A debate over proposed legislation targeting panhandling in road medians sparked a spirited discussion among Stafford County Supervisors during their January 21 meeting. The proposed bill, sponsored by Delegate Paul Milde (R-64, Stafford County), seeks to impose fines on motorists and pedestrians who exchange items in roadway medians to improve safety and reduce traffic disruptions.
The legislation was also a topic of discussion on the Potomac Local News Podcast, where Milde elaborated on his rationale behind the bill in an interview with Publisher Uriah Kiser.
Safety and Traffic Flow Concerns
During the podcast, Milde emphasized the safety and traffic issues posed by panhandling in medians.
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According to the PWCS Board meeting on Jan. 15, staff are proposing nearly $82 million in improvements and replacements of the heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems (HVAC) in 14 schools in the proposed 2026 to 2030 capital improvement program (CIP). The CIP must first be approved by the Board and then the Board of County Supervisors before it's official.
Dr. Babur Lateef, chairman of the Board, said maintenance improvements are the less "sexy" items on the CIP, but are important nonetheless.
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Elizabeth Guzman, a Democratic candidate for the House of Delegates, seeks to reclaim a legislative seat in the 22nd District, currently held by Republican Ian Lovejoy. Guzman, who last ran for office in 2023 in a contentious Democratic Primary for the Virginia State Senate, narrowly lost to State Senator Jeremy McPike (D-29, Prince William, Stafford) by just 50 votes.
2023 Democratic Primary Results:
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In a pivotal discussion during the January 21, 2025, meeting, the Prince William Board of County Supervisors approved funding measures for a new fire station in the Brentsville District, addressing a pressing need for expanded emergency services. The debate revolved around whether to utilize proffer funds—developer-contributed resources earmarked for public infrastructure—or tap into the county’s fire levy fund.
The Funding Debate
Brentsville District Supervisor Tom Gordy initiated an amendment to the funding resolution, proposing the use of Brentsville District fire proffers “to the greatest extent possible” before considering the fire levy fund. With $3 million available in Brentsville fire proffers, Gordy emphasized aligning these restricted funds with their intended purpose: supporting fire and rescue services.
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The Fredericksburg City Council took a significant step toward attracting data center development on Monday, January 14, by voting unanimously to initiate amendments to the city’s 2015 comprehensive plan, unified development ordinance (UDO), and zoning map. The proposed changes aim to establish a Technology Overlay District (TOD) that would designate roughly 250 acres in the city as a site for data centers and related uses near the Fredericksburg Nationals stadium.
Currently, the city does not have server farms like those sprouting up in surrounding jurisdictions, such as Stafford, Spotsylvania, Prince William, and King George counties. Unlike their neighbors, the city has far fewer acres of land to devote to the sprawling tech campuses.
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The “light duty” basic police accident tow and clean up — which includes the towing and removal of a car involved in a crash and cleaning the crash site of minor debris — fee would increase from $290 to $375. The non-accident fee — requiring a vehicle to be towed not in the case of an accident — would increase from $210 to $250.
The “heavy duty” towing fees have the largest increase if approved; the basic police accident tow and clean up will increase from $475 to $1,000. The non-accident tow fee will increase from $160 to $800.
According to city documents, the policy was last revised in May 2019 and instated in January 2020. These new fees will be instated later this month.
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The survey, conducted by ETC Institute, a national market research firm for local governments, was conducted in 2024 as part of the city's efforts to poll its residents every two years on a wide variety of issues, city services, public safety and quality of life. The last citywide survey was conducted in 2022 by ETC, which has been working with the city since 2014.
Jason Morado, the director of community research at ETC, said the survey was sent out to random residents via mail and online mostly in September and October 2024. He also said 407 people responded, surpassing the city's goal of 400 respondents.
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On Monday, January 13, 2025, the Manassas City Council received the Electoral Board's annual report, presented by Pamela Kincheloe, who is secretary of the city's electoral board. The report highlighted voter participation trends, the logistics of the 2024 election, and the city's electoral outcomes.
Voter Participation and Trends
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The Manassas City Council voted unanimously on Monday, January 13, 2024, to purchase a 1.56-acre property in Downtown Manassas from the Manassas Ice and Fuel Company (MIFCO). The $3.1 million acquisition is part of the city's ongoing strategy to control downtown development and foster community-focused growth.
The newly purchased property, which includes multiple parcels on Center Street, is zoned for industrial use (I-2), allowing developments up to 75 feet in height. City officials highlighted the importance of acquiring the land to guide its future use and prevent projects that may not align with the downtown's character.
“This purchase ensures that we, as a city, can decide what happens on this key piece of land,” said Vice Mayor Wolfe. “Without this step, the property could have been developed by-right into something like a storage facility or data center, which may not align with our downtown vision.”
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On Tuesday, January 14, 2025, the Stafford County School Board received a presentation detailing the root causes behind the failure of the school bus transportation system, which left about 3,000 students without a ride during the first week of the 2024-2025 school year this past August.
The analysis, conducted by Transportation Advisory Services (TAS), highlighted organizational restructuring and the rushed implementation of new routing software as major contributors to the debacle.
