[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6602333,"mediaKeyId","3004655-36320c7af3c0c7602195547a48c2b7cf","parentId",3004655,"title","Prince William supervisors raise data-center levy, cut vehicle and meals taxes in budget markup","audioSeconds",356,"startMs",10491000,"endMs",10847000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3004655-36320c7af3c0c7602195547a48c2b7cf&start=10491&end=10847","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3004655-36320c7af3c0c7602195547a48c2b7cf/thumbnail_10491000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6602333/Prince-William-County/Virginia/Prince-William-supervisors-raise-data-center-levy-cut-vehicle-and-meals-taxes-in-budget-markup","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6602333-eae3a0381047d6ecf5b5f1f4bb463730/orig.mp4?Expires=1770439989&Signature=VZLmLS7d3LLVx07h13vt5VV2pZ20HjrG-spqLqBB8F4qDvCpmUhrtx96CwgSt635URHyOIDApTc4~jM--ud35tX-u-Zn38GdEdd3F3oZtbL2KV3kjqVIeW4MOu5XgQriji97z4V2raoRiZbMzVnR-YuKW-u27FhW5ZGk0o00gl9T~WJoNTKFWi578dbKs7-GJFGU5t80apgBh3xbhLU1irk-rC2I5teqoZb~nqq5WLkjNUuQWxFyObtBSHcla41RcX4cBb9nX6nXD8yJ28TXkPYO6aqGXWz3fpYTltNJfa0iPkEXdp1FV5PXWNWe0OC5vRe7Yb7XC4g0QT1GSegzyQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Prince William County","date","2025-04-15T00:00:00Z","article","Prince William County supervisors voted Wednesday to increase the county's computer and peripheral tax to $4.15 per $100 of assessed value, cut the personal-vehicle tax to $3.50 and direct staff to prepare an ordinance cutting the meals (food and beverage) tax to 3 percent, while adopting a $0.906 real-estate tax rate for fiscal 2026.

The actions came near the end of a lengthy budget markup session during which supervisors debated staff requests, department priorities and how much of newly available revenue from data-center firms to apply toward tax relief. County Executive Christopher Shorter had presented a recap budget that preserved many department requests; the board's changes reallocated a portion of the projected C&P revenue to lower household vehicle bills and reduce the meal tax in a phased way.

The board's move on the C&P rate was the most consequential revenue decision: the higher C&P rate is projected to raise roughly $18 million in additional revenue compared with the budget's earlier baseline. Supervisors said part of that incremental money should be returned to taxpayers, chiefly through a lower personal-property levy on vehicles and a modest cut to the meals tax, while keeping a modest real-estate rate reduction from the February proposal.

Supervisors voted 7\u00011 to set the C&P tax at $4.15. The real-estate tax debate took longer: a motion to set $0.885 per $100 failed, and the board adopted $0.906 by roll call, 5\u00013. The vehicle-rate decision coalesced at $3.50 after several members proposed lower numbers; the board recorded consensus to move forward with that rate. On the meals tax, supervisors directed staff to prepare an ordinance to make the 3 percent change effective Jan. 1, 2026, to allow businesses time to update systems.

County officials and supervisors stressed the trade-offs. Shorter and staff repeatedly cautioned that cuts to recurring county programs this year would reduce flexibility in later budget years, especially once the full-year impact of the meals-tax change appears in fiscal 2027. Staff estimated the board's package of rate changes (C&P up to $4.15, vehicle tax to $3.50 and meals tax at 3 percent from Jan. 1) would leave the county roughly $950,000 short in FY 2026 but about $7.2 million lower in FY 2027 because of the meals-tax full-year effect; supervisors then identified one-time and recurring reductions to close the gap.

Among the items the board trimmed or delayed were parts of the parks and recreation capital allocation and a reduction in the contingency set-aside. Supervisors also agreed to review proffer accounts (developer-dedicated funds) and asked staff and the county attorney to identify whether certain projects could be funded from those proffers rather than the general fund; staff said that review would be ongoing and any eligible transfers would return to the board through the finance committee.

Votes at a glance
- Computer and peripheral (C&P) tax: Increase to $4.15 per $100 of assessed value. Motion: not specified. Vote: 7 yes, 1 no (Supervisor Angry). Outcome: approved.
- Real-estate tax rate: Adopt $0.906 per $100 of assessed value. Motion: not specified. Vote: 5 yes, 3 no. Outcome: approved.
- Personal property (vehicles) tax: Set to $3.50 (decision recorded by roll call/consensus during markup). Outcome: adopted by board consensus/roll call during markup.
- Meals (food and beverage) tax: Board directed staff to prepare an ordinance to lower the rate to 3.0 percent, effective Jan. 1, 2026 (to allow business-system changes); formal ordinance adoption scheduled for the budget-resolutions packet. Outcome: board direction to prepare ordinance.
- Certification of closed session: Motion and second on the record; vote unanimous. Outcome: certified.

Discussion and next steps
Supervisors emphasized that the board's choices were a balance between delivering tax relief and preserving government services. Multiple supervisors said they wanted incremental tax reductions rather than deeper one-time cuts that could destabilize the five-year plan. Several supervisors urged staff to provide more frequent vacancy and proffer reports so the board can consider alternative funding sources outside the general fund.

Staff will return revised appropriation/resolution language at the scheduled budget-adoption meeting; the meals-tax ordinance requires a public-notice schedule and therefore an effective date of Jan. 1, 2026. The board also asked the county executive and staff to provide more detailed tracking of where proffer funds might legally and practically substitute for general-fund capital items.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Prince William County - Board of County Supervisors Meeting - Apr 15, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Prince William County supervisors voted Wednesday to raise the county's computer-and-peripheral tax to $4.15 per $100 of assessed value and to cut residents' vehicle and meals taxes after hours of debate during budget markup.","taxTitle","Prince William County, Virginia","taxId",21018,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6602316,"Board certifies closed session, announces Levi Bass as director of Office of Youth Services",43,8554000,8597000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3004655-36320c7af3c0c7602195547a48c2b7cf&start=8554&end=8597","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3004655-36320c7af3c0c7602195547a48c2b7cf/thumbnail_8554000.jpg","/articles/6602316/Prince-William-County/Virginia/Board-certifies-closed-session-announces-Levi-Bass-as-director-of-Office-of-Youth-Services","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6602316-5b50fa6b56b560c3b0f99013c8d95fde/orig.mp4?Expires=1770439989&Signature=PDzrNXB6SNhC43SbI4srn-aiASh9pNlXkfROziPQ39NljyCGSzL7CALD~Z5KuzUfUzOCly1v43AyVyoLWiHAepIMjQOhfpRIWmE2OoOgvhgjJYDV4bw7pTNIXlUpgepbHSJ2kb8tQddC7a8CHdSVBeOVemaCxKVVA-nMZLwjj4pskMdiNi~kPaudmR3d0S8PTWtBc91sCfGjkx9xjMrnpyPrq8Yi81MVs4bP3mUrZwVmxNLV8i5D7nOP2Gqw4jNZrLTiNexA2bEB7yZz4DOiy5U7ehxitLTiXcm~c5syR0o3zhZDiJdxVYLTE15LhlBiLqw5TjddBB4oi-HRkz5O0Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Prince William County Board of Supervisors certified a closed session held on April 15 and announced the appointment of Leviticus (Levi) Bass as director of the County's reestablished Office of Youth Services.

County Attorney and staff had described closed-session topics at the meeting's start, including a personnel discussion related to the Office of Youth Services director and legal consultations about publicly held property and ongoing litigation. After the closed session the board voted unanimously to certify the meeting record as required by Virginia law.

County Executive Christopher Shorter then introduced Levi Bass to the board in open session. Shorter said Bass has served in Prince William County since 2012 and led a competitive recruitment process for the director position. Bass spoke briefly in open session, thanked the board and staff for the opportunity and said he looked forward to advancing youth-services programming and collaborating with county partners.

The certification vote was taken on the record; the board also directed staff to proceed with whatever follow-up actions were appropriate under the closed-session determinations.

Ending
The board recorded the closed-session certification unanimously and welcomed Bass publicly; any further personnel or legal details discussed in closed session remain confidential as permitted by state law.","After a closed session covering personnel and legal matters, the Board of Supervisors certified the closed meeting and introduced Levi (Leviticus) Bass as the newly appointed director of the county's reestablished Office of Youth Services.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6602322,"Prince William firefighter urges county-funded cancer screening after multiple recent diagnoses",135,2321000,2456000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3004655-36320c7af3c0c7602195547a48c2b7cf&start=2321&end=2456","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3004655-36320c7af3c0c7602195547a48c2b7cf/thumbnail_2321000.jpg","/articles/6602322/Prince-William-County/Virginia/Prince-William-firefighter-urges-county-funded-cancer-screening-after-multiple-recent-diagnoses","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6602322-05ba7f8d470562d98820adca092dd4de/orig.mp4?Expires=1770439989&Signature=d24UNZHwBq8BUi9h9hwguFg1wX02QX2eWUvOPkfzNToni670LRcYEKZfyIkOOACHwkHl0TofAjONv-ikVgmhYl-s7wLML6YVnpbp7uoASXJS3T2LU0t7ywTtUXegph9oW7c0Q1hd4dmG8jtbzRqWIs6N9pGQne5GU~IoQmPo0fHIO0XupWCVJ2la9fvQnmwrT94efyrY7fDdpBk1xXTICLi4nokDSjUqQJMK5eyFcIgQy2KtW~5mTWH29MuRxHGLflyB-e3SucxGGJsp-n1rHngmuiN-Ln7s~DHFnfRgLR4fJuvIBKYCDqsi9ipwbQnHe0PsZxMbT2UT9tpR~vWFnA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Mitch Nason, a 20-year veteran of Prince William County Fire & Rescue, told the Board of Supervisors during public comment that multiple confirmed cancer diagnoses among firefighters in recent months show a need for a county-funded early-screening program.

Nason said three confirmed cancer diagnoses occurred in the department in the previous three months and listed additional diagnoses and medical problems reported by co-workers. He said a General Assembly-funded study is screening 800 Northern Virginia firefighters, but that study excludes many members of the local force: it covers only workers 35 or older and with at least 10 years of service, and results are not available to all career and volunteer firefighters locally.

Nason asked the board to consider allocating between $150,000 and $200,000 a year to screen all county firefighters (career and volunteer) on a 2-to-3-year rotation. He argued that early detection reduces treatment costs and triggers presumptive coverage processes under Virginia's firefighter-presumptive law; those presumptive cases can become workers' compensation claims for the county.

County supervisors and staff did not take immediate action on the request during markup. Shorter and staff took the comment for follow-up and noted the county's role and budget constraints; they also pointed to the statewide screening pilot funded by the General Assembly. The board did not adopt a specific budget line for screenings at markup; supervisors asked staff to track the public comment and to provide information about options and costs if the board wanted to study a locally funded program further.

Ending
Supervisors thanked Nason for raising the issue and asked staff to include screening-cost options and legal/benefit implications in a future follow-up memo so the board can consider whether to add the screening program to a future budget.","At public comment the county heard from a 20-year firefighter veteran who described several recent cancer diagnoses within the department and asked supervisors to consider funding annual or rotating early-detection screenings for career and volunteer firefighters.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6602326,"Commonwealth's attorney tells supervisors office needs dozens more staff to meet caseloads",1117,2783000,3900000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3004655-36320c7af3c0c7602195547a48c2b7cf&start=2783&end=3900","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3004655-36320c7af3c0c7602195547a48c2b7cf/thumbnail_2783000.jpg","/articles/6602326/Prince-William-County/Virginia/Commonwealths-attorney-tells-supervisors-office-needs-dozens-more-staff-to-meet-caseloads","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6602326-623a0dabf6b5cbf7dc1a30f0f38ed369/orig.mp4?Expires=1770439989&Signature=AdqI1j4R7hMz2teWJwTalcbvdujs1pxwkOHe4DJ5a6Sb6W26fHQ5XuXfg9ig6w9T1FHQ9SpkSgnNS-cZJVCAKC1Q4Je5PyB3lJLHslPsTvlMs~IoqtkyYJKX3V2HRnXGU6CwZ4EmAc7s1gHbPOkbyWwdWtLdIjugLJNIEezPKgFwTWvQAN7KQvUPBzgCg1ez~hXcxloIlvjCgiw1EqQ~yNdpmmlDU-yZxrsiWVL0a5zyobeZlGV4YecsCDY6zbPNioDLKiWKZP5tZTMp7-63wI2Zqutw-YrxTIjRrXqfVFpTKqCuc4gUVDQqSW6Ut78M2ptzZ6XMxLLzEWRy-SCWWg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Amy Ashworth, the elected Commonwealth's Attorney for Prince William County and the cities of Manassas and Manassas Park, briefed the Board of Supervisors on April 15 about the office's recent hires, casework, and continuing staffing shortfalls following a statewide time study.

Ashworth told the board the office added 12 full-time employees in the past year (including five attorneys and several administrative staff) and has used that new staff to expand specialized units such as the Special Victims Unit and Special Investigations Unit. She described several recent high-profile prosecution outcomes, including murder convictions tied to gang activity and convictions in child and sexual-assault cases.

Ashworth said a time study conducted through the National Center for State Courts and used by the state Compensation Board indicates Prince William County should have a substantially larger staff: the latest study figures recommend 61 attorneys, 12 paralegals and 25 administrative staff to match 2024 caseloads and case complexity. The county has not reached that level; with the compensation board's recent allocations and the county's budget actions she said the office will still be short by roughly eight attorneys, three paralegals and seven administrative staff (about 18 positions short overall) for the work in 2024.

Ashworth highlighted several operational pressures she said are driving the need for more staff: a discovery-processing backlog tied to body-worn camera footage, redactions and voluminous digital evidence; increased juvenile-court courtroom time after a new judge and more courtrooms; and attorney burnout and turnover as prosecutors leave for jurisdictions with lower caseloads or for federal jobs. She said her office has a team of paralegals dedicated to discovery but the demand exceeds capacity, leading to court continuances and scheduling problems when discovery is not ready within judges' deadlines.

She also described several priorities if additional state-funded positions become available: more attorneys and paralegals for juvenile, domestic-violence and special-investigations units; a civil attorney to handle expungements, civil commitments and Freedom of Information Act requests; and additional administrative and IT support to use case-management systems more efficiently.

Board members asked about turnover and the connections between increased police staffing and prosecutor caseloads, and they discussed the March job fair and the office's intern program as a recruitment pipeline. Ashworth said two of the three line attorneys hired last year had been prior interns and that the office has been using funding from the state compensation board to add several positions, but that the compensation-board allocations have not yet closed the gap to the time-study recommendations.

Ending
Ashworth left the board with a request that the county continue to pursue available state compensation positions, and to look for local budget options to add paralegals, administrative staff and targeted attorneys to reduce discovery delays and courtroom backlogs.","Elected Commonwealth's Attorney Amy Ashworth briefed the board on staffing added since 2024, the office's use of a statewide time study to justify more positions and continuing shortfalls in attorneys, paralegals and administrative staff; she emphasized discovery backlog and juvenile-court staffing as urgent operational problems.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Prince William supervisors raise data-center levy, cut vehicle and meals taxes in budget markup

Board certifies closed session, announces Levi Bass as director of Office of Youth Services

Prince William firefighter urges county-funded cancer screening after multiple recent diagnoses

Commonwealth's attorney tells supervisors office needs dozens more staff to meet caseloads