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Manassas Park residents criticize treasurer—s plan to publish names of delinquent taxpayers
Summary
The city treasurer proposed publishing names of delinquent taxpayers on the treasurer—s website to improve collections; residents and several council members called the plan —shaming— and asked for a written policy, a clear dollar threshold and more outreach before publication.
The Manassas Park treasurer told the City Council she intends to publish weekly lists of delinquent personal-property taxpayers on the treasurer—s website as a collection tool allowed under state code, and urged residents to sign payment plans to avoid penalties.
"If you stick to your payment arrangement ... we're not—we're not shaming anyone," the treasurer said, adding that the office uses payment plans and hardship write-offs and that collections support schools, fire and police. She said the office will update the list weekly and remove names once payments begin.
Residents at the meeting pushed back. Laura Hampton, a volunteer on the now-disbanded 50th anniversary committee, told the council the decision was made without adequate fact-checking or committee input. Jennifer Cooper, speaking later in the meeting, called the treasurer—s approach a "shame tactic" and urged a public information campaign before any list is published.
Council members asked detailed questions about how the policy would work. One member asked whether residents on payment plans would be posted; the treasurer replied they would not. Another asked how often the list would be updated; the treasurer said weekly. Multiple council members and residents urged setting a minimum threshold so that small balances (for example, $10 or $20) are not publicized; several speakers proposed a $500 threshold for publication.
Council members also asked for data. One council member asked how much of the city's roughly $1,220,000 in delinquencies is tied to accounts above suggested thresholds; the treasurer said she could provide a breakdown. Several speakers urged a written, public policy describing thresholds, update frequency and exceptions for vulnerable residents.
The treasurer said the practice is permitted by "state code" and noted other jurisdictions publish delinquent lists or use the newspaper, but that Manassas Park lacks a local paper and would post the list on the treasurer's website instead. She emphasized the office—s stated goal is to recover revenue to fund city services and to work with residents who request hardship assistance.
No binding council vote on the publication policy occurred at the meeting; council members and residents asked staff for more information and for the treasurer to provide comparative data and proposed thresholds. Several speakers said the city should pause and run an outreach campaign before implementing the plan.
What happens next: council asked the treasurer to provide additional information about the composition of the delinquent balance and to clarify procedures for payment-plan enrollment and removal from any published list. The treasurer also was urged to outline an outreach period before publishing names.
