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Manassas Park council debates FY26 budget options, leans toward a 1¢ property-tax lift and utility pass-throughs
Summary
Council held an extended budget discussion June 3 over FY26 proposals that would pair a modest real-estate tax increase with utility rate changes to cover higher water purchase and treatment costs. Members voiced concern about deep staffing cuts and urged preserving a 2.5% COLA for employees.
Manassas Park City Council members spent much of their June 3 meeting weighing competing ways to close a projected FY26 budget shortfall, with several members signaling support for a one-cent increase in the real-estate tax combined with modest utility rate adjustments.
City Manager (speaker 6) presented multiple scenarios that link property-tax options (0¢, 1¢, 1.5¢) to water, stormwater and solid-waste rate changes. The manager described a scenario that would pass through about a 6% increase in water rates to reflect higher purchase and treatment costs and proposed 5% increases for stormwater and solid-waste in some options. He warned that smaller tax increases would require deeper service and staff cuts, including elimination of certain vacant positions and a reorganization of customer service staffing.
Council members asked for clarity about which positions are currently vacant and what service reductions would look like in practice. Several members said they preferred a modest property-tax increase rather than the more severe cuts in the manager’s lower-tax options. One council member summarized the tradeoff: "The cuts are too deep — I’m not in favor of lowering the COLA," and several others echoed the need to protect front-line services such as snow removal and code enforcement.
Councilmember Daryl (speaker referenced in transcript) and others argued that employee compensation should not be reduced and said a 2.5% COLA should be retained; at least one member said 3% would be preferable. The manager noted that FY26 is expected to be a tight year and emphasized that 2028 will bring additional stormwater-related mandates that will further pressure budgets.
Public input during the evening highlighted resident concerns about notice and affordability. A public commenter raised alarm about media reports of sizeable water-bill increases and recounted a prior meter replacement experience that temporarily doubled a household bill; written comments filed by residents urged council to scrutinize "nice-to-have" expenditures and to avoid adding burden to households already facing economic strain.
Next steps: Council planned a short work session following next week’s board interviews and scheduled the final budget vote and rate approvals for June 24. The manager will post the principal scenarios and supporting materials online as council refines a preferred combination of tax and rate changes.
