Manassas Journal reports that the City of Manassas is considering dissolving the Manassas Business Council, a volunteer advisory board established in 1994 to advise city officials on business and economic development matters.
City Council is scheduled to consider the proposal Monday, Nov. 9, as part of its consent agenda. Items on that agenda can be approved together without separate discussion unless a council member requests otherwise. The proposal is listed as consent agenda item 2.6. Council meets at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall, 9027 Center Street.
According to the Nov. 9 agenda packet, city staff reviewed the Business Council and determined that its work could be better handled through existing channels supporting the city’s Strategic Plan and Council goals. The packet does not provide the findings of that review or identify which channels would assume the board’s responsibilities. The City Council Appointments Committee unanimously recommended dissolving the board on Oct. 28. The city’s January 2025 committee appointments named Council members Tom Osina, Sonia Vasquez Luna and Ashley Hutson, with Mark Wolfe as alternate; the November packet confirms the unanimous recommendation but does not identify who participated or provide details of the review.
If approved, the proposal would dissolve the Business Council effective Nov. 9, end all member terms, and repeal its founding resolution and bylaws. Records would be transferred to the city clerk for retention under Virginia’s public records requirements. The city lists no fiscal impact. The board is separate from the city’s Economic Development Authority, and the proposal would not eliminate the Authority or the Economic Development Department.
The council has seven positions with four-year terms and is staffed by the Economic Development Department. The city’s roster lists five members and two vacancies: Christian C. Gilligan, chair, term ending June 30, 2027; Liletta Harlem, term ending June 30, 2028; Valerie Meale, term ending June 30, 2029; Phillip Gehrig, term ending June 30, 2029; and Christine “Chris” Taylor, term ending June 30, 2030. Tia Nelson, assistant director of Economic Development, serves as staff liaison. Recent meetings focused on business outreach, workforce recruitment and connecting businesses with resources, including a presentation to the GEMS Entrepreneur Resource Group.
