Gaithersburg, Md 20878
We’re excited to share that Molly’s Dog Care has officially opened its doors at 8525 Chevy Chase Lake Terrace, Suite 302, Chevy Chase, MD 20815!
Whether you’re looking for dog daycare, overnight boarding, grooming, or training, our experienced team is here to provide a safe, loving, and enriching environment for your furry family members. Our services are designed with your dog’s happiness and well-being in mind because at Molly’s, we treat every pup like our own.
A Message from Owner Aaron DeVane:
Van Metre 5K Run
Participate in the 33rd Annual Van Metre 5K Run—a race that goes further than 3.1 miles, where every stride you take supports Children’s National Hospital. The Van Metre 5K Run donates 100% of proceeds to Children’s National Hospital and has
