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BOHICA Alert For Residents Of Manassas Park
By Greg L | 13 December 2007 | Manassas Park | 9 Comments
Is there finally going to be a tax revolt in Manassas Park? With comments such as Vice-Mayor Brian Polk’s at a recent meeting of the governing board, it’s pretty clear that tax increases on small businesses are in the works, and local business owners aren’t at all happy about it. In fact, they’re telling the Governing board that they feel like they are being abused, well, because they are.
Some of the eight people who spoke cited the lower property tax rate in neighboring jurisdictions like Prince William County as reason enough not to bump up the tax rate. Prince William, an NVTA member, touts a 78.7 cent property tax rate. Manassas, also an NVTA member, has a 85.5 cent property tax.
In fact, Manassas Park’s tax rate is 20% higher than that of Prince William County. Ouch.
Manassas Park has been spending money like drunken sailors on capital improvements such as the new police station and the expansion for Cougar Elementary School. Meanwhile, the city has nearly depleted it’s reserve fund, cut back on public works spending by about a third, and is looking at a significant erosion in the residential tax base that it can no longer dodge. With the opportunities for tax increases available courtesy of the NVTA, the Governing Board of this municipality feels it simply cannot afford to pass up any opportunity to generate additional revenue. You can bet this council is going to impose at least some new taxes on businesses in Manassas Park, and that is going to drive business away from this troubled jurisdiction and accelerate it’s financial implosion.
Retrocession back into Prince William County is becoming an ever more certain likelihood. Not that this would be a good deal for Prince William County, but this is simply an economically unviable locality, and the residents of Manassas Park are getting screwed here. The last time Manassas Park faced bankruptcy, Prince William County ceded a large parcel of land suitable for commercial development in the hopes that the park could better balance the ratio of commercial and residential tax bases. Now the park is geared up to hammer local businesses even more, which isn’t going to resolve this persistent tax base problem at all.
To make this even more critical, last year this jurisdiction kept real estate assessments at the same level they were the year before, while every other jurisdiction lowered theirs in recognition of the realities of the local real estate market. By deferring this hit, this year is going to be quite a shock for Manassas Park residents. If they thought their tax rate was high in comparison to surrounding jurisdictions then, this coming year is going to blow their minds.
I can easily see the residential tax rate in Manassas Park rising to $1.40. Will that finally rouse Manassas Park residents out of their somnolescence and get them engaged in what’s happening in their local government?
Bend over, here it comes again…
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9 Comments
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I’ve already informed them that I will be refuting my tax assessment all the way to the Virginia Supreme Court if necessary. Greg, when and where do they make a change to the value per $100 in residential real estate? Do they hold a council meetinf for that or do they just bang a gavel and make it so? I know they are planning on increasing it from $1.14 per $100 to something that will bring in the same amount of revenue - $1.40 or so like you said. I want to know when this will happen and how so that I can be prepared for it. They certainly aren’t going to advertise it. Do you have this info or know who might?
And no it won’t arouse them out of their somnolescence because they are mostly all illegal Mexicans that don’t want to rock the boat. The 10 or 20 of us that are left can’t make much of a dent.
Best.Place.To.Be.A.Politician.Ever.
Tax rate changes must be done by role-call vote at a fully advertised public hearing. Such changes usually occur just prior to the public hearing to approve the yearly operating budget.
MP needs all the tax money to support their “sanctuary city”.
When I was at The Citadel, one of the cadets sold a t-shirt that said, “Party in the land of B.O.H.I.C.A. Thank you for the memories - lol
Bryan Polk is up for re-election next year. May his words come back to haunt him.
“Meanwhile, the city has nearly depleted it’s reserve fund…”
Can you provide a citation for that? I would be interested in seeing that information.
Repeal the “Farewell Tax”
http://www.petitiononline.com/Grantor/petition.html
What is our best chance of getting this propertytax increase blocked?
I have spoken at coucnil meetings but this seems useless!