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Town‑hall Erupts Over Comments About Veterans and Tax Relief; Commissioner Says State exemption is straining local budget
Summary
Residents criticized council for appearing to laugh at veterans' concerns. The Commissioner of the Revenue said local veteran exemptions are rising toward a 2% policy threshold and urged council awareness; council members discussed possible adjustments for elderly relief and agreed to continue conversations.
Comments at a recent council meeting about veterans’ tax relief drew sharp public criticism at the Manassas town hall, where several residents said council members had been dismissive.
Zack Murphy, a resident, told the town hall he was “completely disrespectful” after watching a recording of a March meeting in which, he said, council members laughed while a resident discussed petitions and veterans. “You just laughed it off. Completely disrespectful,” Murphy said.
Multiple residents, including Murphy and others at the microphone, said they were offended not only by the reaction but by a line of argument that appeared to link veterans’ tax exemptions to limits on other local spending.
Commissioner of the Revenue Tim Demaria (as identified in remarks at the meeting) told residents he had raised the issue at council to highlight fiscal pressure the local veteran exemption program creates. He said the city follows a local policy to limit general‑revenue exemptions for elderly and disabled relief at roughly 2 percent of general revenue, and that veteran exemptions have risen. “We’re above that right now, 2.01 percent,” he said during the town hall, arguing council should be aware of future increases.
Demaria said his intention in raising the matter was to make council mindful of the program’s rising cost and to ask whether the city should consider changes that would protect other relief programs for elderly residents. He and other council members said they did not intend to be disrespectful. Several council members apologized for how remarks were received and agreed to continue the discussion with veterans’ advocates.
Residents pressed for alternatives: some urged the city to take unfunded mandates up with the General Assembly or to seek state support because the burden, they said, falls unevenly on localities with larger veteran populations. Others framed the issue as one of city spending choices and urged a review of capital purchases and tax incentives for large projects.
No formal policy change was proposed at the town hall. Council members suggested follow‑up meetings between commissioners, veterans’ advocates and staff to review the exemption’s fiscal impact and to explore whether changes to the city’s elderly relief threshold or other measures would be appropriate.
