MANASSAS PARK, Va. – The Manassas Park Governing Body has signaled support for a balanced approach to the Fiscal Year 2026 budget that includes modest property tax relief and gradual increases in utility rates aimed at long-term sustainability.
Compromise on Budget Strategy
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MANASSAS PARK, Va. – Manassas Park’s 50th Anniversary celebration is well underway, with a lineup of events that will continue into the fall and a focus on honoring the city’s history while engaging its community in meaningful ways.
The next big event will be a ceremonial anniversary flag raising on July 1, now set to take place at City Hall instead of Costello Park. Officials shifted the venue due to low RSVPs and a lighter entertainment schedule than expected. The ceremony will resemble the city’s annual Memorial Day and Pride flag raisings and will include a light reception in the City Hall banquet room. The gathering will lead into the regular Tuesday night council meeting.
On July 5, residents can look forward to the city’s official 50th Anniversary Parade, which will begin on East Carambola and proceed downhill along Manassas Drive, ending near City Hall. The parade will run from 9 to 11 a.m. and will feature a children’s bike brigade, community floats, and performing arts groups. Prizes will be awarded for Best Bike Decoration, Most Creative Float, Best Performing Arts Group, and Best in Show.
Later that evening, residents can enjoy the Independence Day celebration at Signal Hill Park, making July 5 a full day of community festivities.
The final signature event of the anniversary year will be the Fire & Fiddle Fest on October 4 at Costello Park. Headlined by bluegrass band Seldom Scene, the event will include smaller musical acts, a food truck competition in place of a previously planned BBQ contest, and activities for all ages—including bounce houses, vendor tents, and a possible car show. Food trucks will compete for prizes, and tasting tickets will allow attendees to vote for their favorites. Organizers are also working through Virginia ABC guidance to determine if alcohol tastings can be offered.
Throughout the year, the city is also working on legacy projects. A digital “online museum” is being assembled with contributions from residents, including old photos, bills, and documents. Officials are also searching for the city’s longest-residing resident, not necessarily the oldest, who will be invited to raise the anniversary flag and serve as the Grand Marshal of the parade.
A 50th Anniversary time capsule is also in the works. Its goal is to be sealed later this year and reopened in 25 years, during the city’s 75th anniversary.
Residents can find submission forms and event details on the city’s website by clicking the “50th Anniversary” banner at the top of the homepage.
In March, the Manassas Park Governing Body voted 4–3 to disband the 50th Anniversary Planning Committee, prompting backlash from former officials and residents. The decision was made without public comment, and critics said the move disregarded the work of volunteers who had been organizing the celebration for more than a year. Former Councilmember Laura Hampton, who served on the committee, said the group was never consulted before the vote and that the governing body acted on misinformation.
💰 The City of Manassas Park just dropped its proposed budget for FY2026, and let’s just say… your water, sewer, and stormwater fees are going up, but there’s a tiny silver lining when it comes to your real estate taxes.
Here’s the scoop in plain language👇
🏠 Real Estate Tax: A Penny Saved…
Good news first: your real estate tax rate is going down… barely.
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Current: $1.405 per $100 of assessed value
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FY26: $1.395 per $100
Don’t go spending that windfall just yet—it’s about $10 less per $100,000 of property value. But hey, we’ll take it!
🚗 Personal Property Tax: No Change
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Still $3.50 per $100 of assessed vehicle value.
Cars continue to hit your wallet the same way they did last year.
💦 Water & Sewer Rates: A Steady Climb
Residential Rates (per 1,000 gallons):
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Water: $4.07 → $4.68
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Sewer: $6.77 → $7.79
📈 That’s a 15%+ increase—so if your family’s running the laundry and sprinklers nonstop this summer, expect a noticeable bump.
Commercial Water/Sewer: Tiered Increases
Depending on usage, you’ll pay more across the board:
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Example (0–10,000 gallons):
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Water: $6.14 → $7.06
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Sewer: $8.88 → $10.21
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ERU fees (based on meter size) also jump—larger businesses will feel this more.
💧 Stormwater Fee: Raining on Your Budget
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Annual Stormwater Management Fee:
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$182.88 → $210.31 per ERU
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That’s about a 15% increase
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This fee helps the city manage runoff, drainage, and environmental protection. Necessary, but not exactly thrilling.
🗑️ Trash & Recycling: Slight Hike
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Curbside pickup: $24.86 → $27.35
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Dumpster service: $20.29 → $22.32
That’s roughly $2 more a month to take out the trash.
👵 Senior Tax Relief: More Savings
Seniors get a bit of relief:
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Discount: $6.77 → $7.44
A small gesture, but every dollar counts.
🧾 Final Word: What’s the Budget Outlook?
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City budget is shrinking this year:
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FY25: $142M → FY26: $97.5M (↓31.5%)
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Schools get a slight boost:
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Up about $2.3M to $64.8M
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Total budget drops by $45M overall—down 21.7%Agenda June 3 2025-2-4…
📣 Public Hearing: June 3, 2025
MANASSAS PARK, Va. — Manassas Park homeowners could see their tax bills rise by hundreds of dollars under the proposed Fiscal Year 2026 budget, despite a planned reduction in the city's real estate tax rate.
City Manager Carl Cole presented the $129 million budget to the Governing Body on April 22, 2025, proposing a one-cent reduction to the real estate tax rate, which would lower it to $1.395 per $100 of assessed value. However, because the average assessed value of residential properties increased by 7.48%, the typical single-family homeowner, with an average home value of $507,689, would still pay approximately $483 more in real estate taxes next year.
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MANASSAS PARK, Va. — A major residential project proposed just outside Manassas Park's borders is moving through its second round of review in Prince William County, and city leaders are taking a close look at the plan's potential impact on local roads and services.
Representatives from D.R. Horton, the developer behind the Mayfield Crossing project, and attorney Noah Klein of Venable LLP presented an updated site plan to the Manassas Park Governing Body during its April 15, 2025, meeting. The project site, approximately 20 acres located at the intersection of Manassas Drive and Signal View Drive, is nearly surrounded by Manassas Park city limits.
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The Manassas Park Governing Body will meet on Tuesday to review several vital items impacting regional development, transportation, and public safety.
Here’s what residents can expect:
Mayfield Crossing Development Presentation
The Governing Body will hear a presentation from DR Horton and legal representatives about the proposed Mayfield Crossing development, located at the corner of Manassas Drive and Signal View Drive in Prince William County.
The site is currently undeveloped, and the developer has submitted a second rezoning application to Prince William County. Manassas Park staff, who have been engaged in the planning process since 2023, submitted comments on April 1, 2025, voicing the city’s priorities and concerns. The current concept includes:
- 180 townhomes (a reduction from the original 288)
- Enhanced pedestrian connections to nearby parks and trails
- Open space amenities like a dog park, playground, and recreation fields
- Off-site improvements such as underground utilities and sidewalk expansions
- City officials will review how the project may affect traffic and community character.
Rail with Trail Study Moves Forward Without Federal Funding
After failing to secure a federal grant last year, Manassas Park, the City of Manassas, and Prince William County are moving forward with a self-funded Rail with Trail Phase 1 Study.
- The study, with a total cost of $268,600, will examine the feasibility of constructing a 3-mile multi-use trail running alongside the Virginia Railway Express (VRE) Manassas Line—from Downtown Manassas to the Bull Run Trail in Fairfax County. Manassas Park will contribute $90,000 toward the study.
- The study will evaluate potential alignments, estimate construction costs, and include public input. It is part of a larger long-term effort listed in the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority’s Six-Year Program and the Visualize 2045 National Capital Trail Network.
- The goal is to complete the study in time to submit a joint funding application for the next NVTA funding cycle.
Crime Solvers Program Presentation
Manassas Park residents will get an in-depth look at the Manassas City / Manassas Park Crime Solvers program, which allows citizens to anonymously report crime tips to local police.
Key highlights include:
- A 24-hour confidential tip line (703-330-0330) and online P3 Tip Portal
- Cash rewards of up to $1,000 for tips that lead to arrests
- A volunteer board that manages fundraising, program promotion, and reward distribution
- Founded in 1987 and expanded to Manassas Park in 2012, Crime Solvers is a community-based, nonprofit organization working to bridge the gap between law enforcement and the public. Both cities’ police departments endorse the program and relies on donations to operate.
The meeting will take place at City Hall, 100 Park Central Plaza, Manassas Park, on Tuesday, April 15, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. inside the city hall board meeting room
For more information or to view the full agenda, manassasparkva.gov/government/governing_body/meetings_agendas___minutes/index.php
Let us know if you plan to attend or have questions about these agenda items. You can also follow our continuing coverage for updates after the meeting.
Residents voiced strong opposition during the March 4, 2025, governing body meeting after the city voted 4-3 to disband the 50th Anniversary Planning Committee. The decision, made without public comment beforehand, drew sharp criticism from former officials and community members who accused the governing body of a lack of transparency and disregard for volunteer efforts.
Laura Hampton, a former governing body member, condemned the decision, stating that it was based on misinformation and made without consultation.
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During a tense Manassas Park Governing Body meeting on March 4, Mayor Alanna Mensing raised a pointed question about the city treasurer’s plan to publish the names of delinquent taxpayers.
"It is a shame tactic, right? You are putting out people's names to kind of compel them to pay so that they're not publicly shamed. And so does that actually work?"
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The Manassas Park Governing Body has appointed Kevin Moreau to fill a vacant seat on the Governing Body (City Council) following the recent election of Alana Mensing as mayor. Moreau will serve as an interim council member until a special election fills the vacancy.
During a short meeting on February 13, 2025, council members voted in favor of Moreau’s appointment, with one abstention. Moreau was selected from a pool of applicants, including former council members and community leaders seeking to serve the city.
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Updated –Members of the community gathered to honor the Manassas Park police department for their diligent efforts in the investigation of Mamta Kafle Bhatt, a mother who has not been seen since July 2024. The recognition ceremony highlighted the role of law enforcement in uncovering key evidence in the high-profile case.
During the ceremony, 11 officers from the Manassas Park Police Department were presented with traditional Topi headdresses provided by Kafle Bhatt’s Nepalese family. Sunita Basnet Thapa, a coworker and mentor to Kafle Bhatt during her nursing career, explained the cultural significance of the Topi. “The headdress is traditionally presented to Nepalese men to identify them as honorable and hardworking,” she said.
