Manassas Park holds interviews for interim council and school-board appointments; public hearing set for Feb. 4

Manassas Park’s governing body on Jan. 29 interviewed a slate of applicants for interim appointments to the city council and school board and set a public hearing for Feb. 4, with selections to be announced at the Feb. 11 meeting.

Candidates described a mix of priorities should they be appointed for the roughly 10-month interim terms. Rachel Kirkland, a 15-year Manassas Park City School Board member and former board chair and vice chair, said the immediate priority would be ‘‘this transition period for the next 10 months’’ and stressed working productively with the new city manager and sustaining transparent, collaborative relations with staff and residents. Kirkland also urged diversifying the city’s commercial tax base to reduce pressure on homeowners.

Donna Shoemaker (who identified herself as having lived in Manassas Park for about 45 years and serving previously on the governing body, the board of equalization and the library board) said she would prioritize building a strong relationship with the new city manager, protecting institutional knowledge and making workforce retention a budget priority. ‘‘I will always prioritize people over things,’’ Shoemaker said, arguing that turnover and the cost to replace experienced employees can strain the budget.

Other applicants emphasized housing, parks and downtown development as levers to increase revenue. Robert Maldonado, a longtime resident and volunteer, said ‘‘housing is the biggest thing right now’’ and proposed enhancing existing green space as community venues that could generate income. Kevin Moreau, a volunteer on the city’s Economic Development Authority, said the downtown buildout and supporting small, diverse businesses are central to broadening the tax base.

Several applicants addressed whether Manassas Park should continue appointing its school board. Rachel Kirkland and other candidates said appointment suits the city’s size and reduces the risk of low-turnout or polarizing elections; one applicant who introduced herself after being announced as a different name (the chair announced "Marie Shubik" but the applicant identified herself as Maria Sheva) also said she supports appointment, citing difficulty recruiting candidates for contested elections.

Council members repeatedly framed questions around the city’s property-tax burden (noting Manassas Park’s high tax rate relative to other jurisdictions) and asked applicants what they would do to reduce that rate. Applicants offered a common line of response: broaden the commercial tax base through downtown development and targeted economic recruitment, invest in amenities that attract residents and visitors, and seek economies of scale or shared services where feasible.

No appointment was made at the Jan. 29 meeting. The governing body announced that the application names will be posted and that a public hearing will be held Feb. 4; the governing body said it will make its selection at a special meeting on Feb. 11.

The meeting opened with a brief agenda approval by voice vote and concluded after a motion to adjourn carried by voice vote.