M. Park OKs $1.24 tax rate per $100

The Manassas Park City Council approved a real estate tax rate of $1.24 per $100 of assessed value Tuesday night.

With the increase, the average tax bill is still expected to go down by roughly $200.

The rate is a 10-cent increase from last year and, according to the council, a necessary evil

due to falling assessments.

Including commercial properties, assessments fell 8.77 percent from last year with residential properties plunging more than 12 percent.

The council considered not raising taxes but believed it would have impacted services too greatly. City finance director Gary Fields said a zero rate increase would have led to, among other things, the loss of three police officers, six firefighters, nine of the 10 public works staff, no weekend hours at the Parks & Recreation facility at Costello Park and more than 50 positions cut at the schools.

As it is, a 10-cent increase ultimately means that the schools may cut up to 41 positions because of decreased enrollment and fewer dollars coming from state support for education.

"The only fiscally responsible thing is to set the tax rate at $1.24," vice mayor Bryan Polk said.

Polk said he believed the decision was appropriate and "the right middle ground."

Mayor Frank Jones agreed.

"I believe the $1.24 provides the best compromise solution in being able to sustain the priority city services [and] being able to give a modest, although not as large, tax break as desired," Jones said.

At last week's public hearing, many people spoke out against the rate increase with some stating to the governing body that they would be leaving the city as soon as the market turns. On Tuesday, 20 to 25 people gathered at the meeting for citizens' time. The few who spoke expressed their understanding of the tax rate increase.

"There was no choice in the matter," said resident Howard Tilton, who recently moved into the city from Colorado. "And if anyone thinks any differently, than that would just put us further in a hole."

With the tax rate now set, the fiscal 2009 budget will likely be approved in May. One item still open for discussion is the city's proposed water and sewer rates.

At last week's public hearing, many residents expressed concern with the city's proposal to adopt a sliding scale rate plan that would penalize high consumption users and benefit those who used very little water. The city initially proposed the new rate, in part, to encourage conservation of water by ridding the minimum base fee of $35.

On Tuesday, Public Works Director Kathy Gammell detailed the city's need for improving its water and sewer infrastructure and told residents that the city would crunch more numbers in an effort to come up with a more equitable rate plan that would likely not penalize heavy users as much as the original plan.

In other business, the council is scheduled to vote on the approval of a comprehensive agreement with OWPR Inc. on a new Parks & Recreation facility at Costello Park on May 6. According to Parks & Recreation Director Catherine Morretta, construction on the $22 million project could begin as early as this fall and be completed by late 2009.

Part of the facility will include an indoor pool. Costello Park currently has only an outdoor pool located next to the Parks & Recreation building.

Staff writer Kipp Hanley can be reached at 703-369-5738.